I'm getting $5,000 so I'm planning on finally getting a new computer. It will be a great change over my crappy 400mhz p2 that I've had for years. Would this mobo make a good base for a gaming computer or is it mainly based towards being a server?
http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=1022162&CatId=177

You should order parts from my brother, he can get you pieces from a huge supplier for good prices. Also, all the prices are Canadian.

That motherboard is extremely excessive...(if you're planning to use it as a desktop)
And a year or two down the line, you'll just be stuck with an extremely overpriced heater....

I would recommend spending 1/4th the budget you have right now on computer, at most.....

Save the rest for the next time you need to buy a new PC.

A tip i read in a computer magazine is dont buy a computer that is less than around 1/2 of the fastest you can get, so get something over 2GHZ if you can.

After using MSI boards in my previous comps, im not too impressed. I just build 2 monster gaming comps earlier this month. One running Intel and one using AMD. Anyways, I chose ASUS for my mobo and I am very impressed. Heres what I used.

ASUSŪ P5AD2 Premium - Intel 925X Motherboard (Pentium)

ASUSŪ A8V Deluxe - VIA K8T800 Pro Motherboard (AMD)

I'd recommend picking up an ASUS board, but like Lenny posted, I wouldnt spend all 4K on the comp right now (unless you are really set on making a monster comp)

Anyways, thats my recommendation.

The problem is is that new technology is out every few weeks. Get a motherboard that can take higher than the processor you get. For example im getting an AMD 2800+ XP processor with a motherboard that can handle 3200+.

whats the deal with ddr2, I know kingston started making it, but does anyone really support it? I have not seen anyone supporting it yet.

What kind of video card you plan on running?

My strategy is just get hardware that is not quite the best and greatest for a particular time, but still quite good and near the top, and it will still be good for quite some time. I am using a ti4200 right now, and its still hangen in there. It is about time for a new video card. My processor is not the best but its doing the job, 2.6ghz p4 w/ 800mhz fsb and ht, northwood.

But I aggree with meh. I got this motherboard a little before prescott hit the scene, and it supports prescott. I do not use prescott, but if I wanted it I could always get it.

It all depends on your budget. Dont blow 5K on it though. Waste of time. Next upgrade should be first quater next year maybe. Though the only peace of new hardware I put in my PC in over a year was a video card so I could playe Spilter Cell PT

[quote author=muert0 link=board=2;threadid=8508;start=0#msg78521 date=1094018001]
Would this mobo make a good base for a gaming computer or is it mainly based towards being a server?
[/quote]

Well, the card's title is: "An Excellent ATX [u]Server[/u] System Infrastructure From MSI"
With that said, I suggest something different. I usually use: www.NewEgg.com for my computer parts.

I suggest http://ebuyer.com . I use it. British and American company.

Last summer I got a 2.4ghz/80gig/512DDR/Radeon9700, and so far the only thing I've noticed I *should* upgrade is my ram. If you're playing any sort of new game, get atleast 1gig.

If doom runs fine on my 384MB the only upgrade would be to 512mb.

Alright.. if you have $5g and you want a damn gaming machine, get:

Graphics: ATI's Radeon X800 XT Platinum Edition
RAM: 1gig
Hard drive: 200gig Maxor, or something like that
Sound card: something that gives good sound if you care about that
Obviously a cd reader. Get a cd/dvd reader/burner combo, theyve gotten cheap
motherboard: well, youll have to do some looking around.. ive done some looking myself, and after about 6 months, i still havent found one that i like.. :-\ :'( :'( :'( :'( :'(

[Edit] Damn, and my main point for this reply was the processor, and i forgot it.. lol

Definately go with an AMD 3.0++ if you really have the money, 3.6 would be the ticket

[quote author=Antichrist link=board=2;threadid=8508;start=0#msg78601 date=1094076849]
RAM: 1gign
[/quote]

Dual channel DDR. I got two sticks of Corsair, and it seems pretty sexy.

[quote author=Antichrist link=board=2;threadid=8508;start=0#msg78601 date=1094076849]
Hard drive: 200gig Maxor, or something like that
[/quote]

200 gigs seems like a little over-kill, doesn't it?

[quote author=Antichrist link=board=2;threadid=8508;start=0#msg78601 date=1094076849]
Sound card: something that gives good sound if you care
about that
[/quote]

Soundblaster 5.1 Live! It's not too expensive, and seems to work nice.

[quote author=Antichrist link=board=2;threadid=8508;start=0#msg78601 date=1094076849]
motherboard: well, youll have to do some looking around.. ive done some looking myself, and after about 6 months, i still havent found one that i like.. :-\ :'( :'( :'( :'( :'(
[/quote]

I recommend an ASUS board and an AMD CPU.

Ewwwwwwwwwwww don't get an SB live. Get at least an Audigy or an Audigy II.

SB Live is cheap buggy crap.

[quote author=Eli_1 link=board=2;threadid=8508;start=0#msg78602 date=1094077288]
200 gigs seems like a little over-kill, doesn't it?
[/quote]
640k should be enough for anyone!

I found a couple of dual xeon boards I like for around 200-250. And I can get 2 xeon 3.06 with h/t for around $650. Getting 2 120gig 7200-10000 rpm HDDs. And probably 2 gigs of ram. And the x800.
I'm really getting $10,000 and 5k was the most I was spending on a computer. But I definently wont go that high.

[quote author=Antichrist link=board=2;threadid=8508;start=0#msg78586 date=1094074949]
[quote author=muert0 link=board=2;threadid=8508;start=0#msg78521 date=1094018001]
Would this mobo make a good base for a gaming computer or is it mainly based towards being a server?
[/quote]

Well, the card's title is: "An Excellent ATX [u]Server[/u] System Infrastructure From MSI"
With that said, I suggest something different. I usually use: www.NewEgg.com for my computer parts.
[/quote] newegg is the shit! I have rmaed a doa hard drive, a motherboard that kicked the dust long after i bought it, ram that was not compadible with the new motherboard thet sent me, they are great with customer care. I love em, I still shop around, but if newegg is complerable in price I always buy newegg.

PS: I have 320gb, and I useing it.... get plenty of space.

AMD-based server? Wouldn't an Intel-based server be far better?

[quote author=Sargera link=board=2;threadid=8508;start=15#msg78673 date=1094096740]
AMD-based server? Wouldn't an Intel-based server be far better?
[/quote] No, it doesnt really matter. Xeon is sexy, opteron is sexy, both make a sexy server. I do not like the itanium2 procs because they are not really even x86 and they are a pain in the butt to work with from what I have read and seen. But it really does not matter if you use amd or intel, they can both get the job done.

[quote author=Hitmen link=board=2;threadid=8508;start=15#msg78609 date=1094082073]
[quote author=Eli_1 link=board=2;threadid=8508;start=0#msg78602 date=1094077288]
200 gigs seems like a little over-kill, doesn't it?
[/quote]
640k should be enough for anyone!
[/quote]
Didnt Bill Gates say that?

I think so, but that was back in the day.

[quote author=Eli_1 link=board=2;threadid=8508;start=0#msg78602 date=1094077288]
[quote author=Antichrist link=board=2;threadid=8508;start=0#msg78601 date=1094076849]
RAM: 1gign
[/quote]

Dual channel DDR. I got two sticks of Corsair, and it seems pretty sexy.

[quote author=Antichrist link=board=2;threadid=8508;start=0#msg78601 date=1094076849]
Hard drive: 200gig Maxor, or something like that
[/quote]

200 gigs seems like a little over-kill, doesn't it?

[quote author=Antichrist link=board=2;threadid=8508;start=0#msg78601 date=1094076849]
Sound card: something that gives good sound if you care
about that
[/quote]

Soundblaster 5.1 Live! It's not too expensive, and seems to work nice.

[quote author=Antichrist link=board=2;threadid=8508;start=0#msg78601 date=1094076849]
motherboard: well, youll have to do some looking around.. ive done some looking myself, and after about 6 months, i still havent found one that i like.. :-\ :'( :'( :'( :'( :'(
[/quote]

I recommend an ASUS board and an AMD CPU.
[/quote]

200GB is pretty inexpensive now. I saw 160GB for $70 in a Fry's ad the other day. As for a sound card, I'd get an Audigy 2 Platinum. For the mobo, I recommend the Asus A7N8X-E Deluxe with an AMD XP 3200+.

Yeah it looks like a good choice. If I decided to go intel what mobo would you suggest?

I got a 200gb serial ata for 125 bucks, its seagate. 200 is a drop in the bucket now.

[quote author=muert0 link=board=2;threadid=8508;start=15#msg78866 date=1094203639]
Yeah it looks like a good choice. If I decided to go intel what mobo would you suggest?
[/quote] I am a big fan of msi boards.
http://www.msicomputer.com/product/p_spec.asp?model=875p_Neo-FISR&class=mb
Thats a good board, but its not pci express. Mine is a little older then that, I am on this one: http://www.msicomputer.com/product/p_spec.asp?model=848p_neo-v&class=mb but I think the 848 chipset is decent too. The board I have is selling for under a hundred bucks now, but no pci express, no dual channel, no ddr2 of course.

What are you looking for, dual channel and pci exprecc? You want it to support northwood or prescott? Or do you want it to run xeon, or what?

I kind of like this one.
http://www.msicomputer.com/product/p_spec.asp?model=915P_Neo2_Platinum&class=mb
And I found it for a pretty good price.

Its is pretty nice, no northwood support though. But I guess that is okay, prescott is a pretty decent core now. You going to get one with ht? Does anyone know if all prescotts with an 800mhz fsb have ht? Because that is what they are doing with northwood now, and the motherboard you listed, muerto, only supports 800mhz.