New MATX system and upgrade path?

[prehensile]

I would love some suggestions to figure out which motherboards are the best for a SFF computer. it's for applications. So lots of power!

might just get the mainboard with integrated graphics and put all the peripherals on USB in a kind of super flat arrangement.

will it be a big disadvantage to run a quad core AMD processor in an AM2- mainboard? Apart from hyper transport?

thanks!

[DanceswithUnix]

If you want something that is fast, get a C2D.
If you want something cheap, get an AMD X2.

I should imagine either will do you.

I you want the PC to be near silent (you mention audio), it should be easier to cool an Energy Efficient X2.

What are you using right now, so we can get an idea of what powerful means to you

[MadduckUK]

smaller you say?

http://www.commell.com.tw/product/SBC/LV-677.HTM

there you go

[BUFF]

at the moment abit probably have the best mATX boards (as long as they have the features that you require) for both AMD AM2 & Intel C2D in the nF-M2 nView & the F-I90HD.
In ~1 month or so the new nVidia MCP68 (AMD) & MCP73 (Intel) chipsets will be out.
For abit & AM2 that will be the AN-M2 series, don't know if they have an Intel variant planned.

[prehensile]

word up... mcp68 sounds interesting with lots of features, probably in a months time.thanks!

I've got an X2 3800 939 at the moment... I've been through the Tom's hardware comparisons and price checks and it looks like AMD has got a really competitive product to match every of Intel's at the same price except for the the fastest chips. I am going mid range with upgrade potential so both solutions are close and it comes down to features...only nv mcp72 before Christmas really supports X4 AMD.... aaarg..its DirectX 10 too.



the asus board doesn't overclock, the abit board doesn't have enough USB,(my nf7-m was a bit unstable with USB as well) the biostar is barely available in the UK, and God knows about the epox.

those are the best ones for am2...the search continues.

top recommendations thanks!

[BUFF]

the abit board doesn't have enough USB

8 ports (4 IO panel & 4 via headers) not enough? - I don't think that you'll do much better on a current mATX ...
MCP68 supposedly supports 12.

[prehensile]

alright I just figured it out the technical specifications has the back panel and internal input output in different categories, thanks a lot.

I think the last news release about the MCP 68 was on the 15th of March saying that it would be delayed by a few weeks so possibly mid April...

[chrestomanci]

smaller you say?

http://www.commell.com.tw/product/SBC/LV-677.HTM

there you go

If you look at their photo, it looks like the board uses a mobile CPU:

Very cool looking board though, The first I have seen with a PEG-16 slot.

Back in the real world, I have a system built around an Asus P5B-VM. It runs very nicely, and has plenty of features. The integrated graphics are decent, and unlike most have well supported linux drivers.

[prehensile]

wicked photo...

what processors are the best deal with overclocking?

are there any Micro ATX mainboards that let Intel whip AMD?

[BUFF]

the aforementioned F-I90HD with an E4300 should get you to ~3.0GHz (maybe more, maybe less) for under £200 plus your RAM.

[prehensile]

thanks for the leads, just went on komplett and almost bought the abit fatality along with a wd 500gb, e4300, ballistix 2.2V PC8000...

then I found a bunch of reports saying that the mainboard is dying quite a lot with the on board graphics and high memory voltages...
http://www.xtremesystems.org/forums/...=136138&page=4

it's probably really good generally but it costs a bomb and I'm a bit of a chicken, I'm looking for a micro workstation so I guess AMD is really my deal.

still not sure if current AM2 boards will support Agena AMD processors around Christmas time...

Anand says that the AMD platform has the most impressive stability...and I have to agree that my current mainboard handles anything I throw at it and stays up for weeks with tons of peripherals and multimedia going on...

I just had this crazy idea of getting a wooden board and wedging all the components with nails and brackets and things, so I can keep my wicked power supply and have everything lying super flat so it's just pure electronics on display.

perhaps I will glue a colourful poster to the piece of wood under the components to make it look nice et voila...

any ideas about AMD upgrade path?

Cheers!

[BUFF]

notice where these reports of a few dying boards are coming from - they are almost exclusively coming from people running very high fsb, using integrated gfx & a modded BIOS ...

Anandtech are due to have an mATX group review out any day (it's actually overdue) & Gary Key seeems to rate the F-I90HD highly from what he has said on the forum so far.

btw if you think that £70 is a bomb for a mainboard ...

As for AMD, well, MCP68 (when it arrives) or X1250 will be the cutting edge for mATX with integrated gfx for a while.

[prehensile]

nice one. last time I upgraded about 18 months ago I had a really easy upgrade path going from a single core to a dual core athlon 939, the platform was massively rated from all angles it was an easy choice...

now the situation with going to a micro ATX is much different... I go for the superfast less stable less clean option and I have to buy a separate graphics card and pray that it doesn't get fried from overclocking over a long period...the mainboard still has to get one review.way to go with PCs is always middle of the road...


http://www.newegg.com/Product/Custra...82E16813127013

[prehensile]

EDIT-
I have bought the final lineup

x2 3800
nF-M2 nView
ballistix pc8000 for £87(just to be extra certain)

total...
210...

c2d budget option was 300 including extra graphics card for faster although less dependable results...

thank you for helping me, will update with the results..