[reagles50]

Can anyone tell me which manufacturer makes the best motherboard

[Digerati]

Not really - there are many makers that produce good boards and for the most part, they are all reliable. Common makes include ASUS, Gigabyte, Abit, Foxconn, Intel (for Intel processors only), MSI, BioStar, ECS, and DFI. There are others that are less popular. Probably ASUS and Gigabyte are the most popular with great reputations. And each maker has models in many price ranges - generally the more expensive will have more features and the latest technologies, and hopefully, the best quality components. Construction quality is pretty standard across all price lines - that is, the soldering and assembly is good, even in the budget lines.

[cruzreal]

I personaly like MSI, i have had bad experiences with intel

[Digerati]

I've dealt with several Intel board and never had problems with them - but they tend to be expensive. How many Intel boards have you had problems with? MSI does make many good boards too - just stick to mid to upper level models.

[JBROWN1234]

Many good motherboards are available with a wide range of prices. Decide what you need your computer to do (gaming, media storage, number crunching, etc..) and then search out sites that have user reviews. I like this one... http://www.newegg.com/ Spend a little time and read what pros/ cons are listed to help you decide.James

[spike]

If you're building a new system, get as big a power supply as possible, FIRST, then look at motherboards, like ASUS, and one of my personal favorites, ALBATRON.

[Digerati]

[quote name='spike']If you're building a new system, get as big a power supply as possible, FIRST, then look at motherboards, like ASUS, and one of my personal favorites, ALBATRON.While I agree that considerable effort should be put into the PSU decision, I will not agree to get as big a possible. I would much rather have a 500W Antec than a 600W no-name/off-brand generic. 650W are readily available but even they are overkill for most - even with 2 video cards. Beyond that, the latest processors are way more efficient the those of just a year ago, burning 50 LESS watts then their predecessors, running much cooling, and performing much better . And pressure is in video card makers to do the same. Yes, video cards are more demanding and certainly must be taken into consideration, but considering there are 1KW supplies out there, buying the biggest possible would be way overkill and a waste of money for all but the extreme extremist. Antec has a new PSU calculator here. I recommend using this and base it on what you might have for hardware in the next 3 years (your PSU should support your needs for at least that long). Then add 10% for comfort. And note in the opening paragraph where it talks about amps vs. watts, [quote:f17c5d4bc4]The total PSU Wattage this tool recommends will give a general idea of the range of continuously available power (not peak power) at which you should be looking. But if you are planning to build a high end gaming system, total Amperage available on the 12V railsand how that capacity is distributedcould be as or more important than total Watts of power.[/quote:f17c5d4bc4]

[spike]

[quote name='Digerati']> {quote:title=spike wrote:}{quote}If you're building a new system, get as big a power supply as possible, FIRST, then look at motherboards, like ASUS, and one of my personal favorites, ALBATRON.While I agree that considerable effort should be put into the PSU decision, I will not agree to get as big a possible. I would much rather have a 500W Antec than a 600W no-name/off-brand generic. 650W are readily available but even they are overkill for most - even with 2 video cards. > > > > Beyond that, the latest processors are way more efficient the those of just a year ago, burning 50 LESS watts then their predecessors, running much cooling, and performing much better . And pressure is in video card makers to do the same. Yes, video cards are more demanding and certainly must be taken into consideration, but considering there are 1KW supplies out there, buying the biggest possible would be way overkill and a waste of money for all but the extreme extremist. > > > > Antec has a new PSU calculator here. I recommend using this and base it on what you might have for hardware in the next 3 years (your PSU should support your needs for at least that long). Then add 10% for comfort. And note in the opening paragraph where it talks about amps vs. watts, [quote:bc6390ccac]The total PSU Wattage this tool recommends will give a general idea of the range of continuously available power (not peak power) at which you should be looking. But if you are planning to build a high end gaming system, total Amperage available on the 12V railsand how that capacity is distributedcould be as or more important than total Watts of power.[/quote:bc6390ccac] Depends on the system your building, and I never said go overboard, just get as big as you can. You make a good point about AMPERAGE, as I have several times in these forums, AMPERAGE is just as, if not more important ,than wattage, but since most manufacturers don't rate their power supply's by amperage, generally speaking, the higher the wattage , the greater the amperage, GENERALLY SPEAKING, so do your research, and choose the best you can afford.

[Digerati]

I did not say you said "go overboard". But, you said to buy the biggest you can. What I am saying is that will lead the vast majority of people to buy more than they will ever need, and that is going overboard. "Technically" it does not matter, the power consumed will be what the PC consumes, not what the PSU is rated at. But financially, that will result in money that would be better spend on RAM or better video. Yes, it depends on the system being built, those "extreme" systems will need the monster supplies - but those are the extremes, the exceptions, and not the norm. {color:darkblue}Toms Hardware{color} is a good source for PSU information and reviews.