Any great mATX for C2D?

[hot_fifty]

Hey I want a server / Lan rig in a mATX case, but my problem is that i need a kind of a great MB. I´ve looked at asrock ConRoe945G-DVI, but the features of FSB and vdimm etc. is very limited. Maybe the Gigabyte GA-945GM-DS2 is the best choice? Any nice oc features on that Gigabyte MB?

I will have to put my Crucial Ballistix PC5300 in the rig, so about 2-2,1 is nearly minimum voltage for the mems to run well.

i want the best mATX MB for C2D for the moment..

Any sugesstions?

Thx

[nn_step]

you will not get any better than 350 FSB with even the best mATX mobo for Conroe

[hot_fifty]

350FSB is okay... 333FSB is my goal, about 3Ghz on E6600. I just need a little oc, because the cpu cooler will run very slow

[hot_fifty]

which MB can make those high FSBs on mATX..

Maybe some Asus? A bit confused right now

[nn_step]

then I suggest the Biostar P4M890-M7

[pvhk]

The best mATX chipset for the moment is the "old" 945G!
Indeed, it can handle 333-350 fsb with a bump of the pcie@112-120.
Asusboards are the only one that can do this!

Even the new 965g is below, this chipset hit a wall around fsb 320 (pcie@120).

[Lestat]

you'll be lucky to hit 350, don't assume a few lucky people is indicative of the norm. for this board.

if you want to get it, its probably going to be 50 bucks well spent.
but don't say i didn't warn you.

the flaky clocking (not everyone is able to hit 330 or higher), isn't the only issue with this board.

but sadly there are no other alternatives that are any better, in fact they are just as bad or more so worse.

i suppose i would spend the 50 bucks and if i hit 300mhz i could honestly say i got my 50 bucks worth.

what i would be worried about is getting ram that can work with its limited voltages.
i dont recall what was the max vdimm?

[Lestat]

the abit IP95 has actually had some really good success overclocking.
maybe look into that one, its only 60 bucks.
i am gunna think a bit more about getting it.

[hot_fifty]

kk I´ll check that MB out. Any people who knows anything about Gigabytes DS2?

[hot_fifty]

The best mATX chipset for the moment is the "old" 945G!
Indeed, it can handle 333-350 fsb with a bump of the pcie@112-120.
Asusboards are the only one that can do this!

Even the new 965g is below, this chipset hit a wall around fsb 320 (pcie@120).

Which asus can do that? Linky

No oc on Gigabyte S2 945G chipset http://www.pcstats.com/ArtVNL.cfm?articleid=2011&page=5 disapointing

[hot_fifty]

this abit seems very good. I´ll buy this one http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showpr...-120-AB&tool=3

[Lestat]

Which asus can do that? Linky

No oc on Gigabyte S2 945G chipset http://www.pcstats.com/ArtVNL.cfm?articleid=2011&page=5 disapointing

there is no asus that can do that, infact there are maybe 1 or two boards that can actually go over 300 with any type of stability.

[Omastar]

I'd go for the abit IP-95, personally.

[hot_fifty]

there is no asus that can do that, infact there are maybe 1 or two boards that can actually go over 300 with any type of stability.

Not true. I have seen ASUS P5LD2-VM SE be running 333FSB stable, but with raised PCI-E Freq Bus.

Hmm it is hard to find the best I see. The biostar seems good but has only 2 x DDR2. The Abit, which is the greatest oc, has not sata2 support and only 2 x sata.. hmm

[hot_fifty]

i got the ASUS P5LD2-VM DH. Seems great

[pvhk]

you'll be lucky to hit 350, don't assume a few lucky people is indicative of the norm. for this board.

if you want to get it, its probably going to be 50 bucks well spent.
but don't say i didn't warn you.

the flaky clocking (not everyone is able to hit 330 or higher), isn't the only issue with this board.

I own 2 matx asus boards!
P5LD2 VM SE & P5LD2 VM DH(rev2.0)
Both can handle 350 FSB without hiccup pcie@120 (no sata nore onboard sound/NIC issues)

These 2 boards only need pcie@112 to reach fsb 333...

[hot_fifty]

is the 2 MBs the same at oc?

[pvhk]

while P5LD2VM DH has more bios tweak (vMCH, vDIMM), YES!
Both MB have the same overclocking capabilities!

[hot_fifty]

kk. But I dont need raid so the non-DH would benefit, right?

[pvhk]

the P5LD2 VM rev2.0 has the same chipset & performs as well
(I know someone who runs this MB fsb@353)

[hot_fifty]

but does it have RAID. I guess no

[pvhk]

Yes it has raid but no Vii technology

[hot_fifty]

nice I´ll go for VM non DH then.. Thanks m8

[hot_fifty]

the P5LD2VM SE oces well too, right?

[Lestat]

120mhz pci-e is just asking to hurt something.
you rarely ever see even the highest clockers use that high of a pci-e.

and you running 350mhz is not normal, any type of research into those two baords will show you exactly that.

these boards are hit and miss, like i said dont think a few peoples stellar results are indicative of the norm for these boards.

and considering the price of those two boards. (or what i saw them at last) it would be nutty to pay that much when you can get a much better atx board for the same price. i know your going for matx but be very mindful of the boards and do your research, please, dont just sit here with 1 guy saying he cna hit 350mhz at a very dangerous pci-e freq. look around the other forums you will see tons of people saying the sound dies and the NIC dies at 300 and above, oh and the sata dies also.
higher pci-e usually takes care of some of that as he said but 120mhz pci-e is just way too high.
you'll also want to be watching that SB temp as thats whats being overclocked when you raise the pci-e bus that high, not the NB, the SB.

its up to you all i am doing is speaking from my own research as i have been watching these boards and none of them with the exception of a few have done anything spectacular.
Abit has a new board coming out, and DFI has theirs in their Roadmap, but neither board is anywhere to be found, so, think hard and do the research.