[aclug-L] Chipsets & Motherboards

["Greg House" <ghouse@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Brian writes:

>My secondary computer's motherboard has recently killed over. so now i'm
>in need of a quick'n'cheap upgrade/replacement. I was looking at
>www.cpumicromart.com and they are selling an Amptron 9100
>(www.amptron.com/html/pm9100.html) for about $55. It seems like it'll do
>the job. It uses the TX3 chipset and I haven't been keeping up with the
>recent chipsets, does linux support the TX3 alright? (Is there a linux FAQ
>on chipsets anywhere?)

Ah, another bargain motherboard shopper!

I don't think Linux can even detect the motherboard chipset, it's below the
level it "sees".  The only problem you'd have is whatever inherent
instability it may offer.

Speaking of that, the chipset Amptron is using is (to my understanding) an
offshore reengineering of the Intel TX chipset.  It's not a TX, it's a
TX-Pro or a TX3 or whatever.  Personally, I don't trust those weird
motherboard chipsets.  I'd stick with something from one of the big makers,
Intel, SiS, VIA.  These all make good stable boards (although I think I read
something about instability with the FIC boards, which use one of those (Via
Apollo, I think).

I've been shopping around and have found better deals then what you listed.
Check the blowout section at Aberdeen (http://www.aberdeen.com).  When I
checked last week, they still had a nice Gigabyte HX chipset motherboard for
$35.  Be aware, however, that they may not have what they have listed on
their web page, so don't count on it until it actually shows up.  I ordered
a motherboard from their blowout page about 3 weeks ago, only to get a
message back after 4 days sayinig they were out of the one I'd ordered.  In
the mean time I'd ordered CPUs for that board from another vendor and they'd
already arrived.  So I was stuck with CPUs that I really only wanted to use
on THAT BOARD or have to pay a restocking fee at the other place.  That's
what I get for being in a hurry.

Anyway, there are a lot of places with nice stable old HX chipset Socket 7
boards for under $50.  And I've seen a lot of nice TX boards in the $50-70
range.  I've had a Shuttle HOT-569 (TX)  in my main home PC for a little
over a year now and it's been very stable, fast, and reliable.  I have
nothing but good things to say about this board.  You can find them all over
the place now for about $65-70.

Happy shopping,
Greg

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