Asus CUBX or CUSL2 motherboard?

[Nagorak]

I need a replacement motherboard for my Intel system so I'm trying to decide between getting an Asus CUSL2 or an Asus CUBX motherboard.

On the one hand the CUSL2 is based on a more recent chipset and has some more advanced features such as AGP 4x, ATA100 (BX only has 66). I don't really care about 133 MHz FSB or the 1/2 AGP divider because I'm only going to be running a Celeron CPU at 100 MHz FSB. BUT, the CUSL2 does allow for the memory to run asynchronously to the CPU, so you can set the memory to run at PC133 instead of PC100. I think the CUSL2 might have more processor settings than the CUBX also?

Benefits of the CUBX are that the BX chipset is generally faster than the i815 chipset (but would it still be faster with memory at 100 MHz instead of 133 on the CUSL2?). Also, the fact that the board costs about $20 less (not really enough to matter much, but it IS cheaper).

The dark horse candidate would probably be the CUV4X motherboard, but I really have no interest in it at all. I have enough grief with the VIA chipsets I am forced to use on my Athlon systems, I'd rather not have the headaches and lackluster performance of the VIA on my sole Intel system. ;-)

Let me know what you think!

 

[Placid]

Abit bx 133.
Ata 100 and a solid board.
Soyo 6ba +100
Ata 100 solid as well but may be hard to find.

 

[LutaWicasa]

If it's the CUSL2 C that is what I would suggest. Have heard many good things about this board

 

[klosters64a]

I've installed an Asus CUBX-E(built-in Promise ATA 100 Controller) as well as an Asus CUSL2-C within the last two days.

All of the CUBX models(original CUBX, CUBX-L and CUBX-E) are a bit quirky. Ideally, they'd simply be P3B-F's with a S370 in place of the Slot 1. Alas, this is obviously easier said than done!

The CUBX's CMD ATA-66 Controller is problematic. I haven't hooked a ATA-100 HDD to my CUBX-E, so I don't know how well the Promise ATA-100 Controller works. It's said to be trouble-free. I have this Controller on a PCI card in a different box, and it's a gem.

All of the CUBX's have a rather serious limitation with Celeron II CPU's. If the CII's default Core Voltage is 1.65v, you're home free. However, you can't raise the Core Voltage in aid of OCing, and you can't run CII's that have a 1.7v default Core Voltage.

In the CUBX-E's defense, it runs original Celly's(CUSL2-C's can't). It runs P3E's with the caveat that any particular P3EB isn't a lead pipe cinch. As you know, the 440BX chipset doesn't officially support 133 Mhz FSB. FSB's above 133 Mhz are touchy with 440BX mainboards. The PCI bus is out of whack at 140 Mhz, and way out of whack at 150 Mhz, at least with Asus boards.

The CUSL2-C seemed to be a nice mobo. Its ATA-33/66/100 capability appeared to be seamless. The board accepted and ran a ATA-100 HDD at proper speed, no questions asked by BIOS. My neighbor bought the CUSL2-C. So far, he likes it a lot. The CUSL2-C has some quirks. Its Memory BM's in Sandra gets worse as the FSB increases--in a band between ~134-140 Mhz. It only runs 2 PC-133 sticks and is limited to 512 Mb, max. It won't run ECC SDRAM, so it's the wrong mainboard for a poor man's Server.
Its FSB OC's to the moon and back. If you have gilt edged peripherals and a great cooling setup, 160 Mhz FSB is not unreachable.

If you want a mobo that makes life easy, it's hard to ignore the CUSL2-C.

If you're annoyed that Intel has failed to create a worthy successor to the 440BX chipset and realize that the i810, i815 and i820 are all a step backwards from a pure performance viewpoint, consider the CUBX-E.

If you want a newish mobo that sports the still unsurpassed 440BX chipset, the CUBX-E may be your last chance.

 

[ACiD_PoWeR]

In my opinion i440BX is the most overclockable, most powerful and the fastest motherboard.. On the other hand, it has disadvantages. ATA 66 problematic controller ?? (1st) .. also it has AGP 2x, while i815EP or i815E has AGP Pro, ATA 100 .. I would suggest you the MSI i815EP Pro-R with 2PC2, RAID, AGP Pro... its based on i815EP chipset.. bye !