need motherboard with PCI x16 slot

Live forum: http://forum.freeipodguide.com/viewtopic.php?t=44679

EatChex89

22-08-2006 13:39:19

so I bought a graphics card and just realized that my computer's motherboard doesns't have an x16 slot, so I'm going to replace the motherboard, I don't want to spend more than $150 if I don't have to. $200 is the max I'll spend.

let me know. kthx.


[edit] i'm thinking of getting this board
http//www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16813136152

dmorris68

22-08-2006 13:48:06

I'm an Asus fan myself, I currently have the A8N32-SLI Deluxe, which has TWO x16 slots that both run at x16 in SLI (unlike that DFI board that will downgrade to x8 each if you go SLI). Of course x16 SLI bandwidth isn't really being used today, but still... bragging rights are important, aren't they? )

You might not get it for $150, but should be able to find it for under $200 IIRC. Asus also makes the cheaper A8N-SLI boards that are comparible to that DFI board. Asus tends to be a little pricier, but they are Cadillacs. A lot of enthusiasts do like DFI, so I'm not dissing the brand, but I'm firmly tied to Asus.

burritopunk

22-08-2006 15:16:45

Asus A8N-SLI

Allen626

22-08-2006 15:24:14

[quote783bd43bb8="dmorris68"]I'm an Asus fan myself, I currently have the A8N32-SLI Deluxe, which has TWO x16 slots that both run at x16 in SLI (unlike that DFI board that will downgrade to x8 each if you go SLI). Of course x16 SLI bandwidth isn't really being used today, but still... bragging rights are important, aren't they? )

You might not get it for $150, but should be able to find it for under $200 IIRC. Asus also makes the cheaper A8N-SLI boards that are comparible to that DFI board. Asus tends to be a little pricier, but they are Cadillacs. A lot of enthusiasts do like DFI, so I'm not dissing the brand, but I'm firmly tied to Asus.[/quote783bd43bb8]


Lol that is pretty bad though bragging about something that makes no differance because nothing can even hit the 8x speed limit. Espically when SLi in itself is pretty retarded and only good for people with ridiculus amounts of money to spend and a big monitor because it is only good at high resolutions. I'll keep my 3.4volts to my DRAM over that.
hehe. I heard the new DFI intel core 2 duo boards blow though and im about to upgrade to one when ever they come out with a good chipset for them.

dmorris68

22-08-2006 16:29:55

[quoteca695c5674="Allen626"]Lol that is pretty bad though bragging about something that makes no differance because nothing can even hit the 8x speed limit. Espically when SLi in itself is pretty retarded and only good for people with ridiculus amounts of money to spend and a big monitor because it is only good at high resolutions. I'll keep my 3.4volts to my DRAM over that.
hehe. I heard the new DFI intel core 2 duo boards blow though and im about to upgrade to one when ever they come out with a good chipset for them.[/quoteca695c5674]
The bragging rights thing was a joke, hence the smiley. ;)

And dude... you're entitled to your opinion, but to say SLI is "retarded" is, well, pretty retarted. Your judgement of SLI is wholly unqualified and without merit. It's not for everyone, sure, but that doesn't mean it isn't a legitimate technology.

And what do you consider high resolution? For years (and years), long before SLI, I've considered anything below 1280x1024 as "low resolution" and that was true on even a 17" CRT. SLI isn't just for "big monitors," it drastically improves 1280x1024 performance, and that resolution is considered "bare minimum" to me. Since going SLI my gaming performance went through the roof, and has allowed me to jack all of my resolutions up to more acceptable 1600x1200 minimum, and THAT was on a 19" CRT before I got nice LCD's. So your "ridiculous amounts of money" argument doesn't hold water, especially when you can buy SLI capable video cards for quite cheap if buy behind the curve, and run on a very modest monitor.

You keep your 3.4v DRAM and I'll keep my dual 7800GT's. ;)

Aurelius

22-08-2006 16:58:33

i have that exact board and i've been using it for a year and it's pretty kickass. besides the fact that i fried to ram slots... it works perfectly well, boots up quickly, and very good overclocking ability. for the price, it's a good buy.

Allen626

22-08-2006 17:04:34

Its retarded for 90% of the market base and what they try to market it as. It is not a upgrade option, and dual 7800GTs is a pretty hefty price when most people will prefer to spend less then 250$ on a graphics card.

Most people have a 17" or a 19" LCD espically if they are going for a SLi and I don't believe any 19" can go higher then 1280x1024. Of course CRTs can get up to 1600x1200 on a 19" and it looks damn pretty but not all 19" CRTs can do that only certain ones and it is better then a LCD in color range and not having to worry about responce time and all that jazz. If I had to pick a monitor to use right now if I could get it I would grap the widescreen 24" 100lb mammoth but it costs too much. Anyway that was a tangent. At 1280x1024 you will only see a 50-60% increase in certain games and some even less then that (less then 10% if you want to play BF2). (http//anandtech.com/video/showdoc.aspx?i=2769&p=5) check out the 7900 GT and 7900 GT SLi benchies. Some games do good with SLi on 1280x1024 though and can get up to 80-90% increase.

Now if you can spend the money for a good 24" widescreen monitor and jump your resolutions past the 169 equivelant of 1600x1200 you can take SLi to where it is meant to be and own that shit up but that is only if you are not worried about money. That is the only case I believe that SLi should be used on and in that case it is a good viable technology but really that is unresonable for most people. Stick with a x1900 or a 7900 for now.

Would you want to pay 264$ x 2 = 528$
http//www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16814130033
or
289$
http//www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16814102025

for something that can actually do better in some cases and is not a ridiculusly expensive path.

dmorris68

22-08-2006 17:52:46

Although I don't game at 1280x1024 (1600x1200 is my minimum) I would consider a 30% improvement at 1280x1024 to be worth SLI if I'm a serious gamer. 30% means going from 60fps to almost 80fps. Or, much more noticeably, 30fps to 40fps. Cost-to-benefit ratio with a top-of-the-line card like a 7900 is less impressive, but like I said spend $250x2 on behind the curve cards like 7800GT's and you'll outperform any single $500 card on the market today.

Besides, don't trust published benchmark scores -- they're a guideline, nothing more. With SLI, my own 3DMark03 scores improved about 25%, but my 3DMark05 & 06 scores improved [b855f1b7ab2]52-60%[/b855f1b7ab2] because SLI handles the more complex shader renderings more efficiently than a single card could, [i855f1b7ab2]and that was at 1280x1024.[/i855f1b7ab2] My BF2 framerate went through the roof, so much so that I bumped from 1280x1024 to 1600x1200. Told a friend about it, and he went and bought the same 2 cards and was amazed at the difference himself.

If you only have minimum cash to spend at one time, I agree that getting a near-high-end card is a better investment, because later you can add another when they become cheaper, extending the lifetime of your system investment. But I insist that for anybody serious about gaming, SLI will not be beat. By anything. Not by any single card, at least not of the current or next generation. Maybe 2 or 3 generations down the road, a single card will outperform today's SLI setup, but then THEY will have an SLI option that will once again raise the bar.

You can build a very capable SLI rig for under $2K, and I see lots of folks spending that on PC's, so again, it isn't a matter of having lots of money. What's another $250 when you're already spending $2000? I know people -- my son & daughter-in-law, for example -- that can't really afford a TV yet have 3 TV's + a $100/mo cable bill. People that want something will find a way to get it. Personally, no, the money is not an issue for me, but I know kids with better rigs than mine that don't make in a week what I make in a day, but yet they find the way to do it. )

EatChex89

22-08-2006 18:22:26

i bought an ASUS board, but not the one dmorris recommended, since I needed an intel board (I totally forgot). I would use an AMD board if I had an AMD processor, but I don't have the money to buy one yet.

KnightTrader

22-08-2006 19:00:41

I'd reccomend Asus M2N-SLI Deluxe. Just finished building a 7900GT AM2 PC for a friend with it. Not a single issue [Well ram had to be Rma'd, But thats what I get for not going with corsair, and buying G.skill instead.] Thats if you have Am2 D

EatChex89

22-08-2006 23:24:23

that's what i bought

http//www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16813131538

hoepfully it'll fit into my box.