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945GC vs. G31 vs. 7050?

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Alpha_One

Member
Joined
Jan 3, 2006
Location
Cavite, Philippines
I need a new board to replace the Socket A one that just died. The RAM is cheap and I've got an old P4 530J lying around. Seeing as any new board will be PCI-E based, I can't use the old MX440, which means this "new" rig needs and will temporarily using onboard video, at least until I can scarf up money for an HD3850 for the main rig.

I've narrowed down to three options:

Option #1: ASRock ConRoe1333-D667 R2.0 (945GC chipset)

Option #2: ECS G31T-M (G31)

Option #3: EMaxx EMX-INF7050-AVL (7050+610i)

The ASRock option was my first choice, until I read the reviews for the only slightly more expensive ECS. Neither board is overclocker friendly (no VCore adjustment), but there is an FSB option, and the ECS apparently overclocks better, not to mention it has a more modern chipset and better integrated graphics. However, the ECS doesn't have Gigabit LAN or 8-channel audio, though neither of which I really care about for this rig.

The Emaxx, well, I don't have much information on, heck their website doesn't even have manuals or their complete lineup for that matter! However, from talking to some people the thing has VCore options and overclocks pretty well. The integrated graphics should be good on this one, no hardcore gaming but better than the Intel GMA's on the 945GC and G31. EMaxx, apparently, comes from some OEM supplier in China and only seems to be available here in Southeast Asia.

That EMaxx board looks really tempting, with the overclocking options and the nice integrated graphics, however I'm worried a lot about the 7050's compatibility and the after-sales service. The ASRock, I know some people who own it, they've overclocked on it using BSEL mods and they're really satisfied. And the ECS, from the reviews they look quite solid and all and ECS isn't bad at all when it comes to non-enthusiast products.

That said, I do want to know, which will perform better overall (i.e. when I slap a 6600 on it), the 945GC board, the G31 board, or the 7050 board?
 
I'd go for the G31 board. It's a newer chipset and will support Penryn based CPUs. From the sounds of it you like holding onto your systems for a while and you'll appreciate holding onto as many pieces as possible.
 
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