Motherboard change

Hi all,

Just thinking of changing the MB. Don't wanna do a complete overhaul right now. Got a $ to spend and this is probably more just for thought than anything. I currently have an ECS ( crap ) with a 1.6 P4. Just to be sure, as long as the MB supports P4 but the speed supported is way beyond what I currently have doesn't matter?? It will still work just fine?? Please correct me if I'm wrong. Also, any suggestions of MB's would be greatly appreciated. Been looking at Abit and Asus.

thansk in advance....

 

hrm. honestly, if you're going to get a new motherboard, you might as well get a new cpu. for about $150, you can get a decent motherboard and a decent cpu from AMD which could end up about twice as fast as your current setup while keeping your ram and video card and such. but the best route is to go all out and get a brand new motherboard with ddr2 and pci-e to make relatively futureproof.

but anyway, unless you got lots of money to spend on a whole new computer, i would actually NOT recommend you upgrade anything, since the new stuff like ddr2, pci-e, and later on sata2 will be the future. getting a motherboard that will fit your current sytem would only be a waste of money imo, especially if you want to save money in the long run.

 

I figured this. This was mostly for grins. Money's not an issue as far as saving for a new rig goes but I just wanted to see what differences there are with MB's for future purchases. All I've heard is how 'crappy' ECS MB's are so spending $50 or so on a different brand doesn't bother me right now. Just waiting till prices come down before upgrading. So despite all this, got any suggestions for a make and/or model??

but, thanks for your thoughts... later

 

are you having problems with your ECS?

I agree with Strogg that waiting for a 'full overhaul' or at least motherboard/CPU combo is a better idea, but if you're set on it...

Intel makes great motherboards for intel chips. Unless you're into overclocking and fooling around, I recommend something like the D865PERL http://www.directron.com/d865perll.html though its around $75. (partly why we suggest upgrading to something newer, since price is comparatively better per performance). It supports your chip, and will support upgrading to a Hyperthreading P4 with an 800mhz FSB in the future.

still, in my eyes, Athlon64 is cheaper AND better performance wise

 

All right you guys, you got me looking around. Not really wanting to go for pci-e and all so I'm checking on Athlon XP 3000 with either an Asus or Abit MB for around $200. Just gonna re-use my hdd's, RAM, and video. Might get a new HD but I have 1 gig of PC2700 and a 9800 Pro so this should be nice for a decent upgrade.

 

Just to clarify, you wont be Upgrading too far if you stop at Athlon XP.

I recommend Athlon 64 3000+ or so with maybe an Asus A8V. that combo will run you around $250. this is still AGP8x and will work decently.

 

i'm thinking the sempron 2800+ and an asus motherboard. although abit will get you better bang for the buck, reliability on those things aren't the highest from what i've seen.

 

I think its a bit hard to recommend something when we dont know what your goals are. is your ECS giving you trouble right now? what do you want to use your computer for? just out of curiosity.

 

My ECS board hasn't caused any major problems, this was mostly about something 'new' without having to get to deep with cost. I mostly play shooter games like CS, BF1942, and CoD. Other than that just web browsing, cd-burning... the normal stuff. Where do you guys get your parts from? I've mostly shopped at Newegg. Thanks again for the replies....

 

Newegg is great, but lately I've noticed that their prices are slightly higher (still competitive, though). I'm guessing they know their customer base is strong enough, and backed by their excellent customer support they can get away with it.

also to take note of are ZipZoomFly, Monarch Computers, GameVE, and ChiefValue (apparently NewEggs' sister site).