MB and CPU Recommendations

[Carol.Mons]

Could you please advise a good motherboard and cpu combination?
I wish to have one that I can install a Serial Hard Drive also as I hear they are worth utilizing. Advise if I heard incorrectly, please.
I was looking at Abit ATX MB 800/533 (Socket 478) Model IS7
or Abit ATX MB 800/533/400 (Socket 478) Model AI7. Do not understand a lot of the differences between these two mb's.
Would you recommend P4 or AMD Athlon for cpu?
The pc will be used basically for a little of everything so I don't want an "Internet only" pc, if you know what I mean. I also intend to upgrade the video card and hard drive as well.
Thanks for any input you can provide.

[Dave@Bytes]

I think the Model IS7 looks like a good board. It's for a P4 (AMD is less expensive, but P4 is usually better). The board has a lot of onboard components, such as USB 2.0, Ethernet, Sound, and firewire.

Looks like a good-all around board.

I always like to look on Pricewatch http://www.pricewatch.com and search for motherboard combos. Here you will find a list of merchants offering what you want at and their prices. You could save a lot by looking here, first.

Let us know what you get.

[jj3and1]

Hi. for what its worth, I spent days reading reviews and listing pros and cons regarding which motherboard I should choose for the system I am currently putting together. I read the reviews of both consumers as well as professional reviews. Then, anal nut that I am, after narrowing down my choices to just a few, I made phone calls to the tech support people at each of the boards companys just to see what kind of service and support I could expect if I ran into trouble. (BET not too many folks go that far!) LOL ..... Well OK.. now I can tell you WITHOUT A DOUBT .. head and shoulders above all the rest, no question... The Albatron PX865PE PRO II motherboard.

These folks are RIGHT THERE with support, same day in person phone one on one. The board is also a no brainner. All the good stuff plus, better on board audio than all the rest and the best on board NIC. Better than 90% of what the rest offer. Good extras with the board and even a cooling fan on the northbridge chip. I bought mine from Newegg. you can see it there and read the reviews as well.

Albatron PX865PE PRO II
2x512m PC 3200 Crucial running duel channel
2 Western Digital 120G SATA HDs running in RAID 0
P4 2.8G
ATI 9600XT Video
Plextor DVD +/- RW
Lite On DVD CDRW combo drive
Chenming ATX-602 Tower Case (great case great quality)
FrontX front ports
X8 Digital Card reader

I hope this helps you. I think you would be very happy with this board. Good luck in choosing.

Joe

[Dave@Bytes]

There ya have it! Great job, Joe.

[Carol.Mons]

Hey, that was great info and thanks so much. It will definitely help me and I'll let you know what and where I get it.
Can't say enough good things about this support forum, and in all subjects too.
I have worked with computers as an admin for 18 years and there just is no way to keep up with the technology and progress of this stuff. I love it but it's a royal "pain" at times as anyone else who does this knows.
Thanks again for the support and knowledge. 60 and still learning.

[jj3and1]

You are very welcome. Truth is most MBs today are good quaility. The subtile differences lie in the extra efforts they make with the integral board features as well as the physical placement of those features so you can put the board together without getting in your own way.

One of the most important considerations is "who ya gonna call" when "murphy" comes for you.... :?: Tech support can make the difference in choice.

Before I started my quest, I was sure I was going to purchase the Asus P4C800-E Deluxe. However, after reading more than a few folks experienced the board actually shorting out from the pressure of installing the fan / heatsink, I second thought the board. Then, when running down the list of tech support people to call on the phone and test..... I WAS SURE that Asus had gotten a little too big to handle customer support the way I'd like it.

I'm 52 and also very much still learning... problem is.. I'm beginning to forget faster than I learn!

[Carol.Mons]

I hear ya about forgetting quicker than learning.
I am definitely going to look at your recommendation of the MB.
I too was looking at Asus and ABit too. I also see a lot of the Soyo brand but know nothing or have not heard anything about it either.
In fact I am looking at all the specs you used for building yours and will go to NewEgg also.
Thanks again for your great input and I value it.
Have a nice day.