think i've decided to buy... finally..

as far as what i've seen here... elsewhere...
what i've read, and thought out carefully...
i have these conclusions:

the KT133A chipset seems like the only way to go.

only certain makes deserve consideration.. Abit, Asus, Epox, IWill, Gigabyte
however, iWill is not available locally.

seeing as i have a Duron700.. i only require 200Mhz FSB
why should i be happy with that, when i can get 266 for later upgrades or possibly even getting better results now w/ O/C'ing this Duron.
< seems logical anyway>

i have now a 30gig 7200 HDD... it's ATA100
i certainly require that to be supported.

DDR isn't liked much. i have $$$ invested in SDRAM, i'm stickin' with it.

Raid is an option tho, i won't be using it...
right now anyway.

so after looking at boards features, prices, reviews.. etc...
i called around to check availability locally.

seems i'm going with the ASUS A7V133 <KT133A>
supposedly this board has RAID also!?!?!?!?!?
it is retail boxed
my walk-in and pick-up price is $159.00 plus 8% tax

i know it isn't the greatest price, but seems to be the going rate here.
so unless someone tells me something i don't know,
monday she is mine!!!

this decision is based on the lack of boards supporting 266mhz bus.
in other words, i really don't think i'd be happy with a KT133 chipset.
if i had a credit card, i may opt for an iWill ... but i have'nt the patience to deal with snail mail... and my puter is sold as of sunday... can't go without one!!! i need the board like now!

also, suppose theres a problem,
it's much easier to *shove* a board for someone in person
rather than over the phone.

i'd love to hear your thoughts,
and maybe mine can help guide a newbie towards a better buying experience.

That's $171.72 total. Why not just order it from Newegg for $117 plus $10 Fed Ex shipping. Only $127, almost a $45 savings. I've bought from Newegg and they're an excellent vendor.

They also have the Iwill KK266 for $115 plus $5 Fed Ex shipping. That way you'd save $50.

because, tho you have a Great point, they fail to offer C.O.D. which is the only way i can do it.

<Modify> Actually, thanks Dave, i'm looking into finding someone to order for me. how long does their shipping usually take on a credit card order?

also regarding my first post.....
the other reason i've decided to go with this board,
is due to the number of members who use it.
when you have a problem with something,
it's nice when someone says "i have that board... look here"
as opposed to "no clue with that board"
that to me, is a major benefit of having a forum such as this.

After you found a place with a good price go here:

Thats a great board-you should check out the new Abit KT7E if you can locally-get the Asus, dont bother pricewatch if you dont have a CC-NO C.O.D

as per Pricewatch, Dave was right, Newegg is the best.

i'm looking at the iWill KK266-R w/RAID 130.00 + free shipping

i think i'll go that route... just hope i get it quick.

newegg's other prices, aside from mobos, are not so hot IMO...
i was looking for other stuff i could use.

aside from hard drive cooler, where can i find cool stuff to fill up my 5.25'' bays? like a audio display, a temp monitor, etc...