Searching for a motherboard!

I'm trying to plan out my next system. My current computer is a bit over five years old, and I've been meaning to assemble something new for a while now. At the moment I'm still trying to save up, but I figured I might want to start searching now.

This new computer won't just be for playing CoH in Ultra Mode at maximum FPS and minimum latency. If I was able to get the system right this moment, I already know some of the components I'd want to get for it:

* Ceton InfiniTV 4 (or InfiniTV 6)
* Auzentech X-Fi HomeTheater HD
* VisionTek Killer Xeno Pro
* D-Link DGL-4500

I hope you can get an idea of what I'm planning to do with this new computer if I ever get it together. Right now my biggest problem in searching for parts is that I can't find a motherboard with the following features:

* Socket AM3 for (at least) a Phenom II x4 (preferably Phenom II X4 965 Deneb core), or a Phenom II X6 1090T
* At least one PCIe x16 slot (the omission of SLi capability is fine, but I intend to get an nVidia GPU)
* At least three PCIe x1 slots (that won't get obscured by a video card's heatsink!)
* Preferably no legacy PCI slots (as I won't have any need of them)
* Support for up to 16GB of RAM

Finding this sort of thing for Intel based CPUs has so far been no problem. In fact I've found one i7 motherboard with seven PCIe x16 slots with support for quad SLi. But so far, I've had no luck in finding a properly suited motherboard for an AMD processor. Well, one came close, but it has Crossfire support, which I obviously would never need; I would think that I might prefer to have a motherboard with an nForce northbridge. But what do you all think?

You could try the msi 870a fuzion or the asus crosshair iv extreme.

The hydra boards are pretty neat. Not well known atm but promising.

I have been very happy with Asus boards.

As a suggestion, decide how much ram you will want now, and possibly in the future. I mention because there are boards with 2 or 4 dimm slots as well as boards with 6.

Decide if you want to stick with ddr2, which is now getting to be more expensive, but you might have some old memory laying around. Or go with dd3 the current standard. That will determine what CPU / board you get.

Once you pick a board read the supported CPU list closely. For example an asus m2n 68 plus only supports certain revision numbers of the athlon dual core cpu's.

The AMD Penom ii or Athlon ii (no lvl 3 cache) are good deals for the price.

I just got my nephew an asus m2n 68 plus and its a really nice board, the only thing I find lacking (for me no big deal for him) is it only has two dimm slots. So while it can go to 4 gigs 2* 2gig sticks can cost more then 4* 1gig.

The other key thing to look for is do you want it to support crossfire and/or SLI. Not all boards support the technologies.


www.pricewatch.com is a good place to chop for part. Just check out the businesses though http://www.resellerratings.com/ before buying to make sure they dont have a nasty rep.

That particular board supports up to 8GB's... so your nephew may happy about that.

Well it's true. DDR3 is the memory that's used exclusively for Socket AM3 from AMD as well as Socket 1156, 1366 and 1155 from Intel. That's because the memory controller is an integrated part of the CPU and at least in Intel's case, they only included a DDR3 memory controller.

AM3 CPUs can be placed in Socket AM2+ motherboards and run DDR2. Intel's Socket 775 can be DDR2 or DDR3 as the motherboard chipset can support either but is usually one or the other, rarely both.

And Zep is right. DDR2 prices are rising, DDR3 prices are falling. If you are locked in wanting to use DDR2 memory, upgrade options are somewhat limited.

Sorry, I did not intend to say that was a false statment. My english is not the best but curiosity was my only intent with the statment.

I relly did not think I mentioned Zep made a false or wrong statment. I just got curious since the OP mentioned the socket, the cpu and amount of memory. So as I was thinking I wondered the thought process behind limiting the socket/cpu choice by memory instead of the other way around. Nothing more nothing less.

Didn't say otherwise, just chiming into the discussion.

Some people, who may have invested most recently in extra memory will hesitate in switching platforms if that means all that memory can't be taken to the new platform. Same could have been said 6-7 years ago with AGP video cards. Especially true if you are on a budget and want to keep as much of your old hardware as possible.

It would be like buying four new tires and alloy rims for your classic sports car and then the garage you have it in collapses under the heavy snow and crushes it the next week. So do you buy a new car, which the rims won't likely fit, or buy an identical model of what you had so you can use the tires?

Ok, I guess I just misunderstood the phrase "well it's true" and "Zep is right". I am still curious why a person would build a system from scratch and limit themselves by starting with memory.

A classic car may not have the performance of a new car but it has many things an old computer does not. One it may be a dream car. I have head many people talk about a '69 trans am but I have yet to hear wishing for a commodore 128. Two it may be an investment, or an interest in history, etc... I do apologise I don't follow the classic car example.

Plenty a good computer can be built with a ddr2 system again I just find it interesting you would build an entire system because of 40-60 dollars when that difference may be made up in further upgrades, and considering the exclusive sockets mentioned are the latest generations and also am3+ or whatever they are officially calling it will also support ddr3.

I guess I could of suggested a 980a board, or the Asrock 770DE+ just to cover ddr2 but... that did not appear the direction the OP wanted to go.

Let's say you don't have much of a budget but you do have a last generation Pentium 4/D system based on the 945P. It's DDR2, it has a PCIe slot. So you are only looking to upgrade the motherboard and CPU because you only have $200 to spend. So you are limited to either an AM2+ motherboard and an AM3 CPU or a Socket 775 with a Pentium Duel Core as long as the P45 motherboard was configured to use DDR2. Especially true two years ago when DDR3 memory was still more expensive than DDR2 per gig.

Now lets say they have the money to also replace the memory so they could go to a Socket AM3, 1156, 1155 motherboard system. The next problem would be how many IDE/PATA drives they are taking with them as newer motherboards only support two devices and mixing hard drives with optical drives is problematic on the same cable. Now they have to buy a SATA drive or burner. Yet another item they weren't planning to upgrade.

Not everyone can afford to build a new box from scratch or have the space to keep the old box around.

I am sorry Father, I really have no idea where you are going with your posts. The op wanted ideas on a motherboard.


So I simply suggested the op look at two current hydra boards... I did not suggest them over anything just that he look at them since they are relatively unknown to some. The op mentioned two CPU's and four parts among with other general criteria.


As it pertains to the post I found it interesting that Zep suggested the op start with the amount of RAM... which was mentioned at 16gigs. Then decide which ram ddr2 or ddr3. This alone caught my curiosity as it pertains to the relevant decision presented by the op. The op wanted to "assemble something new" which I understood as not using old parts. (maybe I was wrong) That being the case even if at the moment ddr3 offers less than amazing improvement over ddr2 would you guide the op to use memory that is not going to be able to be used on today latest and greatest chipsets. As you mentioned maybe in the future the op will need to be more frugal but want an Intel sandy board or am3+ board.

Then you said Zep was right and he had true statements which I guess I misunderstood as you thinking I thought the opposite. Zep had good points, just curious why choose a memory standard first before seemingly thinking about anything else when it was... ok as I understood it to be a new build.

After that you compared an old computer to a classic car. Which I did not understand, apparently that has been cleared to be a lack of money or space. Which again I am confused about the explanation,when the op is after near top of the line products from amd and adding in less than cheap components off the bat, not to mention showing interest in a top of the line asus rog motherboard.

I guess I just am reading your words wrong but again I don't assume everyone can afford a new computer. I am just trying to help the op with the question. Just as Zep was, I tried to be as clearly nice as I could in text about my curiosity, minds think differently... one way does not need true or false, correct or wrong... just a different way thinking. Knowing these ways can help me look at things different as it pertains to a subject.

I digress, the topic is off track.

I was giving examples why someone may decide to keep their memory while upgrading. I was distracted by Zep's DDR2 comment which wasn't actually one of the OP's requirements and your reply. My bad.

On to the OP.

If he wants to go SLi, he will need an AMD AM3 motherboard that uses an nVidia chipset. Sadly unlike Intel, nVidia isn't willing just to license their secret sauce to motherboards using an AMD chipset. Also the Fuzion Tech solution is still not ready for prime time.

There aren't a lot of choices there. Either the Asus M4N75TD for x8/x8 or Asus M4N98TD EVO for x16/x16 SLi. If he only uses a single video card then he'll have his three extra PCIe slots as the main video card slot is next to a PCI.

With AMD chipsets with no chance for SLi but plenty of chances for Crossfire, which he doesn't want. No PCI is a long shot, nearly all of them come with at least one. A quick scan found three, all 890FX based with one PCI slot and either 5 or 6 PCIe slots. You lose two of those with a fat video card leaving 3 or 4 PCIe slots left of various widths. I only looked at MSI, Asus and Gigabyte. Asus didn't have any new in stock with the 890FX, Gigabyte had one and MSI had two. Here they are.