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berkmberk2
Pilgrim
Joined: 15 Oct 2002
Posts: 4
Location: Springfield, IL
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 Posted: Wed Oct 16, 2002 6:00 pm Post subject: Boards for affordable student system |
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I'm about to build my second system, for my daughter who just started college. This is meant to be a budget system for decent student productivity and music cd burning. I'm looking at the following boards and would like to especially know of any particular quirks or problems with them:
Epox EP-8K3AE
Gigabyte 7VKML
MSI MS-6561
I intend to use a Duron 1.3 Gig processor or maybe an Athlon in the same range.
Suggestions? Tips
Spike  |
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Valour
Black Belt 2nd Degree
Joined: 05 Oct 2002
Posts: 2893
Location: Rochester, NY USA
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| Posted: Wed Oct 16, 2002 6:09 pm Post subject: Re: Boards for affordable student system |
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| berkmberk2 wrote: | I'm about to build my second system, for my daughter who just started college. This is meant to be a budget system for decent student productivity and music cd burning. I'm looking at the following boards and would like to especially know of any particular quirks or problems with them:
Epox EP-8K3AE
Gigabyte 7VKML
MSI MS-6561
I intend to use a Duron 1.3 Gig processor or maybe an Athlon in the same range.
Suggestions? Tips
Spike |
None of 'em... I'd go with the MSI K7N420Pro (6373). It has good onboard video with the option to use an AGP4x peripheral card instead, good onboard sound, is as fast as any of the DDR333 boards, and is reasonably priced. You'll want to get two sticks of RAM with it though... I'd recommend two 256 PC2100 sticks. Any Duron will work. The XPs are kind of overpriced considering the Intel equivalents blow them away in terms of performance for price.
-Jem
_________________
"The proverb says that Providence protects children and idiots. This is really true. I know because I have tested it." -Mark Twain
I wrote this book: www.herotale.com
And here's the next one: www.emeraldblackbird.com |
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JohnCD
Black Belt
Joined: 02 Sep 2002
Posts: 654
Location: El Paso, TX
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| Posted: Wed Oct 16, 2002 6:13 pm Post subject: |
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1. Go to www.google.com and do a keyword WEB search for "8K3AE review" and see what peple have said about it.
2. Go to alt.comp.periphs.mainboard.epox and look for posts on it (tnewsgroups can be accessed via Google also even if you don;t have newsgroups (UseNet) access provided by your ISP).
3. Go to www.epinions.com and see if anyone there has reviewed it.
4. Look in Google Groups for the keyword "8K3AE" and see what posts have been written about this mobo.
5. Find these website and look for reviews on your stuff: AnandTech, ArsTechnica, Tom's Hardware, Sysopt, OC Workbench and some others I don't recall.
Same for those other components.
That should keep you busy for a while...
John D.
________
Land Rover Lrx Specifications
Last edited by JohnCD on Thu Mar 10, 2011 9:01 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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berkmberk2
Pilgrim
Joined: 15 Oct 2002
Posts: 4
Location: Springfield, IL
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| Posted: Wed Oct 16, 2002 6:14 pm Post subject: |
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I should have added that the reason I picked these is that I can get them for $65 or less. Biggest aim is to keep it inexpensive. I've priced the parts for a system with monitor, drives, and accessories at about $525 not including the various shipping charges.
I'm really interested in problems, quirks, noted bad boards/designs that might give problems later on.
Thanks
Spike |
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JohnCD
Black Belt
Joined: 02 Sep 2002
Posts: 654
Location: El Paso, TX
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| Posted: Wed Oct 16, 2002 6:15 pm Post subject: |
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You're welcome.
Well, that's why I gave you the sources...YOU are supposed to do the research yourself....I charge $60/hour for that.
John D.
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VAPIR NO2 VAPORIZER
Last edited by JohnCD on Thu Mar 10, 2011 9:02 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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Valour
Black Belt 2nd Degree
Joined: 05 Oct 2002
Posts: 2893
Location: Rochester, NY USA
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| Posted: Wed Oct 16, 2002 6:45 pm Post subject: |
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| berkmberk2 wrote: | I should have added that the reason I picked these is that I can get them for $65 or less. Biggest aim is to keep it inexpensive. I've priced the parts for a system with monitor, drives, and accessories at about $525 not including the various shipping charges.
I'm really interested in problems, quirks, noted bad boards/designs that might give problems later on.
Thanks
Spike |
Well it's not cheap if you have to buy it twice, and it's not a good deal if all it does is give you headaches. Your goal should be to first find quality hardware, then search out a good price from a reliable reseller. If you're only looking at the bottom line, you're much more likely to end up with a lemon. Buying a full computer system for $525 is a lot like buying a car for $525... you might get lucky, and you might not. You a gamblin' man, Spike? If your daughter needed a car for school, would you get her a Yugo? What happens if the computer breaks and her brilliant thesis is completely destroyed because you got the cheapest hard drive you could find?
I *know* you can't get good quality hardware for $525 -- even if it were all at dealer cost. Not unless it's ancient. I bet you could put an old MSI 6378L in there with some good ol' fashioned PC133 SDRAM, a Duron 800, a 20GB Maxtor drive, get some fossilized AOpen case with a 250w supply... a Sony 24x CDRW... a used KDS 15" CRT monitor... yeah I bet maybe you could do it. But that would really be a waste of money, considering that a little bit more money would get you more of a future with that computer.
Online reviews aren't going to tell you how long the board will last, how many returns resellers take on them, how many boards fail within the warranty period... they're just going to rate them based on performance and features, with a sidenote about "Stability" by using software benchmark tests. Reviewers usually receive TESTED boards that are already known to be good. I have yet to see a review (outside of PC Magazine) that takes into account the issues that may arise after a few hundred good watthours of use.
-Jem
_________________
"The proverb says that Providence protects children and idiots. This is really true. I know because I have tested it." -Mark Twain
I wrote this book: www.herotale.com
And here's the next one: www.emeraldblackbird.com
Last edited by Valour on Thu Oct 17, 2002 11:09 am; edited 1 time in total |
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berkmberk2
Pilgrim
Joined: 15 Oct 2002
Posts: 4
Location: Springfield, IL
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| Posted: Wed Oct 16, 2002 7:00 pm Post subject: |
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I appreciate the fact that you all have read and responded to my post, but could we please focus on the question? What does anyone know about these boards that might be helpful to know?
Thanks
Spike...using a "home built" system: 950 Duron, Soyo K7VtA board, 256 MB Generic, twin 7200 RPM 30 GB drives, CDRW, dual modem, dual boot 98/2000, all bought new/used/on sale, run six plus hrs everyday for a year with absolutely no hardware problems/failures. |
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JohnCD
Black Belt
Joined: 02 Sep 2002
Posts: 654
Location: El Paso, TX
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| Posted: Wed Oct 16, 2002 8:50 pm Post subject: |
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berkmberk2,
I HAVE addressed your question.
Why do you disregard what we say here?
Why don't you do the legwork yourself and answer your own questions?
You just don't want to?
Do some work for yourself.
John D.
________
[URL=http://www.ford-wiki.com/wiki/Ford_LTD_(Australia)]Ford Ltd (Australia) Specifications[/URL]
Last edited by JohnCD on Thu Mar 10, 2011 9:02 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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Mr T
Enlightened Master
Joined: 14 Jun 2002
Posts: 16642
Location: England
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| Posted: Thu Oct 17, 2002 8:31 am Post subject: |
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Whoa, getting a bit frosty here, everyone here is right, it's just personal preference at the end of the day. You pay for what you get, me I would get either the EPOX or go for an ECS K7S5A, the choice is yours. Epox used to be rubbish but have turned it round and produce some very good stuff, but I use ECS in my mid range builds and they are cheap and very reliable as well as upgradable. However I have avoided GIGABYTE and MSI for a while 'cos I have had endless problems with their boards.
At the end of the day, deicide what YOU want, what you are willing to pay, read reviews, compare prices and then take the plunge.
Remember what works for some doesn't for others 
Good luck..... |
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berkmberk2
Pilgrim
Joined: 15 Oct 2002
Posts: 4
Location: Springfield, IL
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| Posted: Thu Oct 17, 2002 8:39 am Post subject: |
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Mr T. ...... at least there is one gentleman here. Thank you for giving me the closest answer to my question that, incidentally, this PARTICULAR forum is for......getting to the heart of a question without scouring the internet! If we all need to do that, then there is no need for Motherboards forums!
Spie  |
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