December Value Gaming PC Buyer's Guide - Page 3

Motherboards

When selecting a motherboard for our Value Gaming System, the main goal is to get the best overall value, while also receiving the most future-proof and high-performance hardware possible. Naturally, these goals are often at odds with each other, and the sticker price is usually the main stumbling block. To find that right mix, we need to ensure that the motherboard is affordable, and has a nice mix of performance, overclocking and features to boot. Whether you're buying a low-cost gaming system or an ultra high-end powerhouse, the motherboard is still one of the most important components, as it provides the backbone for your entire computer and determines your potential upgrade path.

Athlon XP Motherboard: MSI K7N2 Delta-L (nForce2 Ultra 400)

Current Cost: $80
Months on list: 4
Price Change: -$2

The choice of the Athlon XP 2500+ gave us some added leeway in upgrading system components, and once again, the motherboard was an area we gave serious thought. We checked out some higher-end models, and while these would net us features such as Serial ATA and Gigabit LAN, these are far removed from "entry-level" components, and we're not hoping for a value-priced SATA hard drive for awhile yet. MSI has really pulled out all the stops with their K7N2 Delta-L, and it provides all the features and performance we need, and checks in at a very attractive price.

The MSI K7N2 Delta-L features the latest NVIDIA nForce2 Ultra 400 chipset revision, and fully supports the 400 MHz front-side bus. Our Athlon XP 2500+ only requires a 333 MHz FSB, but the ability to hit 400 MHz can pay serious overclocking dividends, along with providing a wider upgrade path. Higher-end Athlon XP models may seem expensive today, but the MSI K7N2 Delta-L's support for the 400 MHz front-side bus ensures that a potential Athlon XP 3000+ or 3200+ upgrade will be a smooth transition.

The MSI K7N2 Delta-L can handle 200/266/333/400 MHz AMD processors, and features dual-DDR266/333/400 memory support, AGP 8X, ATA133, USB 2.0, 6-channel audio and integrated LAN. MSI has also included a ton of overclocking options on the MSI K7N2 Delta-L, including full FSB selections, DDR memory speed ratios, CPU, DDR and AGP voltage options, and even AGP bus locking. These are options that rival more expensive motherboards, and the MSI K7N2 Delta-L offers a ton of high-end features for those with a slightly lower budget. MSI always provides an excellent combination of low cost and features, and the MSI K7N2 Delta-L is yet another value winner.

Pentium 4 Motherboard: ABIT IS7-E (i865PE)

Current Cost: $87
Months on list: 4
Price Change: -$5

The initial goal of sliding a sub-100, high-performance, dual-channel DDR motherboard into our value guide has translated into a sub-$90 horse that we're planning to ride awhile longer. The Intel 865PE is the perfect option for value buyers, but there are still a limited number that fit both our budget and features requirements. The ABIT IS7-E motherboard is one of those, and really takes a budget-oriented design philosophy to a pretty high-end chipset. Certainly there are no high-end features such as RAID or Firewire, but it is a high-performance board with more than adequate onboard features and options. The IS7-E is often referred to as the "best Intel performance option under $100" (now $90) and we'd agree with that sentiment.

The ABIT IS7-E has all the basic options a value buyer can expect, including dual-channel DDR266/333/400 and support for up to an 800 MHz front-side bus. The motherboard also includes both Parallel and Serial ATA support (no RAID), 8xUSB 2.0 ports, integrated 10/100 LAN, and 6-channel audio. ABIT has also added their famed SoftMenu overclocking BIOS, with CPU frequency options, along with CPU, memory and AGP voltage selections. The ABIT IS7-E is a superb deal for our Value Guide, and its low price really helps us fit a high-performance Intel system into a $1K budget.