PsychoSy
05-30-03, 03:24 AM
Gotta replace my ECS K7S5A and fast. I'm ready to order an nForce2 mainboard that absolutely MUST support...
SoundStorm
400Mhz FSB
Only two motherboards stand out...
ASUS A7N8X
Abit NF7-S
The problem here is complete utter indecision...:(
Reading around, it seems that alot of the nForce2 boards will just up and die for no reason, fail to boot and die after saving BIOS changes, and leaking capacitors (especially the Abit board). Compounding these issues is Anandtech's reviews state that Abit's customer and RMA support is the best out there however scores of people on the AmdMB.Com forums beg to differ and frequently say Abit downright blows in terms of support, RMAs, and quality. Asus doesn't come out unscathed either - I've read reports that quite a number of people had to go through the RMA process 3 times or more before they hit gold.
Christ...:(
Next worry is the hope that these boards aren't that picky with basic, generic PC2100 DDR. I'm forced to use my existing RAM as I simply can afford replacing it. My RAM is made by Apacer yet one module uses genuine Samsung chips while the other uses Infineon - and they stick out as top quality DRAM makers out of the entire generic RAM crowd. Granted, they aren't Crucial or Corsair but I can't afford either of them at the moment.
Lastly, it can't be too picky with my existing PSU, which is a generic 400watt PSU. This PSU, despite being generic, provides 15-30+ amps on the 3.3 and 5v rails. If it didn't, my ECS K7S5A - notorius for being picky on PSU units for a "cheap" motherboard - wouldn't be working right now. I'm hoping that since the ECS likes this PSU, I shouldn't have any problems with any nForce2 mainboard from a top-tier manufacturer.
Let me make something clear - this operation is strictly to replace my existing mainboard due to security issues . First and foremost, that's the immediate short term goal. And the long term goal is for something that'll be scalable enough so that when my finances are much more positive, then I can concentrate of lavising it with higher quality RAM and a new CPU that'll put in confortable shape until Hammer comes out.
Money is tight - very tight - so I can't be doing a complete overall with all my parts (new RAM, new PSU, etc.) just by simply replacing a mainboard. What I have to do is give my mother cash to deposit in her account so I can use her debit card to order online and save money. A month ago, I gave her $100 extra to order an $89 harddrive. Today, I gave her the cash to float a replacement motherboard. Under such scenario, if NONE fo the nForce2 solutions like my existing gear, it'd take me a good month or two more to replace RAM and a PSU hence the urgency and necessity that these nForce2 boards I'm contemplating on work nicely with what I already have to work with. If these boards didn't, I'd be either without a working PC for months or tolerating this K7S5A's weekly "CMOS Lost" issues while new parts sit in the closet taunting me.
So, in closing, I need some honest recommendations on which nForce2 board to snag, including links to the latest, most stable and reliable drivers and trouble-free BIOS updates.
Lay 'em on me, brethren!! :afro:
SoundStorm
400Mhz FSB
Only two motherboards stand out...
ASUS A7N8X
Abit NF7-S
The problem here is complete utter indecision...:(
Reading around, it seems that alot of the nForce2 boards will just up and die for no reason, fail to boot and die after saving BIOS changes, and leaking capacitors (especially the Abit board). Compounding these issues is Anandtech's reviews state that Abit's customer and RMA support is the best out there however scores of people on the AmdMB.Com forums beg to differ and frequently say Abit downright blows in terms of support, RMAs, and quality. Asus doesn't come out unscathed either - I've read reports that quite a number of people had to go through the RMA process 3 times or more before they hit gold.
Christ...:(
Next worry is the hope that these boards aren't that picky with basic, generic PC2100 DDR. I'm forced to use my existing RAM as I simply can afford replacing it. My RAM is made by Apacer yet one module uses genuine Samsung chips while the other uses Infineon - and they stick out as top quality DRAM makers out of the entire generic RAM crowd. Granted, they aren't Crucial or Corsair but I can't afford either of them at the moment.
Lastly, it can't be too picky with my existing PSU, which is a generic 400watt PSU. This PSU, despite being generic, provides 15-30+ amps on the 3.3 and 5v rails. If it didn't, my ECS K7S5A - notorius for being picky on PSU units for a "cheap" motherboard - wouldn't be working right now. I'm hoping that since the ECS likes this PSU, I shouldn't have any problems with any nForce2 mainboard from a top-tier manufacturer.
Let me make something clear - this operation is strictly to replace my existing mainboard due to security issues . First and foremost, that's the immediate short term goal. And the long term goal is for something that'll be scalable enough so that when my finances are much more positive, then I can concentrate of lavising it with higher quality RAM and a new CPU that'll put in confortable shape until Hammer comes out.
Money is tight - very tight - so I can't be doing a complete overall with all my parts (new RAM, new PSU, etc.) just by simply replacing a mainboard. What I have to do is give my mother cash to deposit in her account so I can use her debit card to order online and save money. A month ago, I gave her $100 extra to order an $89 harddrive. Today, I gave her the cash to float a replacement motherboard. Under such scenario, if NONE fo the nForce2 solutions like my existing gear, it'd take me a good month or two more to replace RAM and a PSU hence the urgency and necessity that these nForce2 boards I'm contemplating on work nicely with what I already have to work with. If these boards didn't, I'd be either without a working PC for months or tolerating this K7S5A's weekly "CMOS Lost" issues while new parts sit in the closet taunting me.
So, in closing, I need some honest recommendations on which nForce2 board to snag, including links to the latest, most stable and reliable drivers and trouble-free BIOS updates.
Lay 'em on me, brethren!! :afro: