Motherboard Question
 

Hi all,

I am thinking of moving my pc to a bigger case and upgrading my motherboard.

I would like a microatx motherboard if possible, capable of pci-e and nforce if possible since it has worked so well for me.

I only have one sata HD and I plan on staying this way, and two sticks of dual channel ddr400 ram (2x512mb )

I plan on changing case as mine is too small, and motherboard because the chipset fan is almost gone on this one, and I have the upgrade bug and plan on a new motherboard to get more features and performance if possible.

I plan on about £100 for the motherboard.

The new case I have already picked.

My current model is a8ne-fm socket 939 pci-e nforce4 with the worlds most annoying chipset fan,.

Re: Motherboard Question
 

Micro atx are small form factor boards aint they why do you want one of them?

I would have pointed you at the Sapphires but you want nforce so its to dfi

Sapphire Dfi

Re: Motherboard Question
 

I normally use PCpro as a starting point for looking at things when I want to buy a new machine.. They think highly of this one (Not Micro)
http://www.pcpro.co.uk/reviews/82403...8n-prosli.html

Are you wanting the GFX of the Nforce? (As if so.. Ignore that board! :))
And is the size thing because you are wanting a small case/small footprint?

Re: Motherboard Question
 

He is building the machine in a bigger case

Re: Motherboard Question
 

I plan on putting it in a bigger case yes, mainly the reason is for more room = more space for cooling, the computer is required to work in a living room, where I have pets also, so alot of dust gets about with a bigger case I would have more space to clean it and with the small footprint of the mobo, inside such a large case the componets would not be bothered.

I would just move the bits over but the chipset fan is almost dead on this pc and makes a racket at times, as Mark has heard who is a member on here also.

And that is going to be the excuse to upgrade onto a new motherboard.

Re: Motherboard Question
 

Ah, fair enough.
You might want to look for Mobos with passive cooling as well yeah?
Just on a side note, I have one of those mobos I suggested and it is very quiet, but then it goes onto, do you need it super quiet as its going to be a media centre etc? Which leads to will you brave water cooling? Or is it just to please the animals/partner? ;)

And computer dust breeds! Its not a natural thing! Its some kind of demonic dust! :D

Re: Motherboard Question
 

It's going to be a gamer system

I game a heck of alot hence the idea for a massive tower to aid passive cooling.

I am willing to look at other chipsets so long as they are gamer capable, but I do not wish to be spending over £100 on the motherboard.

I've just got my 7900gt today and plans already afoot on moving it and the cpu hd etc to a new mobo in a new tower.

Re: Motherboard Question
 

Go with one of the NF4 DFI lan party boards dude

Re: Motherboard Question
 

I've heard stories about those being buggy with the bios? have they settled it down now?

Re: Motherboard Question
 

ive only seen good reviews mate.If you were buying ati then id push you towards the sapphire and if your never gonna go sli I still would push you in that direction.Also the Uli sli chipsets are very well recieved too

Re: Motherboard Question
 

I doubt I will be going Sli with this system or my next even though I game alot I have no real use for it right now.

But saying that could I get a Sli one, with the ati chipset as you mention Zingle as I to now know little about motherboards, and what chipset rules over what?

Re: Motherboard Question
 

no

Re: Motherboard Question
 

Saxo, id seriously recommend getting a full ATX mobo as by going Micro in a standard tower youre limiting your upgrade options and the decent motherboards you can go for, plus the motherboard footprint is nothing compared to the empty space youll have in the case.

Re: Motherboard Question
 

micro was a typo I thought we desided that ages ago????

Re: Motherboard Question
 

Nope reading back it still sounds like he's set on a Micro. And Saxo go for an SLi-Ready motherboard such as a Gigabyte GA-K8N-SLI (the one i use for my Athlon 64) and you can put one card in at a time, no need to use both, its just there if you want it.

Re: Motherboard Question
 

no he asked for a micro atx motherboard to fit in a bigger case.I give saxo the benefit there and think he made an error.why would anyone want a sff motherboard to fit in a larger case.Maybe im wrong but if I am saxo is wanting a micro atx board for a bigger case then he is more wrong than me ;)

Re: Motherboard Question
 

Why not? I did the same thing, bought a mATX board and an ATX case, leaves lots of room for cooling and anything else you might want, very good idea :)

Re: Motherboard Question
 

Sorry, I dont follow you, how exactly does an ATX motherboard take up space ?? its a Wafer of composite materials about 2mm thick with components coming off that average about 10mm high, so youre not really gaining anything, but possibl losing features :) my 2p :)

Re: Motherboard Question
 

SLI/Crossfire - Has anybody actually stumped up the £400+ to get 2 cards in their machines? It all seems a little pointless at the moment.
Unless you want to get that extra few frames over 70 (Not that your eye registers anything over 30 is it?) with the issue of running 2 lower cards giving frame rates and costing the same as a single higher card...
All seems a waste of money to me?

Re: Motherboard Question
 

Fear will only run with full settings with 2 cards

---------- Post added at 19:44 ---------- Previous post was at 19:42 ----------

why a simple answer all the chips and everything are close together on the board and if there not then all your losing is pci slots.The mainboard sitting to the rear of the case will get cooled fine anyway most of the heat comes from the cpu the gfx and the hard drives all of these your gonna have on a mATX or ATX

Re: Motherboard Question
 

Ah, but i have controllers for my Zalman screwed into the spare holes and of course an extractor fan running from the last PCI slot that is spare (well, shortly, when it gets here)

My components get hot. They did in an ATX board as well. So, the extra room i used for cooling. Tis all :)

Re: Motherboard Question
 

You talking 1600x1200? With everything turned on?
Dont see £400+ worth it to be honest ;)

Re: Motherboard Question
 

whats it matter if its worth it or not people do it lol I wanted bought the cards I wanted it would be nearer 700 quid

---------- Post added at 21:08 ---------- Previous post was at 21:07 ----------

I own a fully loaded pc that gets thrapped and dont get hot my lian li cases work just fine

Re: Motherboard Question
 

BACK ON TOPIC.

I was after a micro atx in a atx full sized case because it would give a better footprint for adding cooling for the computer.

I do not need Sli as I don't play games which could make use of the power it needs plus I don't want the temptation to spend another £200 or so on another 7900gt.

Something which can handle dual core, pci-e and ddr400 which seems the normal would be cool.

Does Asus have any good ones out now for £100.

Re: Motherboard Question
 

ok I stand corrected although I see flaws in the logic unless of course your going to install phaze cooling are you? if your not what do you intend to have in the bottom of the case?
As you should know the motherboard sits at the rear of the case(well if your looking through the open side) and all cooling that fits where a pci card would go wouldnt snag on a pci slot.All motherboards with have a north and south bridge chip the north actively cooled as standard(not always) A cpu which will be cooled however you choose and a gfx card with active cooling normally.If you cram all these onto a smaller board you will find the board area more cramped because all your ide sata molex leads are all going into a smaller area so there impedes your cooling to start off with. Full atx mobos tend to have componants spread over them making it easier surely to clear areas for air flow.Surely im speaking logically am I not?

Re: Motherboard Question
 

Yes Zingle I see your logic.

Mine was to fit a rotating cool air fan on the bottom of the case this would drive air upwards and inwards from the front of the case.

Coupled with the factor of the extractor fan sucking air out through the top I thought it would work well with a micro atx.

Re: Motherboard Question
 

yeah although you need fans sucking air in and fans blowing them out theres a lot of differing ideas but not cases come fittings for cooling the machine in the most efficient way
You already have a device at the top of the case extracting hot air (psu) you need fans from bottom and fans rear high. as long as you get the balance right fine.If you try to invent your own methods then your goign to get the balance wrong which in itself defeats the object

Re: Motherboard Question
 

And the more fans you have, the more noise you have.
I know that fans can be very very quiet, but still. It adds up.

Re: Motherboard Question
 

The computer is always on in the living room and the one I have is a noisy one to itself with 4 80mm case fans going ten to the dozen plus the fans on the cards inside the system.

I am accustomed to the noise.

Re: Motherboard Question
 

make sure your case can house 120 mm fans from and rear and your sorted

Re: Motherboard Question
 

Sounds good to me Zinglebarb.

So considering this Asus mobo has been good to me for about a year now, do Asus make any good £100 or less hopefully full factor atx motherboards?

Re: Motherboard Question
 

The A8N sli premium looks ok.Ive used a couple of with the via chipsets. But my recommendations remain the same as before

Re: Motherboard Question
 

Sapphire PURE RD580 CrossFire Advantage (Socket 939) PCI-Express Motherboard (PC-A9RD580Adv) (MB-004-SP)


From OCUk has my attention right now.

Re: Motherboard Question
 

It has mine too in that font....

Just going to look it up now :)