Socket AM3 Motherboard Search To Save Money

[SgtRock]

Greetings EEVBees:

--I happen to have 2 each DDR3 8GB, and an AMD Sempron 130 2.6GHZ. I need an AM3 socket motherboard which will accept 2 8GB DDR3, and which has several PCI slots. So far I can only find MBs with but 1 PCI slot. If someone would direct me to a source, I would appreciate it. Mr. Moderator, please put this thread wherever you need.

"It is no good to try to stop knowledge from going forward. Ignorance is never better than knowledge."
Enrico Fermi 1901 1954

Best Regards
Clear Ether

[Psi]

http://www.pbtech.co.nz/index.php?z=p&p=MBDASR0327

http://www.pbtech.co.nz/index.php?z=p&p=MBDGBM3032P

[SgtRock]

Dear Psi:

--Thank you! Exactly what I need. The AsRock 970 Pro3 R2.0 even has 6 SATA disk slots. I am ordering one. I may even get 2. I often run 4 disks so I use only large cases with at least 4 5.5 Front Panel slots and as much and many fans as possible, All disks in hot swap racks with fans. Minimum600 W PS. I do all of this because I have destroyed a number of MBs, PSs, HDs and SSDs, all due to continuous use where the disks exceed 42C. I am not a gamer, but I do tend to beat disks, MBs, and PSs to death, but Hard Disk Sentinel has taught me the error of my ways. Thanks again for you super speedy help.

“For neither good nor evil can last for ever; and so it follows that as evil has lasted a long time, good must now be close at hand.” from Don Quixote
Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra 1547 - 1616

Best Regards
Clear Ether

[Monkeh]

There's a huge range of AM3+ boards with two or more PCI slots, and most of them have the distinct advantage of not being Asrock.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/ProductList.aspx?Submit=ENE&N=100044409%204121%20600008722%20600008723%20600138080&IsNodeId=1&name=AM3%2b

[SgtRock]

Dear Monkeh:

--With the rebate it is a better deal than the previous AsRock. At $94.49 from NewEgg with a $20 mail in rebate. The AsRock 970 Extreme 4 you recommend is only $1.17 more than the AsRock 970 Pro3 R2 recommended by Psi, which is $113.85 shipping included from PBTech but only $75.66 shipping included from NewEgg. So that is a much better board for my purposes for only $1.17 more. The 970 Extreme 4 has more PCI slots, and has 5 SATAs which is just fine. I get paid tonight, so I will buy one, if no better recommendation pops up before.

--Many, many thanks to both of you. This will solve my problem. It will allow me to have 2 solid up and running business desktops, networked together, with all disks in hot swap racks. This should keep me running short of a disaster. My future goal is duplicate motherboards, and deep cycle batteries.

"That's the thing about people who think they hate computers. What they really hate is lousy programmers."
Laurence "Larry" van Cott Niven
1938  - 

Best Regards
Clear Ether

[Monkeh]

Dear Monkeh:

The AsRock 970 Extreme 4 you recommend

When did I recommend an AsRock board?

Actually, let me rephrase that: When did I recommend any board?

[SgtRock]

Dear Monkeh:

--My apologies, I see I completely mistook your post. I would be interested to hear anything you have to say about AsRock boards. I shall review the manuals (if I can find them) the list of the boards you provided, leaving aside the AsRocks. Thanks again.

"You should never bet against anything in science at odds of more than about 1012 to 1."
Ernest Rutherford 1871 1937

Best Regards
Clear Ether

[Psi]

I didnt recommend asrock either. Its not a brand i would get. 
I was just looking for anything that meet your requirements

Also pbtech is a new zealand company, prices are in nz dollers and i dunno what their intl shipping costs, if they even do it
 

[metalphreak]

Nothing wrong with Asrock. I've had a few of their boards, and they've been fine. I've had more problems with Gigabyte's "high end" boards 

[wraper]

Nothing wrong with Asrock. I've had a few of their boards, and they've been fine. I've had more problems with Gigabyte's "high end" boards 

Yeah, I felt like a beta tester with all 6 Gigabyte motherboards I owned both high and low end. Smallest of the problems was that they (completely different models, for Intel and AMD) did have issues with an awful number of PSUs (which were completely OK). To the extent when one MB don't like one PSU, and another MB second PSU. But they worked OK if exchanging them vice versa  .
And those problems were just ridiculous. For example, on one MB some or all USB ports did not work when used with one PSU. On another (still own it) MB HW monitor show -79^oC CPU temp + fan speed control is not working and crazy voltages are shown when used with one particular PSU.

[SgtRock]

Greetings EEVBees:

--I bought a BioStar TA970 from NewEgg ($54.95 with free shipping), from the link provided by Monkeh. It is working just fine. I want to thank everyone, for the good advice. If someone would like to comment specifically about the drawbacks of Asrock MBs, or any brand, please feel free to hold forth.

"All business sagacity reduces itself in the last analysis to judicious use of sabotage."
Thorstein Bunde Veblen 1857 - 1929

Best Regards
Clear Ether

[Psi]

Asrock just seems like a budget brand.

I only get asus motherboards unless i have a good reason to get something else

[Monkeh]

Asrock just seems like a budget brand.

I only get asus motherboards unless i have a good reason to get something else

What does "seems like a budget brand" actually mean? Uninspiring graphics on the box? Or just not a business that caters to the (MB equivalent to the audiophool) by just producing functional MB's in a non flashy way? Or something else?

Is being (or seeming) a budget brand a bad thing? Reading between the lines I made the inference it was, should I have?

Asrock have a history of making low cost 'niche' boards. For example, PCI-E boards with an AGP slot, and boards with both DDR and DDR2 slots. Boards for the cheapass who doesn't care so long as he doesn't have to spend more money. The quality tended to match..

[rdl]

ASRock was an Asus spin-off intended to compete in lower cost markets. Apparently they have changed their mind and decided to go more upscale. They seem to be doing pretty well and are ranked number 3 behind Asus and Gigabyte. I looked at their boards for my last build but ended up with a Gigabyte.