…and I’m looking for recommendations (my current MBD is starting to act flaky). I’m looking for one that is realiable and not too pricey (~$100) and can handle my processor (3.0GHz P4 Prescott) and memory (PC 3200).
I’d like to find one that has at least one PCI-X slot and onboard ethernet. I’d prefer not to have integrated sound or video.
Can anyone point me in a likely direction ?
I don’t really know about P4 mobos, but I’m going to ask one silly question just to get it out of the way. Is this a “homebuilt” box or a Dell (or some other “mainstream” manufacturer) computer you’re upgrading? If it’s a Dell, you may need to swap out your PSU too (what with them using all kinds of fancy proprietary things and connectors)…
It’s one I put together myself; it’s been ok so far, but little quirks are popping up that make me think I should replace it (plus, I wouldn’t mind a PCI-X video card).
These days, built-in ethernet is pretty much standard. Integrated sound is also pretty standard, but of course you’re always free to use another card. About PCI-X, do note that PCI-X video cards are still pretty expensive.
When I built my own computer, I went down to a local computer store so I could look at the hardware in person. For me, the mobo was pretty much an afterthought. I chose my processor (Pentium 4) and then asked the guy what a good motherboard would be for it. I loved the fact that it has a bunch of integrated features (sound, video and ethernet) and it has plugs for SATA drives (if I need to replace my hard drive, the new one is going to be SATA.) I recommend going out and looking at them in a store that has a decent selection of build-your-own components.