Help with motherboards

[daz98]

Whats the difference between these two motherboard except for two graphics cards. I want to know every little bit that is a difference. which one is better and why except sli i dont care about having two graphics cards?

NF4 ULTRA INFINITY - http://www.dfi.com.tw/Product/xx_product_s...NFINITY&SITE=US

AND

LANPARTY UT nF4 Ultra-D - http://www.dfi.com.tw/Product/xx_product_s...TYPE=LP&SITE=US

Thanks remember not just because of sli other reasons too because i dont want to add an extra $60 for just sli.

Thanks

[Aegis]

It's really a matter of personal preferences. If you are an overclocker, then the LANParty will be better. If you're just trying to save money and get a decent board, the first one is better.

[daz98]

ok ty. so the first one will be able to play great games for me with a amd athlon 64 3700+ and a x800gt without much problem

Edited December 12, 2005 by daz98

[ssmokee]

From what Ive read the UT versions are able to overclock higher than the Infinity versions. The UT version is also advertises Japanese capacitors, which are regarded as the best AFAIK.

[Vitalix]

The biggest difference is for overclocking. The LANParty support memory voltage up to 3.5V (enough to fry any RAM not of the Winbond variety). Some RAM chips (like OCZ Gold Vx) need 3.3V to 3.5 to get max push and highest HTT rates. The non-LANParty board likely tops at 2.9 Volts for memory. The LANParty also gives you options for LDT and Northbridge overclocking.

If you plan on using TCCD or the like, or don't plan to get overclock severely (remember you will spend much more on cooling and have a louder machine since you will need more intake and exhaust fans) then the first option is fine.

Another item to consider is that the LANParty board is a niche board. You will always command top dollar for it when you sell it on Ebay (or wherever) b/c that board is like a Ferrari to overclockers.

[daz98]

well what im really looking for in my computer is to plug everything in and turn it on and it will last me about 2- 3 years before i need to upgrade somthing. I dont know how to overclock and what are the posotives and sideaffects to it. Dont forget im a little nervous building my first computer from scratch so i hope it turns out all right.

[Vitalix]

well what im really looking for in my computer is to plug everything in and turn it on...

Then definitely DO NOT get the LANParty! It's truly an expert board and typically does not play well with others. Takes lots of tweaking before getting it running at full speed and it's extremely particular with memory (U need to drop some loot on the mem to run a LANParty board).

A friendlier board is the ASUS A8N-SLI. The only difference in flavors is items in the package (i.e. cables, tie-downs, velcro wraps, goodies). The A8N may be a good choice for you b/c it has the overclocking options there (including memory to 3.5V via jumper) and is a very reputable board that is plug and play friendly. Just remember that if you get good ram (like 2-2-2-5 or 2-3-2-5) to go into the mobo BIOS and manually change the speeds to reflect that. Most motherboards simply take a safe approach, and virtually all go 2T. You really want to go 1T on the command rate (you'll notice a swift improvement) unless you are running 4 blades (ALWAYS better to go 2 big blades than 4 small blades unless you have a server and run things in the background).

[daz98]

ok well i have decided to not go with sli. Could you guys help me with one more thing. all i want to be able to do is buy somthing and just shove the pieces together and then turn on the computer and it works. i dont know how to o/c and i really dont care. I just want to be able to play half life 2 on full graphics on 1024X768. Could i guys give you my computer specs and you guys choose a good motherboard and psu to go with it to play this stuff. I dont want an over pricy psu or mobo. Remeber im not getting sli meaning the psu just has to take one graphics card. Im thinking of buy a 7800gtx 512 in the future too so i want an alright psu. I've tried getting the ocz in australia but it just wont come out.

My comp:

cpu - AMD Athlon 64 3700+ Processor SAN DIEGO

Mobo - yet to be decided

Harddisk - Seagate 120gb sata 2

Ram - i've got one ddr400 512 and one 256 ddr400. I will be getting a whole nother gig soon

Psu - Dunno - i cant decide because i have no clue on what everyone is talking about with the psu

Graphics Card - Powercolor ATI Radeon X800GT 256MB GDDR3 - untill i get my $1k (to buy the 7800gtx)

Thanks any more details and i will be happy to help.

Edited December 17, 2005 by daz98

[daz98]

Do you guys reackon this power supply and the infinity motherboard will be able to play the 7800gtx512

Antec True Blue

http://www.scorptec.com.au/index.php?prdid=14900

NF4 ULTRA INFINITY -

http://www.dfi.com.tw/Product/xx_product_s...NFINITY&SITE=US

Will that with my other specs be able to work nicely together remeber i wont be o/c

Thanks