The Unofficial List of Good mATX Motherboards (Overclocking and Not)

xXParrotXx said:
Anyone know if you can use integrated and non-integrated video at the same time on these newer boards? I'd like to have the option of a second video out.
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9 times out of 10 any video card inserted into a vid card slot short of a plain old PCI card will disable the onboard video. I would bet money that what you want to do won't work. If you do really want dual video, almost every video card on the market right now supports dual view with a DVI to VGA adapter.

Hope this helps.
 
benutne said:
9 times out of 10 any video card inserted into a vid card slot short of a plain old PCI card will disable the onboard video. I would bet money that what you want to do won't work. If you do really want dual video, almost every video card on the market right now supports dual view with a DVI to VGA adapter.

Hope this helps.
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Actually, that was one of the selling points of the Radeon Xpress boards - the ability to use both sources for multi-monitor support! Here was an editorial from PC Perspective:
ATI is also going to enable another feature for users that utilize both a discrete PCIe graphics card and an integrated graphics solution on an XPRESS 200 motherboard. The ability to easily have multiple monitors from two different graphics sources enables the user to get affordable multi-monitor support. Because the ATI on-board video supports both a VGA and a DVO output on the board, you could easily use four monitors when using an additional PCIe card with dual monitor support.
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http://www.pcper.com/article.php?aid=88&type=expert

Problem is, ATi's multi-monitor driver support has typically been crappy. I know I tried for a good few hours trying to get a DirectX game running on two LCDs when I was in the process of selling one, but no dice. Video also would only playback on one monitor at a time.

In any case, onboard sucks, so the only real use would be a triple-headed, desktop setup.
 
Mihai Lacatus said:
Anyone tried this MSI MB : http://www.msi.com.tw/program/products/mainboard/mbd/pro_mbd_detail.php?UID=693 ?
Does it have oc'ing potential ?
Thanks!
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Thats the new MSI Xpress200 board. Its supposed to be an improvement on the RS480M2 and it has overclocking features in its BIOS, but we need a guinea pig to test it...

EDIT: Updated the list. Added new gigabyt eand ASUS mobos aswell as the above MSI board. Added the options for the GB board but need people with the ASUS to LMK whats in it.
 
Hm, I read the whole thread but except to one mighty mainboard from EVGA there was no information about Micro ATX Boards with NForce 4 SLI Chipset. I checked the HP from EVGA but found out that the board is ATX-form and not Micro-ATX.

Does anyone know of a Micro ATX Board with NForce 4 SLI Chipset? Or if such a board is planned for the future by some of the manufacturers?

Thanks a lot...

(I see no reason why small form factor computers should not have the same power as old fashioned towers ;-))
 
VoBoy said:
Any mobo for socket 939 that is mATX and still supports AGP?
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Yes and no. FIC makes one with the nforce 3 chipset....but its not available in the US at all- and never will be. It may nt even be available overseas anymore either...
 
something intresting in Socket 478
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16813157075
got one of these for a osx86 project, poped in the bios and found fsb and dram timing
adjustments aswell as a pci lock :eek: . once i get an os on it il start jacking the fsb and see what it will do.

same board in Socket T (LGA 775)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16813157073

update: had it up to 215 fsb(2,8c) no problemand was also able to play with ram timings
(couldnot confirm in os) had it up to 217(what my mem is rated for) but ran into stability
issues when safari crashed in the middle of a download.
Its definately a budget board with only 1 ide and 4 non hotplugable sata sockets
bit it works for me and the modest oc was a bonus
 
Look good for people with 478 CPU's lyin around. IF you are going LGA775 it would be better to just get a good OCing board like the AOpen.
 
My Asus A8N-VM CSM just came yesterday. The manual did say FSB only from 200 to 240. No mention about multiplier. I will post some more detail and maybe pictures after I finish the assembly. My Opteron 165 hasn't arrived yet.

OC 1800 to 2160 is good enough for my system I guess. I'm using Silverstonetek.com's LC11M with only 300W and the horror of card riser. The only motherboard with nforce chip with the right layout if I want to use PCI cards, is this motherboard. The only problem is I can't find any supplier that has the TV-out module. For Australia at least...
 
Oh I can confirm for the list in the first post that the plain
Biostar Geforce 6100-M7
Biostar Geforce 6100-M9
have ALL voltage/bus options EXCEPT multiplier control
vdimm 2.6/2.7/2.8/2.9
(the tforce is listed but not the regular gforce)

At $55 for the 754pin you can't beat it for an older CPU.
 
xXParrotXx said:
Anyone know if you can use integrated and non-integrated video at the same time on these newer boards? I'd like to have the option of a second video out.
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As the other guy said, best bet is to use the second display port on the video card - almost all modern cards above bargain basement can do dual displays.

In most cases if a board has integrated graphics and a dedicated AGP or PCIe 16X slot for video, any graphics card inserted into these would automagically disable the onboard video. There are two exceptions. I've heard that the ATI IGP chipsets can handle running with a dedicated PCIe card, plus of course regular PCI cards can always be doubled up with anything else.
 
i think it topped out at 240 fsb. not sure if that was definitive and forgot what the thread was though, so dont take my word on it.
 
VCORE: 1.59 (VID above 1.45v does not increase vcore, but Vcore Voltage Select increases it beyond that)
VDIMM: 2.85
FSB: 300fsb
Multi/HT control/dividers/timings

-digit-life says it uses cheap caps from OST
-t-break said the best they could get the board up to was 220fsb. However, it sounded like they probably did not know what they were doing and were using onboard video.
-overclockersonline thoroughly tested it up to 275fsb, 12 hours prime stable!

Looks like it may be the best clocking board with the 6150 chipset and #2 939 board for overclocking.

Edit: My own experience says the same thing. 275fsb was the max it would consistently cold boot at. 2 Biostar boards did 315fsb via Windows.
 
A few people have done ~300fsb on the Biostar - stable with the beta bios (others... not so good). Plus it has the 3.3v mem jumper to run at the speed of your 3.3v rail (apparently not-adjustable). That alone is one exciting feature that most people don't even mention! Also, supposedly uses higher quality caps.
 
the biostar's kind of iffy though. some ppl get great results, some ppl get crap, so im not sure. if you're lucky, the biostar would b better. but you're missing out on the added features of the 430 southbridge :(
 
I went over the Biostar thread again and the results look even better with mr-busta's bios. One guy even reported running 353fsb stable! Insanity! Firelord is the only one who looks like he is still having problems and he is doing at least 270fsb. Not sure he remembered to adjust the HT multi either.

Anyway, you can see for yourself:
http://www.hardforum.com/showthread.php?t=963584&page=1&pp=20

Since basically no one owns the Foxconn and there is only one knowledgeable reviewer who only hit the low end of the Biostar clocks, Biostar looks like the winner.

Foxconn may have the 430 southbridge, but it does only offer 5.1 channel sound, VGA onboard and average TV-out (average to the RX boards). Not sure what other featuers it has, but none of that concerns me anyway.
 
Im seconds away from placing my newegg order. Its going to be an aqua-computer cooled qPACK. But im not sure of the BIOSTAR - the name kills me. My PDP TCCD and venice are good for 320fsb so i need a mobo that can do 290-300
 
I just had a friend order the new Asus from Newegg, for a non-OC build. While I'm assembling it for him, I may try to bump it a little, but won't be able to keep it there or bench it or anything...

...Any settings or options that need to be confirmed on it?
 
Dillusion said:
Thats the new MSI Xpress200 board. Its supposed to be an improvement on the RS480M2 and it has overclocking features in its BIOS, but we need a guinea pig to test it...

EDIT: Updated the list. Added new gigabyt eand ASUS mobos aswell as the above MSI board. Added the options for the GB board but need people with the ASUS to LMK whats in it.
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I got the MSI RS482M4-ILD today. Woulda had it Friday but UPS doesn't leave stuff at your door or the neighbors.
 
Steeeeve said:
I got the MSI RS482M4-ILD today. Woulda had it Friday but UPS doesn't leave stuff at your door or the neighbors.
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sweet, let us know what it does.
 
Dillusion said:
sweet, let us know what it does.
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its working ok right now. I had a few minor problems because I use water cooling..it wanted something plugged into the CPU fan area. Also, my PSU bummed out (a seasonic too) so I haven't done much so far.
 
Look at me fly. Well the Tforce 410 has most of the stuff the 430chipset has. Raid 0/1, 0,1, Raid 5 and another I'm not sure about. Nobody uses gigbite lan. I don't know what else you would want. I beleave the 430 has HD sound. The Geforce 6150 has HD video. You can't tell the diff eather unless you have some great speakers sound is sound. Nice and all if you don't plan on buying a video card. Fixes that prob on the 6100. And a cheap sound card with HD sound. No prob for me. Plunty of room for a firewire port too. I don't see how anybody will need more then 4 slots. Great board and OCs at 350fsb great. Just matters about the limits of your processor.

The caps are better they are made by http://www.chemi-con.com/index.php Electro aluminum caps. Same caps DFI uses in there boards. I use the 3.2v jumper. Bios update is great. This runs pure video as well. Just as good as a Geforce 6200. OCed it can look no worse then a Geforce6600 so make sure you get a video card at Geforce6800 and up. Won't do you any good with anything less. I can run doom 3 on onboard video yes. On medium and high but on low res. Your not going to beable to tell much of a diff from the 6100 and 6150 trust me and to use the HD video you'll need software to support it and a HD video out. The Tforce supports the activearmor firewall as well said on Nvideas website. Good luck finding a download site for the firewall. Its useless anyways. Just use a better firewall. The Tforce is the best. But I can't wait for a Biostar Tforce6150 939 I'll buy one when I go 939 in 6 months from now.

It is not biostars fault some ppl get great results others don't it just matters about the skill level of the OCer useing the board or the limitations of the CPU. Vinces limit at 300fsb no matter what. Don't get a vince if you want to go over 300fsb get a clawhammer core. My sempron sucks. I hit a cpu limit cus the dies suck on it. >_> The board goes upto 450fsb and memory upto 250fsb default. All the memory timmings you'll ever want, CPU volts upto 1.8v and down to 0.1v adjustible for overclockers and underclockers. Memory from 2.5v to 3.2v. This board is great. Last time I checked Biostar was better then foxcon by alot. Is foxcon even a brand name like biostar is?
 
Serge84 said:
Last time I checked Biostar was better then foxcon by alot. Is foxcon even a brand name like biostar is?
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Well, not in the way most of us expect. Foxconn makes almost all of Dell's mobos, which makes them one of the largest OEM manufacturers in the world. They broke into the semi-enthusiast market with a really great nF4 Ultra mobo. Thier quality is pretty high, and I'd probably buy the Foxconn over the Biostar anyday.
 
M4rk said:
Well, not in the way most of us expect. Foxconn makes almost all of Dell's mobos, which makes them one of the largest OEM manufacturers in the world. They broke into the semi-enthusiast market with a really great nF4 Ultra mobo. Thier quality is pretty high, and I'd probably buy the Foxconn over the Biostar anyday.
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The options on Foxconn mothboard in the BIOS is just like my Epox ATX board with enough settings to overclock it a bit especially in the voltage settings area. The only feature missing that i would like in the BIOS is disabling the onboard video. I've contacted them giving them that suggestion and they replied back and said they will foward it to their R&D team, thats pretty cool :eek: . I've got the board moderately overclocked and using the BIOS temperature/fan monitor to keep things cool/quiet which is a nice touch :). Foxconn is a popular brand in asia by the way. Another thing they can work on some more is the temp/voltage/fan monitoring utility, it works but not too pretty.
 
The options on Foxconn mothboard in the BIOS is just like my Epox ATX board with enough settings to overclock it a bit especially in the voltage settings area. The only feature missing that i would like in the BIOS is disabling the onboard video. I've contacted them giving them that suggestion and they replied back and said they will foward it to their R&D team, thats pretty cool . I've got the board moderately overclocked and using the BIOS temperature/fan monitor to keep things cool/quiet which is a nice touch . Foxconn is a popular brand in asia by the way. Another thing they can work on some more is the temp/voltage/fan monitoring utility, it works but not too pretty.
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I have my Advanced Chipset > Frame Buffer Size and set to Disabled. I think it disables the onboard video. Anyway the onboard video should automatically disabled if you put in a graphics card. I agree about the monitoring utillity though. Temp monitoring is included in the stepping program, SuperStep, and no where else. Nvidia monitor doesnt read the cpu's temperature, but maybe its just my motherboard.

Before bios update, I can only get my Foxconn 6150 to 275FSB. After the update, I can get my Opteron 144 to 9x285 with 4hr prime. If I set it higher than 286, prime95 would throw a rounding error immediately. Lowered my memory and increased the vcore, and I still get the same error.
 
Does anyone know what the optimal operating temperature for the chipset? I'm at 230HTT which isn't too much. I put a probe on the heatsink and it is reading 52C underload. I've only applied AS5 on the heatsink the board came with. I want to know if additional cooling is needed or is it within the operating range? I noticed ASUS 6150 mATX board doesn't even have a heatsink on it. I would put a better heatsink on it, but my Arctic Silencer 5 is in the way. Unless there is a better "low profile" heatsink out there?

I thought disabling frame buffer size prevent video card from accessing the memory, but the video card is still on but idle? I'm not sure, but just a guestimate. It didn't ask for drivers after i put in video card for PCI 16x slot. I assume it is off.


Thx
 
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