mboard breakdown site?

[Cartoon Corpse]

i have trouble finding info i want on mboards.

an example: http://usa.asus.com/products4.aspx?l1=3&l2=15&l3=0&model=744&modelmenu=1


is there a place which provides info like HOW MANY pci-e slots they have? i frequently find SLI supported or just PCI-E supported. is that a standard number for all boards?

i find dual core and/or single core support (i like).

i find 64bit support (any chance of a 32/64 bit board?)

but im trying to make sure i find a board with dual gcard ability PLUS slot for a ppu.

and no mention of BTX form factor either.

most shopping places just have a cloned 1 line blurb (that's very similar to the others)

 

[wireframe]

I don't get it. That page answers almost every single question you have. At least the global product page did (USA site was temporarily shut down for maintenance). Click on the "Specifications" button on the left-hand menu and it should give you the details. However, the callouts on the main page state X2 support, SLI 2x x16 PEG (which is new). Enlarging the picture of the mainboard should reveal the basic layout and what slots are blocked if you use SLI, for example. Last, but not least, you could download the manual for the mainboard and it will tell you detailed information (not available for the product you linked as this hasn't made it to market yet).

Many socket 939 mainboards support dual-core. I believe the rule is that as long as it supports Venice and San Diego cores, X2s are also supported. However, this is also a BIOS issue, so even a board that could theoretically support X2 may not, or X2 support may be promised at a future date. Asus provides a CPU-Mainboard compatibility search function and I think many others may have such a list as well (see here. Youcan search by CPU or mainboard (and other options))

64bit support? As in PCI-X? Do you mean a mainboard that can support either a Athlon XP or Athlon 64 (or similar for Intel)? There was some crazy board from AOpen, I believe, that could take an Athlon XP or 64 using a special card. Not recommended unless you absolutely need it.

PPUs should take a PCI slot for now and will probably also use PCIe. I think it is still unknown whether any PPU board released within a reasonable timeframe will require a PCIe x4 slot, so I would assume an x1 slot is all that is needed.

BTX is only really available from Intel and in very limited cases. This is not a real standard for home-built computers. It's probably a good standard, but it requires other changes and all the suppliers of "the little parts" were not too keen on this.

Link to Global Product Page for AN32-SLI Deluce

PS. The mainboard in question has
2x x16 PCIe (PEG) slots for SLI
1x x4 PCIe (can also be used for PCIe x1)
3x PCI v2.2 slots (note that all cannot be used in SLI mode, but this may depend on physical restrictions like dual-slot cooling. This one looks like it will lose ALL PCI capability with dual-slot cooling SLI cards. The lower PEG slot will take out the adjacent PCI and the two PCI slots in between may not be able to accommodate the SLI bridge. Low profile should work, but I haven't read the manual if there are some other restrictions.)

EDIT:

There is one important consideration about this mainboard in regards to BTX. Many enclosures advertised as BTX compatible mount their mainboards on the opposite side and "upside down". This mainboard uses a heat pipe to cool the chipset and this will not work if the board is mounted in this fashion. The CPU socket must be at the top of the case as mounted. I'm sure you see the problem if this is not done.

 

[Cartoon Corpse]

thanks for the input. i went to asus (last) guess i didn't dig enough. i just clicked on english/products deluxe board. and didn't see much more detail than i found at, say, ibuypower.com

guess i was a little exhausted, confused, frustrated at the time, not being an EE type.

 

[Guden Oden]

Good luck in your hunting, CC.

*Homer* Mmmmm... Motherboards... */Homer*


PS: BTX boards are notoriously difficult to find, but you shouldn't actually BUY one unless you also have a BTX PC case, as the layout is completely different compared to ATX.

 

[Cartoon Corpse]

thanks guden. it's (sort of) fun, definately educational.

but the whole experience (good/bad) hinges on my ability to not build myself a dinosaur. i'd like great performance, without slamming the door on at least an upgrade path for the next couple years to keep up.

my last pc, i mistakenly bought bargain (very end of product lifespan) naively. though i did good with gcard, monitor, my mboard/p4 1.4G/rdram was obsolete in about a week (i think i remember reading 2G procs released the next week and requiring new mboard!), with nowhere to go with it. im hoping to avoid that this time around.

while at the same time, not falling into any other 'pits'. like my components are compatible just don't work well together for quality or mysterious reasons.