best mobo right now for an XP

DigitalChaos · 04-03-2002, 09:44 PM

what is the best mobo right now for an athlon XP.
i am looking for the most features
obviously the fastest
something that overclocks decent

i would prefer to have raid too... but not to actually run raid.. just to have more than 4 ide devices

Brad · 04-04-2002, 12:10 AM

abit AT7
epox kt333

Kevin · 04-04-2002, 03:28 AM

AT7 isn't readily available yet I don't think. I'm ordering the Epox 8K3A, the one Brad mentioned. It has gotten good reviews. I'll let ya know!
-Kev

Brad · 04-04-2002, 03:51 AM

it's on sale in japan (just like everything else)

DigitalChaos · 04-04-2002, 10:09 AM

the AT7 should be available in less than a week....

but with the kt333... is that just support for faster ram... but pointless being that the FSB is still 133? (unless overclocked)

sorry bout the lame questions... but i cant find alot of info about it

Kevin · 04-04-2002, 12:30 PM

KT333 is basically an updated kt266a in all respects. It is a bit speedier and overclocks better. Also, it supports all the correct divisors and stuff if you o/c to the 166 mhz FSB (and probably 200). It supports asynch I think, but it is kinda shitty.
-Kev

decodeddiesel · 04-04-2002, 12:44 PM

I have the EPoX 8KHA+ which I got refurbed from New Egg. It is a very solid motherboard, and runs great. Given my positive experience with the 8KHA+ I would have to reccomend the EPoX 8K3A.

DigitalChaos · 04-04-2002, 01:37 PM

epox might be pretty good.. i dunno bout ditchin "legacy" with the abit... my UPS hooks up with serial and i have never heard of a USB UPS... hope my serial to usb converter works =)
also USB keyboards are limited in selection.. and i dont feel like getting a new printer that i only use to print homework.. (sure i could do printer sharing off an older box)

what about MSI? anyone have good comments about those?
abit and epox seem to be the most recommended where ever i go.

decodeddiesel · 04-04-2002, 03:34 PM

stay away from MSI boards, seriously they suck. Ask Una or ck42 about them. Half the time they ship faulty boards, and when they do work they are poorly designed, and tend to be very buggy. For example MSI still uses a 2 phase VRM for the Vcore power solution which is just a joke these days. Sure the Ferrari Red PCB is sweet looking, but it's not worth the potential hassle the board as a whole will present. I can only recomend the EPoX to you at this time.

Kevin · 04-04-2002, 04:28 PM

MSIs used to be really good, but they have been concentrating more on the OEM market now so their boards more or less blow for guys like us.
-Kev

DigitalChaos · 04-04-2002, 04:58 PM

well that would explain why people only recommend epox or abit...

maybe after seeing a review on the AT7 i will get it.. if not then itll be EPox

Jorde · 04-05-2002, 02:30 AM

I use EPoX 8KHA+ but I don't like it at all, it sucks (only 133@170MHz) and it has 1.85V max Vcore.

You should wait and buy 8K3A (just thinking 2.2 max Vcore makes me cry).

Brad · 04-05-2002, 04:11 AM

yeah, msi have gone downhill recently. Abit and Epox are quite a bit infront most other people right now

Jorde · 04-05-2002, 05:20 AM

I don't have any experience about MSI, but quality is something that EPoX, mummhh, didn't have with 8KHA+. Yah, it was a cheap and nice mobo but there was some serious problems with those. At one hardware store here in Finland, They had over 1/10 broken. The problem was in the mem slots and mobo complaned about C1 in diagnostics. I had two of those babys

but now there's a working mobo inside my Chieftec

DigitalChaos · 04-05-2002, 09:10 AM

http://www.watch.impress.co.jp/akiba...age/nat71.html

YUM... its either that or the epox

not that i havent done a volt mod before... but what is the max vcore on this board? ive been tryin to get all the info i can about this thing.. but its very limited

decodeddiesel · 04-05-2002, 10:23 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Jorde
I don't have any experience about MSI, but quality is something that EPoX, mummhh, didn't have with 8KHA+. Yah, it was a cheap and nice mobo but there was some serious problems with those. At one hardware store here in Finland, They had over 1/10 broken. The problem was in the mem slots and mobo complaned about C1 in diagnostics. I had two of those babys but now there's a working mobo inside my Chieftec

I have a "refurb" EPoX that someone returned. It required me to flash the latest BIOS to "fix" it. Also all you need to do is solder a resistor to 2 points on the IC that regulates Vcore to get above 1.85. Just so you know my "cheap" board with Crucial "cheap" RAM was able to get to DDR333 rock solid. I don't see how you can say this board sucks, it has been one of the best boards I have used in a long long time.

Jorde · 04-05-2002, 10:36 AM

I don't know how you can flash a motherboard that even POST? Do you? There is that reboot problem that needs a bios flash.

I know that "solder a resistor to IC" mod but I'm no good at soldering (I know how to but don't have so good equipment for doing IC soldering). And I don't need more Vcore at the moment. When I move to LN2 (now having just dry ice background) I'm going to buy a better mobo.

DigitalChaos · 04-05-2002, 12:19 PM

the 8K3A+ does 2.2vcore without mod... so i really doubt i will need any vmod =)

XP333-R (Iwill)
ive seen some good reviews on that... how does it stack up the the 8K3A+?

also samsung looks like it has the most OCable pc2700.. anyone think different?

Brad · 04-05-2002, 05:57 PM

the xp333 is slower per mhz than the kt266a and kt333, but it does have a 1/6 pci divider

zoson · 04-13-2002, 11:26 AM

8k3a allows for better voltage controls! it also has legacy for those of us with regular old ps2 keyboards.
-Zoson

EMC2 · 04-13-2002, 01:06 PM

Either the Epox 8K3A+ or the ASUS A7V333. You'll pay a little more for the ASUS, but they have fewer quality control issues. Hop over to AmdForums for insight into either board. They both OC well and both have more than enough range on the Vcore side of things without modification.

From my own experiences with the two vendors and discussions with people I know with the boards, I would tend more towards the ASUS.

Regarding the "legacy free" line of newer m/bs...
PUKE!!!! Brings to mind something about freezing over

As far as the Raid issue - you could always get a RAID free board and put in a low end raid PCI card (thus saving money over the long haul since you can put the card in your next m/b). The PCI cards in general tend to handle higher FSBs more willingly.

Brad · 04-13-2002, 05:54 PM

the a7v333 has the power connector a long way from the cpu and mosfets though, which is the only fault with it. apart from that it is a really great board

DigitalChaos · 04-13-2002, 08:12 PM

well i ended up with the 8k3a+

but the dividers arent exactly what i was thinking...
the dividers seem to be auto, and only kick in when at 166fsb =/

Brad · 04-13-2002, 08:30 PM

sure you care, 1/6 at 200 is much more important than 1/5, I mean hell, I'd be happy with a 1/3 and 1/6 divider, not as if I'd be running at anything in the middle

UglyBunny · 05-21-2002, 10:42 PM

I love my MSI K7T pro2-A sure its MSI but I've had nothing but good come from MSI in the past.

-ugly

04-03-2002, 09:44 PM	#1
DigitalChaos Cooling Savant Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: Waukesha, Wi Posts: 698	best mobo right now for an XP what is the best mobo right now for an athlon XP. i am looking for the most features obviously the fastest something that overclocks decent i would prefer to have raid too... but not to actually run raid.. just to have more than 4 ide devices Last edited by DigitalChaos; 04-03-2002 at 10:06 PM.

04-04-2002, 12:10 AM	#2
Brad Thermophile Join Date: Oct 2001 Location: Nuu Zeeelin Posts: 3,175	abit AT7 epox kt333 __________________ 2x P3 1100's at 1400, Abit VP6, 2x Corsair 256mb PC150 sticks, 20gb 'cuda ATA-III, 2x 40gb 'cuda ATA-IV in raid 0. 20" Trinitron. No fans 2x 2400+ at 2288mhz (16.0 x 143), Iwill MPX2, 2x Kingmax PC-3200 256mb sticks, 4x 20gb 60gxp in Raid 5 on a Promise SX6000. Asus Ti4200 320/630. Cooled by Water

04-04-2002, 03:28 AM	#3
Kevin Slacking more than your weird uncle Join Date: Nov 2000 Location: San Diego, CA (UCSD) / Los Angeles, CA (home) Posts: 1,605	AT7 isn't readily available yet I don't think. I'm ordering the Epox 8K3A, the one Brad mentioned. It has gotten good reviews. I'll let ya know! -Kev __________________ I used to throw hot coffee all over the ass of the horse there, then whip him while he was kickin' at me. Those f***in things are crazy.

04-04-2002, 03:51 AM	#4
Brad Thermophile Join Date: Oct 2001 Location: Nuu Zeeelin Posts: 3,175	it's on sale in japan (just like everything else) __________________ 2x P3 1100's at 1400, Abit VP6, 2x Corsair 256mb PC150 sticks, 20gb 'cuda ATA-III, 2x 40gb 'cuda ATA-IV in raid 0. 20" Trinitron. No fans 2x 2400+ at 2288mhz (16.0 x 143), Iwill MPX2, 2x Kingmax PC-3200 256mb sticks, 4x 20gb 60gxp in Raid 5 on a Promise SX6000. Asus Ti4200 320/630. Cooled by Water

04-04-2002, 12:30 PM	#6
Kevin Slacking more than your weird uncle Join Date: Nov 2000 Location: San Diego, CA (UCSD) / Los Angeles, CA (home) Posts: 1,605	KT333 is basically an updated kt266a in all respects. It is a bit speedier and overclocks better. Also, it supports all the correct divisors and stuff if you o/c to the 166 mhz FSB (and probably 200). It supports asynch I think, but it is kinda shitty. -Kev __________________ I used to throw hot coffee all over the ass of the horse there, then whip him while he was kickin' at me. Those f***in things are crazy.

04-04-2002, 10:09 AM	#5
DigitalChaos Cooling Savant Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: Waukesha, Wi Posts: 698	the AT7 should be available in less than a week.... but with the kt333... is that just support for faster ram... but pointless being that the FSB is still 133? (unless overclocked) sorry bout the lame questions... but i cant find alot of info about it

04-04-2002, 12:44 PM	#7
decodeddiesel Cooling Savant Join Date: Oct 2001 Location: classified Posts: 534	I have the EPoX 8KHA+ which I got refurbed from New Egg. It is a very solid motherboard, and runs great. Given my positive experience with the 8KHA+ I would have to reccomend the EPoX 8K3A. __________________ ...i hurt... do me a favor, disconect me... they can re-work me but i'll never be top of the line again ...i'd rather be nothing...

04-04-2002, 01:37 PM	#8
DigitalChaos Cooling Savant Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: Waukesha, Wi Posts: 698	epox might be pretty good.. i dunno bout ditchin "legacy" with the abit... my UPS hooks up with serial and i have never heard of a USB UPS... hope my serial to usb converter works =) also USB keyboards are limited in selection.. and i dont feel like getting a new printer that i only use to print homework.. (sure i could do printer sharing off an older box) what about MSI? anyone have good comments about those? abit and epox seem to be the most recommended where ever i go.

04-04-2002, 03:34 PM	#9
decodeddiesel Cooling Savant Join Date: Oct 2001 Location: classified Posts: 534	stay away from MSI boards, seriously they suck. Ask Una or ck42 about them. Half the time they ship faulty boards, and when they do work they are poorly designed, and tend to be very buggy. For example MSI still uses a 2 phase VRM for the Vcore power solution which is just a joke these days. Sure the Ferrari Red PCB is sweet looking, but it's not worth the potential hassle the board as a whole will present. I can only recomend the EPoX to you at this time. __________________ ...i hurt... do me a favor, disconect me... they can re-work me but i'll never be top of the line again ...i'd rather be nothing...

04-04-2002, 04:28 PM	#10
Kevin Slacking more than your weird uncle Join Date: Nov 2000 Location: San Diego, CA (UCSD) / Los Angeles, CA (home) Posts: 1,605	MSIs used to be really good, but they have been concentrating more on the OEM market now so their boards more or less blow for guys like us. -Kev __________________ I used to throw hot coffee all over the ass of the horse there, then whip him while he was kickin' at me. Those f***in things are crazy.

04-04-2002, 04:58 PM	#11
DigitalChaos Cooling Savant Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: Waukesha, Wi Posts: 698	well that would explain why people only recommend epox or abit... maybe after seeing a review on the AT7 i will get it.. if not then itll be EPox Last edited by DigitalChaos; 04-04-2002 at 11:36 PM.

04-05-2002, 02:30 AM	#12
Jorde Cooling Neophyte Join Date: Apr 2002 Location: Finland, Europe Posts: 11	I use EPoX 8KHA+ but I don't like it at all, it sucks (only 133@170MHz) and it has 1.85V max Vcore. You should wait and buy 8K3A (just thinking 2.2 max Vcore makes me cry). __________________ Jorde tb1333 @ 1760 Vcore 2.20 Dry Ice Cooled (-79°C)

04-05-2002, 04:11 AM	#13
Brad Thermophile Join Date: Oct 2001 Location: Nuu Zeeelin Posts: 3,175	yeah, msi have gone downhill recently. Abit and Epox are quite a bit infront most other people right now __________________ 2x P3 1100's at 1400, Abit VP6, 2x Corsair 256mb PC150 sticks, 20gb 'cuda ATA-III, 2x 40gb 'cuda ATA-IV in raid 0. 20" Trinitron. No fans 2x 2400+ at 2288mhz (16.0 x 143), Iwill MPX2, 2x Kingmax PC-3200 256mb sticks, 4x 20gb 60gxp in Raid 5 on a Promise SX6000. Asus Ti4200 320/630. Cooled by Water

04-05-2002, 05:20 AM	#14
Jorde Cooling Neophyte Join Date: Apr 2002 Location: Finland, Europe Posts: 11	I don't have any experience about MSI, but quality is something that EPoX, mummhh, didn't have with 8KHA+. Yah, it was a cheap and nice mobo but there was some serious problems with those. At one hardware store here in Finland, They had over 1/10 broken. The problem was in the mem slots and mobo complaned about C1 in diagnostics. I had two of those babys but now there's a working mobo inside my Chieftec __________________ Jorde tb1333 @ 1760 Vcore 2.20 Dry Ice Cooled (-79°C)

04-05-2002, 09:10 AM	#15
DigitalChaos Cooling Savant Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: Waukesha, Wi Posts: 698	http://www.watch.impress.co.jp/akiba...age/nat71.html YUM... its either that or the epox not that i havent done a volt mod before... but what is the max vcore on this board? ive been tryin to get all the info i can about this thing.. but its very limited Last edited by DigitalChaos; 04-05-2002 at 09:17 AM.

04-05-2002, 10:36 AM	#17
Jorde Cooling Neophyte Join Date: Apr 2002 Location: Finland, Europe Posts: 11	I don't know how you can flash a motherboard that even POST? Do you? There is that reboot problem that needs a bios flash. I know that "solder a resistor to IC" mod but I'm no good at soldering (I know how to but don't have so good equipment for doing IC soldering). And I don't need more Vcore at the moment. When I move to LN2 (now having just dry ice background) I'm going to buy a better mobo. __________________ Jorde tb1333 @ 1760 Vcore 2.20 Dry Ice Cooled (-79°C)

04-05-2002, 12:19 PM	#18
DigitalChaos Cooling Savant Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: Waukesha, Wi Posts: 698	the 8K3A+ does 2.2vcore without mod... so i really doubt i will need any vmod =) XP333-R (Iwill) ive seen some good reviews on that... how does it stack up the the 8K3A+? also samsung looks like it has the most OCable pc2700.. anyone think different?

04-05-2002, 05:57 PM	#19
Brad Thermophile Join Date: Oct 2001 Location: Nuu Zeeelin Posts: 3,175	the xp333 is slower per mhz than the kt266a and kt333, but it does have a 1/6 pci divider __________________ 2x P3 1100's at 1400, Abit VP6, 2x Corsair 256mb PC150 sticks, 20gb 'cuda ATA-III, 2x 40gb 'cuda ATA-IV in raid 0. 20" Trinitron. No fans 2x 2400+ at 2288mhz (16.0 x 143), Iwill MPX2, 2x Kingmax PC-3200 256mb sticks, 4x 20gb 60gxp in Raid 5 on a Promise SX6000. Asus Ti4200 320/630. Cooled by Water

04-13-2002, 11:26 AM	#20
zoson Cooling Savant Join Date: Nov 2001 Location: X Posts: 204	8k3a allows for better voltage controls! it also has legacy for those of us with regular old ps2 keyboards. -Zoson __________________ Core i7 930 @ 4254Hz 22x193 \| ASUS R3E 901 BIOS \| 12GB Mushkin Blackline 3x4GB @ 1547MHz 7-8-7-24-1N \| Lian Li PC-A10B 2x EVGA GTX275 SLI @ 720/1266/1566 \| 2x 80GB Intel X25-M G2 SSD Raid 0 \| 3x 1TB Samsung Spinpoint 7.2K Raid 5 \| Corsair 950TX H2O \| Enzotech Sapphire Rev.A \| EK-FB RE3 \| Swiftech - 2x MCW60/GTX275 Unisink, MCP655b, MCRes Micro.v2 \| 3x HWLabs SR1-120 あなたの神への弓 Time isn't wasted, when you're gettin' wasted.

04-13-2002, 01:06 PM	#21
EMC2 Cooling Savant Join Date: Feb 2002 Location: Dark Side of the Moon Posts: 365	* Dodges the tomatoes sure to head this way * Either the Epox 8K3A+ or the ASUS A7V333. You'll pay a little more for the ASUS, but they have fewer quality control issues. Hop over to AmdForums for insight into either board. They both OC well and both have more than enough range on the Vcore side of things without modification. From my own experiences with the two vendors and discussions with people I know with the boards, I would tend more towards the ASUS. Regarding the "legacy free" line of newer m/bs... PUKE!!!! Brings to mind something about freezing over As far as the Raid issue - you could always get a RAID free board and put in a low end raid PCI card (thus saving money over the long haul since you can put the card in your next m/b). The PCI cards in general tend to handle higher FSBs more willingly.

04-13-2002, 05:54 PM	#22
Brad Thermophile Join Date: Oct 2001 Location: Nuu Zeeelin Posts: 3,175	the a7v333 has the power connector a long way from the cpu and mosfets though, which is the only fault with it. apart from that it is a really great board __________________ 2x P3 1100's at 1400, Abit VP6, 2x Corsair 256mb PC150 sticks, 20gb 'cuda ATA-III, 2x 40gb 'cuda ATA-IV in raid 0. 20" Trinitron. No fans 2x 2400+ at 2288mhz (16.0 x 143), Iwill MPX2, 2x Kingmax PC-3200 256mb sticks, 4x 20gb 60gxp in Raid 5 on a Promise SX6000. Asus Ti4200 320/630. Cooled by Water

04-13-2002, 08:12 PM	#23
DigitalChaos Cooling Savant Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: Waukesha, Wi Posts: 698	well i ended up with the 8k3a+ but the dividers arent exactly what i was thinking... the dividers seem to be auto, and only kick in when at 166fsb =/

04-13-2002, 08:30 PM	#24
Brad Thermophile Join Date: Oct 2001 Location: Nuu Zeeelin Posts: 3,175	sure you care, 1/6 at 200 is much more important than 1/5, I mean hell, I'd be happy with a 1/3 and 1/6 divider, not as if I'd be running at anything in the middle __________________ 2x P3 1100's at 1400, Abit VP6, 2x Corsair 256mb PC150 sticks, 20gb 'cuda ATA-III, 2x 40gb 'cuda ATA-IV in raid 0. 20" Trinitron. No fans 2x 2400+ at 2288mhz (16.0 x 143), Iwill MPX2, 2x Kingmax PC-3200 256mb sticks, 4x 20gb 60gxp in Raid 5 on a Promise SX6000. Asus Ti4200 320/630. Cooled by Water

05-21-2002, 10:42 PM	#25
UglyBunny Cooling Neophyte Join Date: May 2002 Location: Cali Posts: 15	I love my MSI K7T pro2-A sure its MSI but I've had nothing but good come from MSI in the past. -ugly __________________ Metal detectors Drugtests Curfews Don't let the system continue to rape You Vodka and benzene Destroy the machines The glorious end justifies the means

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