FragTek
New member
A commonly asked question is, "What Athlon 64 motherboard should I buy?".
The answer to this question varies user to user, as not everyone does the same things with their computers. I'll be running down a list of self-evaluation questions that should help you easily pinpoint which board is right for you!
Socket 939 or 754?
To start off, we need to determine which socket is right for you. I'll only be covering the main two sockets, 754 and 939. A few things you need to ask yourself are, "How much are you looking to spend," and "What's the main goal of the PC you're trying to build." If looking to spend a little less money yet have a computer that incorporates cutting edge technology socket 754 is probably the right socket for you. Socket 754 offers inexpensive motherboards that run on an AGP interface which will allow you to purchase a less expensive video card for the board. The largest disadvantage to socket 754 is the lack of dual channel memory support, and the dieing support and lack of new developments based on the 754 platform. If the primary goal of the PC you're building is future proofing and getting as much performance as possible out of the newest technology available, socket 939 is definately for you. Socket 939 offers support for all of the new hardware trends including SLi (Scalable Link Interface), dual channel memory support, and PCI-Express, along with all of the hottest newest chipsets on the market.
Which Chipset Is Right For Me?
Next we need to find out which chipset is right for you and your computing needs.
There are five main chipsets currently on the market supporting the K8 Athlon 64 architecture, these chipsets are:
- nVidia nForce (3 and 4)
- VIA (K8T800 [Pro], and K8T890)
- ALi M1689
- SiS 755FX
- ATI Radeon XPRESS
Each chipset caters to a different crowd and different type of user. The most common chipset, and the most praised overclocking / performance chipset is nVidia's nForce lineup. This chipset is the "top-end" of chipsets and is taylored to power users and performance freaks alike. The second most common chipset is going to be from VIA. These chipsets are going to be a step below the nForce chipsets as they don't allow the ultra-high overclocks as seen in the nForce but still give you some room for overclocking and performance on a budget. The ALi and SiS chipsets are both budget chipsets and are found on low-end boards with the main goal being cost effectiveness. Neither chipset has any outstanding features which make it stand out from the crowd as being "power user friendly". If you're on a strictly tight K8 budget, you may find that one of these chipsets works best for you. Moving right along to the ATI Radeon XPRESS chipset. I don't have a solid verdict on this chipset yet, however from what I have gathered this chipset could be nForces closest rival as it's supposedly an awesome overclocker and a real powerhouse. Unfortunately there's only one mobo on the market that I know of right now that utilizes this chipset which is the MSI "RS480M2-IL" a rather low-end motherboard judging by the features. I'll expand on this chipset in the future after having some more experience with it.
What Manufacturer Suits My Needs Best?
Currently there are a lot of board manufacturers making some awesome K8 mobo's spanning the entire price range. I'll overview the key K8 players:
- DFI (A true power user friendly company that understands us computer geeks and our overclocking / performance needs. Price range: Mid-High)
- MSI (A solid manufacturer with a good offering of products and a reputable history in the business, somewhat overclocking friendly. Price range: Mid)
- EPoX (A company that knows how to make some of the greatest overclocking friendly boards in the business while retaining a decent price. Price range: Mid)
- Asus (A controversial board manufacturer, usually not very overclock friendly, but rock solid closer to stock speeds, you can usually find Asus on top of the list when it comes to producing boards with the newest trends. Price range: Mid-High)
- Abit (Abit has formerly been known for making low-end boards, with the exception of a few nice ones in between. Decent overclockability. Price range: Mid-High)
- Gigabyte (This little company has been a major contender in high quality overclock friendly boards, definately a board to consider when purchasing. Price range: Mid)
- Shuttle (Shuttle is known for making inexpensive quality motherboards, definately worth looking at if you're on a tight budget. Price range: Low)
- Foxconn (This is a true bargain board manufacturer that utilizes low end chipsets to keep retail cost down. Not overclock friendly. Price range: Low)
- Chaintech (Pretty much the same situation as Foxconn with a few exceptions, they have created decent overclocking boards in the past, worth a look if you're on a budget. Price range: Low-Mid)
- ECS (Decent boards at a decent price, not much more to say... This company is neither here nor there. Middle of the road overclockability. Price range: Mid)
- Biostar (This company has a lot of potential, a few current boards are good overclockers and new offerings may prove that this little company can compete with the big dawgs! Price range: Mid)
FragTek's Top Picks
Here are my favorite boards in each price range:
< $100:
Shuttle AN51R
EPoX 9NDA3J
$100-$150:
EPoX 9NDA3+
EPoX 9NPA+ Ultra
DFI LanParty UT NF4 Ultra
MSI K8N Neo2 Platinum
$150-$200+:
Asus A8N-SLi Deluxe
MSI K8N Neo4 Platinum
DFI LanParty NF4 SLI-D (Same exact mobo as the SLI-DR in a less comprehensive retail package (ie. no rounded cables, etc.)
DFI LanParty NF4 SLI-DR
I hope this little tutorial will give you enough information to make an informed decision as to which board is right for you! Happy overclocking! :anisx:
The answer to this question varies user to user, as not everyone does the same things with their computers. I'll be running down a list of self-evaluation questions that should help you easily pinpoint which board is right for you!
Socket 939 or 754?
To start off, we need to determine which socket is right for you. I'll only be covering the main two sockets, 754 and 939. A few things you need to ask yourself are, "How much are you looking to spend," and "What's the main goal of the PC you're trying to build." If looking to spend a little less money yet have a computer that incorporates cutting edge technology socket 754 is probably the right socket for you. Socket 754 offers inexpensive motherboards that run on an AGP interface which will allow you to purchase a less expensive video card for the board. The largest disadvantage to socket 754 is the lack of dual channel memory support, and the dieing support and lack of new developments based on the 754 platform. If the primary goal of the PC you're building is future proofing and getting as much performance as possible out of the newest technology available, socket 939 is definately for you. Socket 939 offers support for all of the new hardware trends including SLi (Scalable Link Interface), dual channel memory support, and PCI-Express, along with all of the hottest newest chipsets on the market.
Which Chipset Is Right For Me?
Next we need to find out which chipset is right for you and your computing needs.
There are five main chipsets currently on the market supporting the K8 Athlon 64 architecture, these chipsets are:
- nVidia nForce (3 and 4)
- VIA (K8T800 [Pro], and K8T890)
- ALi M1689
- SiS 755FX
- ATI Radeon XPRESS
Each chipset caters to a different crowd and different type of user. The most common chipset, and the most praised overclocking / performance chipset is nVidia's nForce lineup. This chipset is the "top-end" of chipsets and is taylored to power users and performance freaks alike. The second most common chipset is going to be from VIA. These chipsets are going to be a step below the nForce chipsets as they don't allow the ultra-high overclocks as seen in the nForce but still give you some room for overclocking and performance on a budget. The ALi and SiS chipsets are both budget chipsets and are found on low-end boards with the main goal being cost effectiveness. Neither chipset has any outstanding features which make it stand out from the crowd as being "power user friendly". If you're on a strictly tight K8 budget, you may find that one of these chipsets works best for you. Moving right along to the ATI Radeon XPRESS chipset. I don't have a solid verdict on this chipset yet, however from what I have gathered this chipset could be nForces closest rival as it's supposedly an awesome overclocker and a real powerhouse. Unfortunately there's only one mobo on the market that I know of right now that utilizes this chipset which is the MSI "RS480M2-IL" a rather low-end motherboard judging by the features. I'll expand on this chipset in the future after having some more experience with it.
What Manufacturer Suits My Needs Best?
Currently there are a lot of board manufacturers making some awesome K8 mobo's spanning the entire price range. I'll overview the key K8 players:
- DFI (A true power user friendly company that understands us computer geeks and our overclocking / performance needs. Price range: Mid-High)
- MSI (A solid manufacturer with a good offering of products and a reputable history in the business, somewhat overclocking friendly. Price range: Mid)
- EPoX (A company that knows how to make some of the greatest overclocking friendly boards in the business while retaining a decent price. Price range: Mid)
- Asus (A controversial board manufacturer, usually not very overclock friendly, but rock solid closer to stock speeds, you can usually find Asus on top of the list when it comes to producing boards with the newest trends. Price range: Mid-High)
- Abit (Abit has formerly been known for making low-end boards, with the exception of a few nice ones in between. Decent overclockability. Price range: Mid-High)
- Gigabyte (This little company has been a major contender in high quality overclock friendly boards, definately a board to consider when purchasing. Price range: Mid)
- Shuttle (Shuttle is known for making inexpensive quality motherboards, definately worth looking at if you're on a tight budget. Price range: Low)
- Foxconn (This is a true bargain board manufacturer that utilizes low end chipsets to keep retail cost down. Not overclock friendly. Price range: Low)
- Chaintech (Pretty much the same situation as Foxconn with a few exceptions, they have created decent overclocking boards in the past, worth a look if you're on a budget. Price range: Low-Mid)
- ECS (Decent boards at a decent price, not much more to say... This company is neither here nor there. Middle of the road overclockability. Price range: Mid)
- Biostar (This company has a lot of potential, a few current boards are good overclockers and new offerings may prove that this little company can compete with the big dawgs! Price range: Mid)
FragTek's Top Picks
Here are my favorite boards in each price range:
< $100:
Shuttle AN51R
EPoX 9NDA3J
$100-$150:
EPoX 9NDA3+
EPoX 9NPA+ Ultra
DFI LanParty UT NF4 Ultra
MSI K8N Neo2 Platinum
$150-$200+:
Asus A8N-SLi Deluxe
MSI K8N Neo4 Platinum
DFI LanParty NF4 SLI-D (Same exact mobo as the SLI-DR in a less comprehensive retail package (ie. no rounded cables, etc.)
DFI LanParty NF4 SLI-DR
I hope this little tutorial will give you enough information to make an informed decision as to which board is right for you! Happy overclocking! :anisx:
