Howdy, Stranger!
It looks like you're new here. If you want to get involved, click one of these buttons!
Quick Links
Choosing a motherboard
What do you guys look for when choosing a motherboard? I'm trying to build my first gaming pc but have only had experiences with premade computers. I know how to do the basics like installing OS, memory, powersupply, GFX Card, HD, etc. because i've done that on my premade computer before but I've never actually shopped for a Motherboard and i've been on some sites comparing motherboards and i'm completely lost over what to look for in a motherboard and what makes it a good/bad motherboard.
Some help would be nice. 
Comments
avoid nVidias 7xxx chipset like the plague? Unless you plan on going SLI, which doesnt equate for anything in resolutions below a 24" monitor. Go with intel chipsets and save yourself some buyers remorse.
"If you want a picture of the future, imagine a robot foot stomping on a human face -- forever."
I'm a Mobo noob so this all sounds like gibberish to me..
So Intel = ATI/Crossfire? I was planning to go with a ATI HD4870. Does crossfiring two of them really make such a huge difference? I'm fine as long as I can play the latest mmos with 60+ FPS.
if you want affordable and dependable, go with a p45 chipset. If you're familiar with newegg, just search for the P45's. And yes, intel boards support crossfire. However, you can run an nVidia graphics board on it just not in SLI.
Check this link for a list
The Asus is a great board, any of them. If you're looking for a complete build with a CPU and PSU, check for combo deals. Theyre located on the motherboard page that you select from the list. Look on the lower left side right under the products image and find the "combo deals" section. You'll see a hotlink that says "view all". You'll find combos with CPUS, PSUs, video boards, ram etc.
"If you want a picture of the future, imagine a robot foot stomping on a human face -- forever."
The flavour of the month is Intel quad core. If youve got a lot of money get some variation of the P45 with DDR3. Once you see the cost of 4gb (2x2gb) DDR3 then you'll understand why
If you're not on a budget then get a P43 mobo with 4gb DDR2 (2x2gb). Its absolutely essential that you get a matching pair of ram chips (preferably in a pre-set kit).
AVOID GIGABYTE. I cannot stress this enough.
I dont know enough about AMD to recommend an AMD setup.
Oh just a quick checklist for you:
PCI-E 2.0 x16
for a DDR2 setup get DDR2-6400 dual channel
for DDR3 get 1300mhz and the same speed of ram.
You need to make sure that your mobo supports the chip you want to buy & the ram you want to buy, a $100 motherboard might not support an Intel Q9xxx series
SATA2 with an inbuilt raid controller
--
Note: PlayNC will refuse to allow you access to your account if you forget your password and can't provide a scanned image of the product key for the first product you purchased..... LOL
If its gaming you want to use a Intel Core 2 Duo with atleast a 1600 mhz FSB. Something like a P45 or P43 should work well.
I've have AMD on my main box and a P4 on my second, so I've done both setups, though I personally prefer AMD right now. IMO, you should choose what CPU you want, especially since that's where you'll be spending your money- that and the video card, and then you can narrow down the choices of mobos to choose from.
Everyone keeps talking about the P-series, but what is the difference between the P45 and the X48 series of motherboards.
since the P45 has evolved a bit, theres not much difference at all between the x48 and p45. I may be mistaken, but I believe the only seperation is that the P45 when in crossfire only operates at 8x. Single boards operate at 16x. The x48 operates at 16x in crossfire and single card. (note: be sure to check the P45 youre looking at is a dual PCI-e 2.0 and not single)
you can find P45s that use DDR2 or DDR3. Same with the X48. I think its just how it handles crossfire. Theres a pretty significant price difference as well. Id say if you have no intentions of going crossfire, then just stick with the P45. But even still, the P45 will do crossfire without any problems as well if its a dual PCI-e motherboard
"If you want a picture of the future, imagine a robot foot stomping on a human face -- forever."
How much will using 8x instead of 16x impact the performance of the gfx cards? crossfire or not.
None whatsoever, graphics cards barely use half of the bandwidth of the full x16 anyway. PCIE 1.0 is still to far ahead of the video card market and motherboards. 2.0 is a gimmick to provide something new so users will buy, people always thing bigger or new is always better. In this case we would need these video card manufacturers to make cards capable of using all that bandwidth. Also motherboards are not advanced enough yet either.
So no real noticable change from 8x to 16x, benchmarks prove this. I seen the same for both 8 and 16 and some gains with 16 on better then average hardware, aka expensive shit.
Who let you in the VIP section?