I'm splitting this out of the UDMA thread.

Thor Lancelot Simon <tls@rek.tjls.com> wrote:
> I wrote:
>> If can ever get my test machine backon line (have just determined the 4th  
>> ASUS P5A is broken) I'll have an full time test machine available for this.
>
>Ooh -- I have one in a Windows box, but I *don't* particularly like the
>P5A motherboards.  The design is fine, and the 5 PCI slots are nice, but
>the chipset... that Acer Labs chipset is kinda sleazy.  For one thing,

Acer?  Does Acer make the ALI (Aladdin) chipsets?

>it claims to support ECC memory, but it turns out that that Just Doesn't
>Work if you run the memory clock past 83MHz.  Since most people buy those
>boards to run with "Super 7" CPUs at 100MHz, the ECC support is more or
>less a lie.  
 
I'm running a P100 in it right now.  I was going to upgrade to a K6-2 400 
when I got it working.  Which is sounding more and more unlikely.  *8^(

>If you don't need the extra PCI slot or the onboard sound,

I've been trying the "without audio" boards.

>try the FIC VA-503+.  It uses the VIA MVP3 chipset, has 1MB (as opposed
>to the ASUS board's 512K) of cache, and generally seems to be very solid
>(I have several).

I guess I'll have to consider less than 5 PCI slots. I'd really like to have 
5 BUT ...  with the bad luck I'm having (and a former colleague has has a bad 
P5A also) I think I'll have to change direction a bit.  I'm a bit disappointed 
having heard good things about ASUS in the past.

Anybody have any other recommendations on 5 PCI slot (Socket 7, PC 100) ATX 
Motherboards?  I've found one by EPoX (uses MVP3 chipset I think) their G 
board (I think that's the unique identifier).  They are recommended by AMD but, 
(so was the ASUS P5A) that's all I've ever heard about them.  I want to run a 
K6-2 400 eventually. Also, I was hoping to keep the cost of the MB under $200,
so far the ones I can find are under $100.

I wish Micronics made one.  I really like their M7STA AT board.  But, they seem
to have cut back on their boards since being swallowed by Diamond.

Thanks,
Paul