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  1. #1
    LUSE Galant's Avatar
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    Head to Head

    Okay, following the various discussions on Mobo's that have taken place, I post this direct comparison of the three mainrunners so they can go head to head with them.

    Hopefully this will provide the specific answers and info many of us have been looking for, and we can avoid posts like,

    "Go for the Abit", or, "Abit, hands down".

    So, using this info, what are the distinct advantages/disadvantages you can see here.

    MSI

    K7N2 Delta-ILSR

    Special Features:

    NVIDIA nForce2 Ultra 400 Chipset + MCP-T
    Integrated Ethernet 10/100 LAN
    IEEE1394 FireWire
    Serial ATA RAID
    8X AGP
    Dolby Digital 5.1 Audio Format Encodes in APU
    Live Update 2
    PC Alert 4
    i-Speeder


    Specification:

    CPU

    Supports Socket A for AMD® Athlon™/Athlon™ XP/Duron™ processors @FSB 200/266/333/400
    Supports 600MHz up to Athlon™ XP 3000+ processor or higher

    Chipset
    nVIDIA® nForce2 Ultra 400 Chipset
    Supports DDR200/266/333/400
    Supports external AGP 4X/8X

    nVIDIA® nForce2 MCP-T Chipset

    AC97 Interface supporting up to two concurrent codecs
    Ultra ATA133 for the fastest hard disk throughput

    USB 2.0 EHCI/1.1 OHCI controller
    FireWire® and USB 2.0 for the fastest digital connectivity

    Audio Processing Unit(APU) encodes audio in Dolby® Digital 5.1 format for full surround sound effects

    FSB
    FSB 200/266/333/400 MHz clocks are supported

    Main Memory
    Supports six memory banks using three 184-pin DDR DIMMs
    Supports up to 3GB PC3200/2700/2100/1600 DDR SDRAMs
    Supports both 64-bit and 128-bit DDR SDRAM

    SLOTS
    One AGP (Accelerated Graphics Port) 1.5V 4x/8x slot
    Five 32-bit PCI bus slots (support 3.3v/5v PCI bus interface)
    One ACR (Advanced Communication Riser) slot
    BIOS

    The mainboard BIOS provides "Plug & Play" BIOS which detects the peripheral devices and expansion cards of the board automatically.

    The mainboard provides a Desktop Management Interface (DMI) function which records your mainboard specifications.

    On-Board IDE
    An IDE controller on the MCP-T chipset provides IDE HDD/CDROM with PIO, Bus Master and Ultra DMA133/100/66 operation modes
    Can connect up to four IDE devices
    Serial ATA Interface
    Support 2 serial ATA plus 1 ATA133
    RAID O or 1 is supported
    RAID function works w/ATA133+SATA H/D or 2 SATA H/D
    In-Chip IEEE1394
    nVIDIA MCP-T IEEE1394 controller
    Support up to two ports via external bracket

    Network
    Chipset integrated 10/100 Base-T Ethernet/Fast Ethernet
    Audio
    Realtek ALC650 6-channel audio
    Dolby Digital 5.1 format
    On-Board Peripherals
    1 floppy port that supports two FDD with 360KB, 720KB,1.44MB and 2.88MB
    1 serial port
    1 parallel port supports SPP/EPP/ECP mode
    3 audio ports in vertical
    2 IEEE1394 connectors
    6 USB ports (Rear * 4/ Front * 2)
    1 RJ-45 jack
    Dimension
    30.5 cm(L) x 23 cm(W) ATX Form Factor


    Accessories

    D Bracket 2
    S Bracket
    IEEE 1394
    Round Cable



    Abit

    The NF7-S, based on nForce2 chipset (MCP-T + SPP), supports the latest AMD Athlon XP processors with 200/266/333/400 FSB, (400 FSB support in version 2.0 only) and features new dual 400MHz DDR memory controllers that deliver up to a 50% increase in bandwidth. With the nForce2 MCP-T, the APU (Audio Processing Unit) delivers Dolby Digital 5.1 cinematic-quality sound and 3D positional audio to your home PC. By SoundstormTM technology, the NF7-S supports Real-time audio encoding delivering up to 256 simultaneous audio streams makes games and applications come to life. With cutting-edge features and ABIT Engineering, the NF7 series is the ultimate multimedia platform for the world.


    Processor
    - Supports AMD-K7 Duron™/Athlon™/Athlon™ XP Socket A with 200/266/333/400MHz FSB Processors (400 FSB support in version 2.0 only)


    Chipset
    - NVIDIA nForce2 SPP chipset with MCP-T
    - Supports Advanced Configuration and Power Management Interface (ACPI)
    - Accelerated Graphics Port connector supports AGP 8X/4X (0.8V/1.5V)


    Memory
    - Three 184-pin DIMM sockets
    - Supports 3 DIMM DDR 200/266/333 (Max. 3GB)
    - Supports 2 DIMM DDR 400 (Max. 2GB)


    Serial ATA (Optional)
    - On board Serial ATA PCI Controller
    - Supports SATA data transfer rates 150MB/s (1.5G bps) and RAID-0

    Audio
    - 6-Channel AC 97 CODEC on board
    - Professional digital audio interface supports 24-bit S/PDIF Out
    - NVIDIA SoundStorm with real-time Dolby Digital 5.1 encoder


    System BIOS
    - SoftMenu™ Technology
    - Award Plug and Play BIOS


    LAN
    - On board 10/100Mb LAN Physical layer interface
    - 10/100Mb Operation supports ACPI & Wake on LAN


    IEEE 1394
    - Supports IEEE 1394a at 100/200/400MB/s transfer rate


    Internal I/O Connectors
    - 1 x AGP8X/4X slot, 5 x PCI slots
    - 1 x Floppy Port supports up to 2.88MB
    - 2 x Ultra DMA 33/66/100/133 Connectors
    - 2 x Serial ATA 150 Connectors
    - 2 x USB headers, 2 x IEEE1394a header
    - 1 x CD-IN, 1 x IrDA


    Back Panel I/O
    - 1 x PS/2 Keyboard, 1 x PS/2 mouse
    - 2 x Serial, 1 x Parallel
    - 1 x S/PDIF Out port
    - Audio connectors (Front Speaker, Line-in, Mic-in, Center/Sub, Surround Speaker)
    - 2 x USB, 1 x RJ-45 LAN Connector


    Miscellaneous
    - ATX form factor
    - Hardware monitoring - Including Fan speeds, Voltages, System environment temperature



    Asus

    Processor
    Socket A for AMDR Athlon™ XP/ Athlon™ / Duron™ 600MHz ~ 3000+
    Thoroughbred/Barton core CPU ready

    Chipset
    North Bridge: NVIDIA® nForce2 SPP(Ultra400)
    South Bridge: NVIDIA® nForce2 MCP-T
    FSB 400* / 333 / 266 / 200 MHz
    ( * PCB 1.06 or earlier version need BIOS update )

    Memory Dual-Channel DDR 400
    3 x 184-pin DIMM Sockets
    Max. 3 GB unbuffered PC3200/PC2700/PC2100/PC1600 non-ECC DDR RAM Memory (Twinbank)

    Expansion Slots
    1 x AGP Pro/8X (1.5V only)
    5 x PCI
    IDE Ports 2 x UltraDMA 133/100/66/33

    Serial ATA Silicon ImageR Sil 3112A Controller with 2 ports
    Support RAID 0/1
    Audio RealtekR ALC650 6CH w/built in HP amplifier
    Integrated APU(Audio Processor Unit) SoundStorm?/ DolbyR
    Digital (AC-3) Encoder
    LAN 2 Ports
    MCP integrated NVIDIAR MAC + RealtekR 8201BL PHY
    MCP integrated 3ComR MAC + BroadcomR AC101L PHY
    1394 2 Ports MCP-T Integrated IEEE 1394a + RealtekR PHY 8801B

    Special Features
    Post Reporter
    Power Loss Restart
    Q-Fan Technology
    STR (Suspend-to-RAM)
    C.O.P. (CPU Overheating Protection)
    CPU Throttle

    Back Panel I/O Ports
    1 x Parallel
    1 x Serial
    1 x PS/2 Keyboard
    1 x PS/2 Mouse
    1 x Audio I/O
    4 x USB 2.0
    1 x S/PDIF out + 1 x Surround L/R audio jack + 1 x CNTR/LFE audio jack
    2 X RJ45
    I
    nternal I/O Connectors
    1 x USB 2.0 connector support additional 2 USB 2.0 ports
    CPU/Power/Chassis FAN connectors
    Game Connector
    20 pin ATX power connector
    IDE LED connector, power LED connector
    2 x 1394 Connector
    2 x SATA (Serial ATA) Connector
    WOR, WOL, Chassis Intrusion, SM Bus, SIR
    Headphone (optional)
    Front MIC
    CD/AUX/Modem audio in
    Front Panel Audio connector (optional)
    BIOS Feature 4Mb Flash ROM, Award BIOS, TCAV, PnP, DMI2.0, DMI, Green
    Industrial Standard PCI 2.2, USB 2.0
    Manageability DMI 2.0, WOR, WOL, Chassis Intrusion, SM Bus
    Support CD Drivers
    ASUSR PC Probe
    Trend Micro?PC-cillin 2002 anti-virus software with WindowsR XP support
    ASUS LiveUpdate Utility
    Accessories I/O Shield
    SATA Cable
    2-port USB 2.0 / Game port bracket
    User's Manual / Quick Reference Guide
    UltraDMA 133 cable
    2-Port 1394 Bracket
    FDD cable
    UltraDMA 133/100/66 cable
    9-pin COM cable
    InterVideoR WinCinema (optional)
    (WinDVD/WinRip/WinCoder/WinProducer) software
    Form Factor ATX Form Factor
    12" x 9.6" (30.5cm x 24.5cm)


    Asus Memory Table

    So there you go.

  2. #2
    LUSE Galant's Avatar
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    No takers? Probably due to the mass of info.

    Oh well. No-one can say I wasn't specific.
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  3. #3
    goatboy funnelhead's Avatar
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    • funnelhead's system
      • Motherboard:
      • Gigabyte Ultra Durable Z170
      • CPU:
      • Skylake 6600T + NZXT Kraken X41 Watercooler
      • Memory:
      • 16GB DDR4
      • Storage:
      • 256GB NVMe M.2 + 512GB SSD + 2TB HDD
      • Graphics card(s):
      • AMD 980X
      • PSU:
      • 850W modular
      • Case:
      • Fractal Define R5
      • Operating System:
      • Windows 10 Entreprise
      • Monitor(s):
      • Dell 34" Ultrawide
      • Internet:
      • Virgin 200Mbit
    Abit. Go for Abit. Abit all the way.

    But seriously

    ERM

    Abit - has better overclocking - has better voltage adhustments

    Asus - Has 2 lan ports

    MSI - Its a bit cheaper

    i'm a bit pissed so cant B.A to go into mega details. BUT

    This is a Forum full enthusiasts. They know whats good. Look at plps Sigs - How many Abits do u see? Lots.

    Easy now, F
    Do you think when Jesus comes back..... he ever wants to see another cross.......? *{God bless you Bill}

    .::HomeServer::.
    #Dual 50W Xeons @2.5Ghz, 16GB, 34TB DrivePool, UPS#
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  4. #4
    goatboy funnelhead's Avatar
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    • funnelhead's system
      • Motherboard:
      • Gigabyte Ultra Durable Z170
      • CPU:
      • Skylake 6600T + NZXT Kraken X41 Watercooler
      • Memory:
      • 16GB DDR4
      • Storage:
      • 256GB NVMe M.2 + 512GB SSD + 2TB HDD
      • Graphics card(s):
      • AMD 980X
      • PSU:
      • 850W modular
      • Case:
      • Fractal Define R5
      • Operating System:
      • Windows 10 Entreprise
      • Monitor(s):
      • Dell 34" Ultrawide
      • Internet:
      • Virgin 200Mbit
    Do you think when Jesus comes back..... he ever wants to see another cross.......? *{God bless you Bill}

    .::HomeServer::.
    #Dual 50W Xeons @2.5Ghz, 16GB, 34TB DrivePool, UPS#
    #Plex on all the screens#
    #Squeezeplay on all the Jogglers#

    My Hexus Trust
    My Items for sale

  5. #5
    Senior Member SilentDeath's Avatar
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    sorry but saying
    Hopefully this will provide the specific answers and info many of us have been looking for, and we can avoid posts like,

    "Go for the Abit", or, "Abit, hands down".
    isnt going to stop me, you KNOW abit is the best, ^ you said it yourself!

    give us 3 pages of specs and you want us to guess which board is best for you? no thx.. tell us what you need and we can say which one suits you best..

  6. #6
    goatboy funnelhead's Avatar
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    • funnelhead's system
      • Motherboard:
      • Gigabyte Ultra Durable Z170
      • CPU:
      • Skylake 6600T + NZXT Kraken X41 Watercooler
      • Memory:
      • 16GB DDR4
      • Storage:
      • 256GB NVMe M.2 + 512GB SSD + 2TB HDD
      • Graphics card(s):
      • AMD 980X
      • PSU:
      • 850W modular
      • Case:
      • Fractal Define R5
      • Operating System:
      • Windows 10 Entreprise
      • Monitor(s):
      • Dell 34" Ultrawide
      • Internet:
      • Virgin 200Mbit
    what he said

    Get the MSI, it has TWO serial ports AND a paralell port!

    oh wait......
    Do you think when Jesus comes back..... he ever wants to see another cross.......? *{God bless you Bill}

    .::HomeServer::.
    #Dual 50W Xeons @2.5Ghz, 16GB, 34TB DrivePool, UPS#
    #Plex on all the screens#
    #Squeezeplay on all the Jogglers#

    My Hexus Trust
    My Items for sale

  7. #7
    LUSE Galant's Avatar
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    <sigh>

    Okay then, here's what I'm looking at:

    A PC used for all the usual stuff, plus gaming and video editing (needs firewire). Budget of about $800. Certainly below $900. Which I think is about 550 quid, below 600.

    Was thinking of:

    Athlon XP 2500+
    WD Caviar 80 Gb 7200 8MB cache
    Antec SX630II case w/ power supply
    2x 256 MB Corsair PC3200 RAM
    Radeon 9600Pro (perhaps Atlantis), maybe XT if it comes down in the sales.
    Volcano 9 or 11 HSF
    CD-RW
    blah blah blah

    That enough info?
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  8. #8
    LUSE Galant's Avatar
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    SilentD??
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    Senior Member
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    i Just built my shuttle for under 750...i put a fx5200 in it though and upgrade a few weeks later. so iam sure if you shop around you will find some good price's.

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    Just get the ABIT. Superb motherboard, more features than you could shake a stick at. Easy to set up. Will keep everything stable.

    BUT if you are looking for quiteness the north bridge fan is a little loud on the ABIT, so you might want to invest in a passive cooler (same as the ASUS.)

    REMEMBER with the ABIT you get a free SATA adapter, so you could RAID a SATA and an IDE hard drive if you so wished.

    Will
    | XP1600-m | ASUS AN78X Deluxe | r9700 pro | 2x512mb pc37000 |

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    Originally posted by Galant
    [B
    Was thinking of:

    Athlon XP 2500+
    WD Caviar 80 Gb 7200 8MB cache
    Antec SX630II case w/ power supply
    2x 256 MB Corsair PC3200 RAM
    Radeon 9600Pro (perhaps Atlantis), maybe XT if it comes down in the sales.
    Volcano 9 or 11 HSF
    CD-RW
    blah blah blah

    That enough info? [/B]
    you might want a motherboard too... iam not sure if there is a fry's electronics in tuscon but there is one in tempe it might be worth the trip.. you can take the 8 freeway all the way there shouldnt take more then 2 hours

  12. #12
    daft ideas inc. scottyman's Avatar
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    It's funny - I've gone off Fry's now - went to the one in Palo Alto last year, and it didn't have nearly as much random stuff as I wanted (mind u - my g/f looked in the front door made me promise not to spend any money! ) I went to the Burbank one a few years ago, which rocked - but then I also had money to burn! (i.e. just split from my previous g/f)

    They seemed to be much more mainstream now - still it could depend entirely on the store!

  13. #13
    LUSE Galant's Avatar
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    Erm....the point of this thread was to help choose a mobo, so that's why I didn't include one!!
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    LUSE Galant's Avatar
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    Ah!!! Now here's something useful. Far more user friendly than my essay-length specifications post.

    It's a motherboard comparison table running the NF7-S, A7N8X, M7NCG, Zenith Series CT-7NJS, Winfast K7NCR18D, and K7N2-L.

    It's actually part of a longer article on NForce mobo's on Tom's Hardware.

    See it here:
    http://www.tomshardware.com/motherbo...force2-14.html


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    Official Member luke313's Avatar
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    There are minimal differences between those 3 to be honest.
    Abit - More stable when overclocked, Higher overclocks, Free S-ATA Adaptor.
    Asus - Gigabit LAN, Passive NB.
    MSI - Cheaper than the other 2.

    If I was in your situation there would be 2 options I would be looking at. You could buy the cheaper (but by no means worse than) MSI and put the saved money towards a better graphics card than the 9600pro (9800SE AIW ), or go for the NF7-S/A7N8X and have no other options when it comes to graphics card. I can honestly say that I do not know which way I would go, even though I have used the NF7-S and it is great!! Remember that the graphics card is by far the most important part of a gaming PC and that a 'better' motherboard isn't going to increase your FPS by as large a margin that a graphics card would.

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    LUSE Galant's Avatar
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    Interesting how the MSI is cheaper. On the table I linked to it refers to the K7N2 Delta-L, however, the website suggests that mobo is only MCP (not MCP-T), and not firewire capable. The K7N2 Delta-ILSR seems to be the comparable mobo. Maybe that's what they were referring to.

    The weird thing is, over here (US), on www.pricewatch.com, the MSI is the most expensive board.

    Then the Asus, then the Abit.

    I'm new to PC building in general, and certainly to OCing. I think I'd rather avoid the hassle, unless it's worth it.
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