Dualing Motherboards!

QeldromaQeldroma Arid ZoneAh Member
edited January 2006 in Hardware
I'm having a bit of a dilemma and I think it may have been discussed before here, but I see our history has been cut short. I'd like to restart or update the topic.

I'm looking for a motherboard for an X2 processor. I am personally not ever likely to use a dual video card solution.

Am I dreaming that this could be a two edge sword that has 1. driven up the cost of mobos and 2. forced the mobo manufacturers into video proprietary motherboard chipsets that might have an impact on performance + compatibility? Is it only these boards that are showing the advancements I really want- like external SATA ports, scads of USB, 2 network ports, yadda, yadda? An extra 16xPCIe might be nice ... if I could figure out what else I'd use it for. Ext SATA controller? Is there one?

Professionally- it is another story and possibility. But let's just stay at home.

I want my next machine to be an general purpose smokin' PC that can fold as well as it games. Am I stuck with SLI or Crossfire?

In short I'm trying to avoid having to pay 50-100 USD (yes?) extra and be penalized for something I don't give a **** about. Am I stuck with it? I'm also willing to go $-wise where dual video doesn't have to take me..

PLEASE feel free to voice your opinion in this thread as well as to give me (and possibly others) suggestions. I'll be doing my homework too- so it will be interesting to see where it lands.

Thanks everyone.

Comments

  • madmatmadmat
    edited January 2006
    Just get a DFI nForce 4 Ultra lan party series board. No it doesn't have the external SATA ports but you can get external pass-thrus easy enough and the nForce 4 Ultra chipset is pretty killer for gaming.
  • muddocktormuddocktor
    edited January 2006
    You can also use the extra pci-e x16 slot for something else, like maybe an add-in raid or sata card too. The extra x16 slot doesn't have to just be used with a vid card; that's just the most obvious use of it.
  • QeldromaQeldroma Arid ZoneAh Member
    edited January 2006
    muddocktor wrote:
    You can also use the extra pci-e x16 slot for something else, like maybe an add-in raid or sata card too. The extra x16 slot doesn't have to just be used with a vid card....

    Maybe. Can I get it without being stigmatized to ATI or nVidia?
  • Mt_GoatMt_Goat Head Cheezy Knob Pflugerville (north of Austin) Icrontian
    edited January 2006
    Qeldroma wrote:
    Maybe. Can I get it without being stigmatized to ATI or nVidia?
    You can use what ever vid card you want. I have several Nforce 4 chipset mobos and 2 of them have ATI cards in them. Nvidia just currently makes the best mobo chipsets. The DFI board in my main rig is an SLI board but I just got it for the extra features as I currently have no intention of using the SLI capabilites. It also identical to the 2 NF4 Ultra-D boards except for extra SATA connections and the SLI part. They just disable the SLI on the Ultra-D's (NF4 Ultra vs. NF4 SLI), otherwise it is the same chipset. I also think I saw the MSI SLI board which comes w/ Creative 24 bit audio on sale for $99.00 at Monarch. Shorty has one and loves it.
  • QeldromaQeldroma Arid ZoneAh Member
    edited January 2006
    OK (edit: sorry). I guess I'm still not convinced I need it and that it justifies the extra $. Your right that nForce4 is a great chipset and I can use an ATI in it- but can I get as good performance and features for less if I nix dual video/x16 PCIe?

    BTW mud/mtgoat, thanks for the info and time. AMD64 is "new" to me. I'll try to run it down-?
  • Mt_GoatMt_Goat Head Cheezy Knob Pflugerville (north of Austin) Icrontian
    edited January 2006
    Qeldroma wrote:
    OK (edit: sorry). I guess I'm still not convinced I need it and that it justifies the extra $. Your right that nForce4 is a great chipset and I can use an ATI in it- but can I get as good performance and features for less if I nix dual video/x16 PCIe?

    BTW mud, thanks for the info and time. AMD64 is "new" to me. I'll try to run it down-?
    As I tried to poit out, NF4 SLI and NF4 Ultra are the same chipset. The only difference is that the Ultra has the SLi disabled. Otherwise it is exactly the same.
    The 2 boards listed below are exactly the same exept for the SLI and perform exactly the same in every other way. The second PCI-e slot isn't SLI and doesn't cost anything extra.

    http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16813136158

    http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?item=N82E16813136152

    I also found the MSI board I mentioned earlier. It is the MSI K8N Neo4 Platinum SLI.http://www.monarchcomputer.com/Merchant2/merchant.mv?Screen=PROD&Store_Code=M&Product_Code=110482&Category_Code=AMD939

    And no matter what you choose don't power it with a cheap PSU!
  • reelbigfishreelbigfish Boston, MA Member
    edited January 2006
    My friend just got a motherboard that was an ATI x200 crossfire chipset and didn't even know it. It only cost around $100, and my Intel Nforce 4 chipset cost about $105, has tons of stuff. Those more expensive motherboard would cost the same with or without SLI, they would find something to put on there to make them more expensive. It is true that now I can only do nvidia SLI, but if I want an ATI card, I can surely put one in there. I had a 9700Pro in my nforce2 chipset for the longest time.
  • QeldromaQeldroma Arid ZoneAh Member
    edited January 2006
    Wow, mtgoat- thanks. You all are really over the top! :thumbsup:
  • QeldromaQeldroma Arid ZoneAh Member
    edited January 2006
    reelbigfish wrote:
    My friend just got a motherboard that was an ATI x200 crossfire chipset and didn't even know it. It only cost around $100, and my Intel Nforce 4 chipset cost about $105, has tons of stuff. Those more expensive motherboard would cost the same with or without SLI, they would find something to put on there to make them more expensive. It is true that now I can only do nvidia SLI, but if I want an ATI card, I can surely put one in there. I had a 9700Pro in my nforce2 chipset for the longest time.

    Oh my. Which ones? Got links? I'm kind of Egger, Monarcher myopic with a bit of Ebay sprinkled in. And, unfortunately, I'm too picky about my brands- which is part of why I'm here.
  • airbornflghtairbornflght Houston, TX Icrontian
    edited January 2006
    i thought the crossfire chipsets were being delayed?
  • Omega65Omega65 Philadelphia, Pa
    edited January 2006
    airbornflght wrote:
    i thought the crossfire chipsets were being delayed?
    The RD480 Xpress 200 Crossfire chipset is out and about (DFI, Asus, MSI, Abit etc). The new RD580 chipset is being delayed a month or so.
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