Good P4 board

[Mercutio]

Not for me, but I could use a recommendation for a decent P4 motherboard.

Actually two: a "budget" vanilla model and something on the higher end of things.

 

[Bozo]

I've been buying all Intel boards of late. Stability and reliability are on the top of my list.
They aren't THAT much more.

Bozo

 

[blakerwry]

There's the Soyo SY-P4I 845PE Lite

http://www.soyousa.com/images/products/800x600/p4i_845pe_lite-800x600.jpg

http://www.soyousa.com/products/proddesc.php?id=195

pretty vanilla... comes with onbaord Audio and LAN.. USB 2.0... supports the newest p4 3.06 w/ HT and DDR333... just under $100 from www.mwave.com

I don't know which boards are better in your opinion... I guess you could buy one that throws in firewire... has PCI-X.... S-ATA/4 IDE channels.. or onboard SCSI...

 

[Mercutio]

I've said before that my opinion of Soyo isn't all that high. Until recently, they lived contentedly in the same space as DFI and FIC (low end boards aimed at resellers). Because of their recent change in focus, I view new products from Soyo with a healthy dash of suspision.

That said, I'll look up a couple of reviews for it.

Late this week, I start teaching a class in building PCs. The class isn't aimed at hobbists or even particularly technical people. It's more for folks who want to know a little bit about their computers' guts. So over the course of a few weeks, I'll spend quite a bit of time explaining what all the parts inside a computer do, why AMD and Intel have different defintions for MHz, where and how to buy parts and a lot of other topics.
Many of the people in the class, but not all, will actually purchase and build a PC, most of them based on components I recommend.
Some of those people will want an Intel CPU (this bit of prejudice comes from someone who taught computer classes some time before I started), so I know I'll have to deal with a few P4-based computers.

Hence the desire for recommendations.

My AMD board recommendations, btw: Biostar M7QIV (integrated everything), Shuttle AK32 (SDR/DDR and inexpensive), Gigabyte GA7VAX (& VAXP), and, against better judgement, the Epox 8RDA.

 

[honold]

asus p4pe is nice

 

[James]

I'm happy with my Gigabyte GA-8SG667. I would class it as a budget board but it is flexible, has plenty of USB ports and you can clock the RAM, FSB, PCI and AGP independently. Note there is no voltage adjustment on the CPU core AFAIK. It does support DDR400 RAM but make sure you check their list of acceptable brands/models.

There is also a model of this board with a GigE interface built in I believe that may be a nice to have.

 

[Newtun]

My AMD board recommendations, btw: . . . and, against better judgement, the Epox 8RDA.

Could you elaborate on that one, if you please?

 

[Mercutio]

nvidia. Need I say more?

 

[SteveC]

Gigabyte does make nice P4 boards, although I haven't used anything passed the 845E chipset. The problem with P4 boards right now, is that Intel is switching to an 800MHz FSB in a couple of months (Springdale chipset? I can't keep up with all the code names), making future upgrades with current boards almost impossible.

 

[James]

Let me just take this oportunity to say that Intel are a real bunch of f*ckers. Why can't they stick to a single CPU pinout/board configuration for more than ten seconds?

AMD are so much better in this respect (among others).

 

[CougTek]

I second James' recommendation for GagaByte motherboards. If you are whiling to spend more for PC3200 memory, the SiS648-based 8SG667 is an excellent choice. However, since the SiS648 is only faster than the i845PE when using PC3200 and slower when paired to PC2700, the Intel chipset would be better if you plan to use cheaper PC2700 RAM modules. Both the 8SG667 and 8PE667 Pro (Pro is betta than the vanilla 8PE667 because it has a better layout and an integrated Intel 10/100 LAN) are very stable motherboards and are great values for a Pentium 4 platform.

I'm not sure though if the 8SG667 currently available on shelves has updated SiS chips supporting hyper-threading. My guess would be "no'. I'm not even sure if SiS will offer a version B of the SiS648 featuring a support for Hyper-threading. The i845PE, however, has hyper-threading support.

My AMD board recommendations, btw: Biostar M7QIV (integrated everything), Shuttle AK32 (SDR/DDR and inexpensive), Gigabyte GA7VAX (& VAXP), and, against better judgement, the Epox 8RDA.

Always according to my oh-so-humble opinion, the EPoX EP-8RDA+ is a better value than the plain 8RDA non "+". The former has 6-channel audio while the later only support 2 audio channels. I think IEEE1394 support is also only on the + version. And the price difference isn't night and day either. I saw the 8RDA+ for only 113U$ shipped and I don't think you can get the non + for less than 99$, sor that's only a 14$ difference.

 

[Mercutio]

The lack of "+" was aught but a mere typo. Tea must've taken my "=" key.

I'm not sure if nvidia motherboards are a worthwhile purchase or not. My gut says no. I have horrible problems with nvidia graphics cards overheating and doing other odd things that no one else complains about.

In the interests of fairness, however, nforce2 boards are being described as the second coming of AMD on a lot of hardware review sites, and the list of features (other than that name!) is fairly impressive.

 

[Cliptin]

The lack of "+" was aught but a mere typo. Tea must've taken my "=" key.

I'm not sure if nvidia motherboards are a worthwhile purchase or not. My gut says no. I have horrible problems with nvidia graphics cards overheating and doing other odd things that no one else complains about.

In the interests of fairness, however, nforce2 boards are being described as the second coming of AMD on a lot of hardware review sites, and the list of features (other than that name!) is fairly impressive.

You know, it is supposed to snow this weekend. :wink:

 

[CougTek]

You know, it is supposed to snow this weekend. :wink:

:eekers: Scoozy, but me no comprende senior.

 

[Tea]

+

Zorry Mercutio. I thought it waz Tannin's.

 

[Tea]

Coug, you seem to be the #1 expert on P4 boards. What do you think of the Gigabyte 8PE667 Ultra 2? I just sold one - my second-ever Pentium 4 board and chip - to a regular who wanted to stay with Intel. He asked for about three different P4 boards by name, none of which turned out to be available after numerous phone calls and a lot of buggerising about, so in the end I just called my Gigabyte guys and said "What's the best P4 board you've got?" They said this one. So I said "Right, send me one of those then."

Then I rang Cyril up and said "Mate, you are getting this one."

He said "How much is it?" I said "Lots!"

He said "Do I get a choice?" I said "Yup. You can come in and pick it up now, or up can come in and pick it up tomorow."

He said "OK. See you in ten minutes."

I like Cyril. One of our more amenable customers.

I didn't get to play with it, but it sure looked impressive. More cables than a telephone exchange.

The link: http://www.giga-byte.com/products/8pe667ultra2.htm

 

[CougTek]

The Ultra2 shares the same layout than the UUltra and Pro version. Only a few features differ. The Ultra2 is the only one with serial ATA instead of PATA. It also has a gigabit integrated LAN where the other two have 10/100 LAN chips. However, the Ultra2 has several less USB 2.0 connectors thanthe Ultra, probably to make space for SATA. The Ultra2, while I never saw it in person nor did I read any review on it, should be just as stable and overclocking-friendly as the Ultra and Pro version, since the basic upper-board layout doesn't change between them.

If your customer only wanted a stable and quality motherboard for his P4, you sold him too much and you should have sold him the 8PE667 Pro instead. However, if he wanted a motherboard with every damn new features there is (ok, there's no wireless chip on it), then you made the right choice. BTW, it's never a good idea to ask your supplier for his best motherboard, since everytime you tell them that, they choose by the price instead of thinking about the actual features/quality of the product.

Oh and when I say the GigaByte motherboards are o'cing-friendly, I'm not talking about the BIOS options there. They don't have too many. But these three motherboards handle high-frequency RAM like few others though and overclocking via an increase of the FSB should be quite successful with them. Their stability is also excellent when all three DIMM sockets are filled.

 

[Buck]

Thanks for the tips and comments on the P4 boards.

 

[Tea]

Thanks Coug. In this particular case, his frame of mind was that he'd waited a long, long time to replace his 866 (or whatever it was) and Gigabyte BX board, so he wanted to go the whole hog. He is delighted with it. Sounds like the 8PE667 Pro should be the one I go for more generally though.

 

[Explorer]

As far as single processor desktop and workstation mobos go, I've been using the Supermicro P4SGA with great success.

Target Segment High-end desktop, workstation, and internet applications

Form Factor ATX with PC99 color-coded double-deck I/O
Size: 12" x 8.7" (W x H)

Processor Support: Single Intel 478-pin Pentium 4 processor up to 3.06GHz

Chipset: Intel 845G chipset

Front Side Bus: 533 MHz / 400 MHz

Memory: Up to 2GB of DDR-266/200 non-ECC unbuffered DDR DIMMS

I/O Expansion: 6-each 32-bit, 33 MHz PCI bus mastering slots and an 4xAGP 1.5V slot

Also has onboard 100 Mb Etherent, onboard sound -- both defeatable if needed

http://www.supermicro.com/PRODUCT/MotherBoards/845/P4SGA.htm

 

[Cliptin]

Form Factor ATX with PC99 color-coded double-deck I/O

If you read this like a redneck telling you about his car it sounds really funnny.

"... and she'll do 0-60 in 5 sec flat."

 

[Dïscfärm]

Form Factor ATX with PC99 color-coded double-deck I/O

If you read this like a redneck telling you about his car it sounds really funnny.

"... and she'll do 0-60 in 5 sec flat."

Well, a long time ago I once owned a Yamaha FZR-750 that could do 0 ~ 60 (MPH) in 2.9 seconds.

 

[CougTek]

As far as single processor desktop and workstation mobos go, I've been using the Supermicro P4SGA with great success.

Gary,

Wouldn't the P4SGE (i845GE instead of older i845G) be better for someone buying a SuperMicro motherboard now? 2 gigabit Intel LAN controllers sure is impressive on a single CPU board. Plus Hyper threading support too. I don't think Tony can buy this motherboard though, has SuperMicro isn't the most widely available brand. And they are generally on the expensive side too...in U$. Imagine their price in AU$ ;-)

But I'm sure their are very reliable though. I have always seen SuperMicro's products as things targeted towards the corporate market a lot more than for the tweakers, DIY Joe. This is probably the reason why WE don't sell this brand much, if at all.

 

[Tea]

Oh, SuperMicro is available here, though I don't know how complete the range is. Not very, I imagine, their sales volume must be tiny. Last time I saw a SuperMicro board in the flesh was ... oh ... uhnnnn ....

(Tannin?)

(No problem Tea. It was ... er ... )

(Can't you remember either?)

(Not the date, no. But the board, yes, I think I can bring that up. It was Baby AT form, Socket 7, and it had weirdo colours show up in the POST. Tacky looking rainbow stuff. And it was jumperless, back in the days when jumperless boards were highly suspect.)

(That would make it an HX then. Or maybe a VX or TX?)

(An HX, I'm pretty sure. I saw a SuperMicro VX once too, I think - or possibly it was a 486 board.)

Well there you have it. If Tannin himself can't remember the last time he saw one, then we can safely say that their market penetration in Australia is not exactly overwhelming. I had a wholesaler offer them to me a year or two back, alongside their other, more mainstream brand, but more in hope than expectation. Don't remember which one.

 

[Splash]

Oh, SuperMicro is available here, though I don't know how complete the range is.

Well, it is or was BCN Technologies, though there might actually nowadays be someone else handling Super-O in Australia.
http://ebusiness.bcntech.com.au/ecustomer/


Otherwise, Supermicro has a very extensive lineup of mobos for professional / technical / commercial use,

http://www.supermicro.com/Product_page/product-mS.htm

http://www.supermicro.com/Product_page/product-mW.htm

http://www.supermicro.com/Product_page/product-s.htm


...and not much in the way of "consumer" mobos.

http://www.supermicro.com/Product_page/product-mD.htm


As far as the server and technical workstation niche markets go, Supermicro has and is doing very very well.

(Not the date, no. But the board, yes, I think I can bring that up. It was Baby AT form, Socket 7, and it had weirdo colours show up in the POST. Tacky looking rainbow stuff.

THAT was definitely something else, not a Supermicro mobo. Supermicro used AMI BIOSes in their mobos since the beginning of time (Supermicro's being about 1995). I faintly recall seeing a Korean-made mobo once with said colours-of-the-rainbow BIOS POST display. I believe it was called Leading Edge, but don't hold me to that.

 

[Tea]

Hmmm ... Trust Tannin to get it wrong. There is another American motherboard manufacturer that has (or used to have) a similar market positioning, isn't there? Maybe he was thinking of that other one.

 

[.Nut]

...There is another American motherboard manufacturer that has (or used to have) a similar market positioning, isn't there? Maybe he was thinking of that other one.

There has, of course, been several USA aftermarket X86 mobo makers come and go. Besides Supermicro, only other notable USA mobo manufacturer is Asus (Asia-US). Asus is located in Fremont, California, just down the street and around the corner from Supermicro's world headquarters also in Fremont.

Asus started life off making quasi-horrid little Sparc clones in the mid-90s. After a couple of years of spinning their wheels competing against Sun, Hitachi, Tadpole, and Axil, they exited the Sparc clone business in favour of making X86 mobos -- where they are to this day.

Supermicro started off life making expensive industrial and server mobos, around 1994 or so. They first made their mark in the X86-based telecomm and telephony server marketplace, then shortly after that in the burgeoning aftermarket workstation mobo marketplace. They quickly got a name for themselves as the fastest aftermarket mobos available that could still maintain excellent hardware and software compatibility despite their top or near-top levels of speed. Their mobos usually earned a star when they were featured in the various PC mobo shootouts by Byte, PC Tech, and other magazines, but they also usually got criticised for their high prices.

Eventually, Supermicro started to offer more mainstream mobos at somewhat lower prices, but they still haven't targeted Joe SixPack who wants a gaming computer mobo or just something to overclock the piss out of after he gets home, yells at the wife and kids, and then has a few beers. (ECS and ChainTech mobos are great for Joe SixPack!)

And, for what it's worth, I've heard through various sources that Supermicro doesn't seem to care too much for AMD, which is too bad. But then again, I suspect what they really don't care for are some of the semi-questionable chipsets offered for AMD Athlon over the years. I've also heard through various sources that all Supermicro employees have "24x7" tatooed on their foreheads!

 

[CougTek]

I'm not sure though if the 8SG667 currently available on shelves has updated SiS chips supporting hyper-threading. My guess would be "no'. I'm not even sure if SiS will offer a version B of the SiS648 featuring a support for Hyper-threading.

Now I know. There is an updated version of the SiS648 supporting Hyer threading, but it isn't the one used on the GA-8SG667. The new GA-8SG800 however, features Hyper threading support (as announced at OCWorkbench). It looks like a very interesting budget motherboard for a cheap P4 platform and its layout (particularly the ATA connectors and ATX power connector) is better than the 8SG667.

 

[Stereodude]

asus p4pe is nice

I got one of the full loaded ones with Firewire, USB 2, SATA, ATA133, 5.1 sound, etc, etc, etc. Really nice, board, but not what I'd called low end.

Stereodude

 

[honold]

"Actually two: a "budget" vanilla model and something on the higher end of things."