Diff Between A7n8x-e Deluxe

[bigdawgfoxx]

Hey. What is the main diff between these two mobos?

I wont really use SATA or RAID now or anytime in the future that I cann see. I dont have to have the fastest HDDs. Other then those features what else is there and is it worth the $30...cuz I'm on a budget which most of yall already know. If the $30 will get me alot more for my money then I will splurge.

Thanks for any help!

[Livy]

http://www.asus.com/

[bigdawgfoxx]

Yeah but all those sites list is stuff about the diff features..and all I see that is diff is the SATA and RAID 0/1. I want to know if there are any other features like in the bios or something and if its worth $30.

[Livy]

they use diferent versions of the nforce chipset, if u aint needing the extra features, just go witht he cheapest, or what you would like to spend.

[3rd gen noob]

the deluxe has two lan ports, so you can set up a lan with yourself... :)

[bigdawgfoxx]

Will they both be easy to overclock? Or will one be better?

Edit: On newegg it says they both use nForce 2 Ultra 400

[Livy]

both be the same. the only difference really is the xtra bits, whichou dont want.

[lynx]

As far as I can see you also get Dolby digital 5.1 audio, IEEE1394 (firewire), a slot for their Wi-fi card and the agp slot is agp PRO (but you are unlikely to need that).
And you also get a copy of Win-DVD suite.

[bigdawgfoxx]

whats the diff between AGP and AGP Pro?

[Virtualbody1234]

Originally posted by 3rd gen noob@16 December 2003 - 19:15
the deluxe has two lan ports, so you can set up a lan with yourself... :)
Isn't that masturbation?

[adamp2p]

What is the difference between AGP4X and AGP Pro? (http://www.anandtech.com/guides/viewfaq.html?i=25)

[adamp2p]

Originally posted by Virtualbody1234+17 December 2003 - 02:22--></div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td>QUOTE (Virtualbody1234 @ 17 December 2003 - 02:22)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'> <!--QuoteBegin-3rd gen noob@16 December 2003 - 19:15
the deluxe has two lan ports, so you can set up a lan with yourself... :)
Isn&#39;t that masturbation? [/b][/quote]
:lol:

I guess you call that a computer wanker :lol:

[bigdawgfoxx]

So is AGP pro better then AGP 8X?

I gotta go study for exams a little while..

[adamp2p]

I suggest you get the cheaper of the two because you are on a budget, right?

What is your budget anyways?

Edit: I wouldn&#39;t concern yourself with the whole bit of AGP pro or whatever, unless that is for some reason part of the decision making process of your motherboard.

[bigdawgfoxx]

About &#036;300 or so now. Ive already bought a Silver Chieftec Dragon with clear side pannel and a 500watt PSU with LED fans..got it for free with the case and it cost 80 bux if it wasnt free so i think its pretty good.

So I got about &#036;300 for Mobo, Chip (2500XP "Barton" for sure) and ram (Kingston Xtreme 2X256MB dual channel prob)

[3rd gen noob]

me being a &#39;lanker&#39; (http://mysite.freeserve.com/MSchumiFTP/lan.JPG) :P

[Livy]

Originally posted by bigdawgfoxx@17 December 2003 - 01:28
So is AGP pro better then AGP 8X?&nbsp;

I gotta go study for exams a little while..
the pro is an extension on whatever the agp version is speciefied to be, e.g 8x, but the pro bit means it can also accept agp pro cards, which consume more power than a normal agp card. but most cards that consume more power are coming with molex connections anyway, and not agp pro connections. but performance is the same. and i dont think its really for home market anwyay. or at the moment.

if you dont even really have a budget for the asus board, you could try the biostar m7ncd it got a good write up somewhere, and was peroformance tested against the a7n8x and they were both the same, it is also an nforce2 based board

[adamp2p]

Originally posted by 3rd gen noob@17 December 2003 - 02:32
me being a &#39;lanker&#39; (http://mysite.freeserve.com/MSchumiFTP/lan.JPG) :P
So you really are a lanker, eh? :lol: :lol:

[adamp2p]

ASUS A7N8X nForce2:

Looks very nice:

http://www.hardocp.com/images/articles/1038807413BLE1qRube2_1_3_l.jpg

Features:





ASUS A7N8X nForce2 : The ASUS A7N8X is one of the first incarnations of the nVidia nForce2 chipset-based motherboards to hit retail shelves. We have seen good and bad previews of the technology. How will it look when it gets to your box?

Monday, December 9, 2002
Date

Motherboard
Categories

ASUS
Manufacturers

Trey Shewmake
Author

Kyle Bennett
Editor




Introduction

ASUS is one of Taiwan&#39;s larger motherboard manufacturers, with offices worldwide. Founded in 1989, they&#39;ve grown to nearly 20,000 employees, with 5 manufacturing facilities capable of producing two million motherboards and 150,000 notebooks a month. They of course also build some of America&#39;s favorite overclocking mainboards.




The A7N8X is ASUS&#39;s entry into the nForce2 chipset market. If you&#39;ve been keeping up with the nForce2 material on the Net, you know that it supports a Dual Channel DDR400 memory bus, 8x AGP, 6-channel Dolby Sound (SoundStorm), and the only onboard 5.1 Dolby Digital encoder available in a chipset. The MCP-T also provides 10/100 NIC functionality, six USB 2.0 ports, IEEE-1394 (Firewire), and an ATA133 controller. Our original look at the technology from July can be found here. As many of you know, this technology is late, as the dates that were committed to by NVIDIA for retail delivery weren&#39;t kept. Of course, the technology is here now, and we want to see what is being done with it. ASUS has added an integrated 3Com 10/100 NIC, support for vocal POST error reporting, intelligent fan speed adjustment, and an automatic shutdown system for protection against thermal CPU damage, making this a fairly feature-packed board.

A quick rundown on the specs:

CPU AMD Athlon (XP,MP) or Duron 100/133/166 MHz FSB
Chipset AMD nForce2 SPP/AMB nForce2 MCP-T
FSB 100/133/166
BIOS PhoenixBIOS
Memory 3 DDR SDRAM DIMMS, up to 3GB
Expansion Slots 1 AGP / 5 PCI
Onboard IDE 2 IDE 100/133 headers
USB 4 rear panel / 2 headers
(6 Ports Total)
AGP AGP 8x
Audio nForce2 AUP with 6-channel Dolby out and 5.1 Dolby encoder
A not-so-quick rundown on the specs for you wanting a bit more information:

Processor
Socket A for AMD® Athlon™ XP/ Athlon™/ Duron™ 600MHz ~
2.8GHz+
Thoroughbred core CPU ready
Chipset
North Bridge: NVIDIA® nForce2 SPP
South Bridge: NVIDIA® nForce2 MCP-T(Deluxe Model) / MCP
FSB
333 / 266 / 200 MHz
Memory
Dual-Channel DDR 400
3 x 168-pin DIMM Sockets
Max. 3 GB unbuffered PC3200/PC2700/PC2100/PC1600 non-ECC DDR RAM Memory
Expansion Slots
1 x AGP Pro/8X (1.5V only)
5 x PCI
IDE Ports
2 x UltraDMA 133/100/66/33
Serial ATA (Deluxe Model)
Silicon Image® Sil 3112A Controller with 2 ports
Support RAID 0/1
Audio
Realtek® ALC650 6CH w/built in HP amplifier
Integrated APU (Audio Processor Unit, Deluxe Model)
SoundStorm™ / Dolby® Digital (AC-3) Encoder (Deluxe Model)
LAN
2 Ports
MCP integrated NVIDIA® MAC + Realtek® 8201BL PHY
MCP integrated 3Com® MAC + Broadcom® AC101L PHY (Deluxe Model)
1394
2 Ports MCP-T Integrated IEEE 1394a + Realtek® PHY 8801B (Deluxe Model)
Special Features
Post Reporter (Deluxe Model)
Power Loss Restart
Q-Fan Technology
STR (Suspend-to-RAM)
C.O.P. (CPU Overheating Protection)
CPU Throttle
Back Panel I/O Ports
1 x Parallel
1 x Serial
1 x PS/2 Keyboard
1 x PS/2 Mouse
1 x Audio I/O
4 x USB 2.0
1 x Surround L/R audio jack + 1 x CNTR/LFE audio jack (optional)
2 X RJ45 (optional, 2nd RJ45 is for Deluxe Model)
Internal I/O Connectors
2 x USB 2.0 connector support additional 2 USB 2.0 ports
CPU/Power/Chassis FAN connectors
Game Connector
20 pin ATX power connector
IDE LED connector, power LED connector
2 x 1394 Connector (Deluxe Model)
2 x SATA (Serial ATA) Connector (Deluxe Model)
WOR, WOL, Chassis Intrusion, SM Bus, SIR
Headphone (optional)
Front MIC
CD/AUX/Modem audio in
Front Panel Audio connector (optional)
BIOS Feature
4Mb Flash ROM, Award BIOS, TCAV, PnP, DMI2.0, DMI, Green
Industrial Standard
PCI 2.2, USB 2.0
Manageability
DMI 2.0, WOR, WOL, Chassis Intrusion, SM Bus
Accessories
I/O Shield
SATA Cable (Deluxe Model)
2-port USB 2.0(Deluxe Model) / Game port bracket
User&#39;s Manual / Quick Reference Guide
UltraDMA 133 cable
2-Port 1394 Bracket (Deluxe Model)
FDD cable
UltraDMA 133/100/66 cable
9-pin COM cable
InterVideo® WinCinema (WinDVD/WinRip/WinCoder/WinProducer) software (Deluxe Model)
Form Factor
ATX Form Factor
12" x 9.6" (30.5cm x 24.5cm)




This is not the first nForce2 board we have had our hands on over the last few months, but it without a doubt the smoothest one we have seen yet. The Asus A7N8X paired with our 2400+ at a tweaked out bus is simply blindingly fast, responding immediately to user commands. Neither chipset seems very warm to the touch after hours were spent at higher than spec speeds. I never had the feeling that I was living on the edge at 200/200. In fact the board felt as though it was meant to do it. All the extras such as USB2.0 and Firewire ports all functioned properly even at overclocked speeds as should be expected on this board.

One of the small drawbacks of the board that may not be so obvious, or simply may not be a drawback at all is the lack of a GigE NIC. We would have expected the nForce2 to support Gigabit Ethernet or at least we thought Asus would have made it an add on as they are doing with so many other boards. Still, as far as gripes go, this is not a very big one at all.

The A7N8X performed remarkably well when compared to the KT400 based systems as well as the Pentium 4 845PE Max2 at 2.53GHz. Never once did the Asus A7N8X give me even the slightest bit of trouble the entire time I worked with it, and I highly recommend it to anyone looking for an upgrade. Performance-wise, it&#39;s an outstanding bang for the buck at an online price of around US&#036;150.00.

The nForce2 chipsets have definately made their mark on the motherboard market with this debut, and I look eagerly for the next manufacturer who matches ASUS in their reliability and performance with this chipset. Many kudos to ASUS for a job well done, and a board well made. It certainly deserves to be considered a [H]ard|OCP Top Pick.


Go for it dude&#33; How much does the non deluxe cost compared to the deluxe?

only &#036;89 (http://www.newegg.com/app/viewProductDesc.asp?DEPA=&sumit=Go&description=13%2D131%2D455&searchdepa=0) cant complain...you should have enough for a new CPU and a new video card then, eh?

[clocker]

Make sure that you get a revision2 board as they are the ones with the mounting holes around the chip socket ( as in the picture).
This greatly widens your options for the heatsink/waterblock choice.

[bigdawgfoxx]

Alright I think I will go for the &#036;80 non deluxe one, because I wont use any of those features. The only thing I really wanted from the deluxe was the awesome looking IDE cables..why cant they just include that in the cheaper version&#33; stuff like that PISSES me off&#33; lol

[3rd gen noob]

Originally posted by bigdawgfoxx@17 December 2003 - 01:26
The only thing I really wanted from the deluxe was the awesome looking IDE cables..why cant they just include that in the cheaper version&#33; stuff like that PISSES me off&#33; lol
aren&#39;t those the s-ata cables? (the red thin ones)

[bigdawgfoxx]

No im talking about the IDE cables for the deluxe version. They are black and say ASUS on them..they look tight check them out lol

[3rd gen noob]

Originally posted by bigdawgfoxx@17 December 2003 - 01:41
No im talking about the IDE cables for the deluxe version. They are black and say ASUS on them..they look tight check them out lol
i just got standard grey ones :&#39;(

mind you, i did buy mine near the start of the year

[Livy]

Originally posted by 3rd gen noob+17 December 2003 - 02:42--></div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td>QUOTE (3rd gen noob @ 17 December 2003 - 02:42)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'> <!--QuoteBegin-bigdawgfoxx@17 December 2003 - 01:41
No im talking about the IDE cables for the deluxe version.&nbsp; They are black and say ASUS on them..they look tight check them out lol
i just got standard grey ones :&#39;(

mind you, i did buy mine near the start of the year [/b][/quote]
and its a slightly different board from yours i think. this is the a7n8x-"E" deluxe. which is pretty new and has a wifi slot etc.

[3rd gen noob]

Originally posted by Livy@17 December 2003 - 01:44
and its a slightly different board from yours i think. this is the a7n8x-"E" deluxe. which is pretty new and has a wifi slot etc.
yeah, mine doesn&#39;t have the 400FSB support either (not that i need it anyway, with my 333FSB CPU...)

[Livy]

Originally posted by 3rd gen noob+17 December 2003 - 02:47--></div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td>QUOTE (3rd gen noob @ 17 December 2003 - 02:47)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'> <!--QuoteBegin-Livy@17 December 2003 - 01:44
and its a slightly different board from yours i think. this is the a7n8x-"E" deluxe. which is pretty new and has a wifi slot etc.
yeah, mine doesn&#39;t have the 400FSB support either (not that i need it anyway, with my 333FSB CPU...) [/b][/quote]
hehe, my cheapo biostar boards has got 400fsb supports. :D but thats about it :lol:

[adamp2p]

man, there is something about an attractive motherboard...that makes me horny...
http://images10.newegg.com/productimage/13-131-455-01.JPG
...and you say I don&#39;t get out enough...maybe you are right...


http://hightekpc.com/reviews/a7n8x/cpu.jpg

http://hightekpc.com/reviews/a7n8x/ddr.jpg

http://hightekpc.com/reviews/a7n8x/io.jpg

Screenies of the BIOS:

http://hightekpc.com/reviews/a7n8x/bios2.jpg

http://hightekpc.com/reviews/a7n8x/bios22.jpg

looks like a full featured mobo. If you get it you will have plenty of options to figure out and play with...

http://hightekpc.com/reviews/a7n8x/bios3.jpg

[bigdawgfoxx]

Is that the non deluxe?

[racer II]

thats the deluxe

[adamp2p]

Originally posted by racer II@17 December 2003 - 22:59
thats the deluxe
go deluxe if you can afford &#036;120 for a mobo...it might be worth your while... :D

[clocker]

When I bought my Deluxe in August, the thinking was that it would probably be the last socket A board I would buy. I figured on at least a 12 month lifespan maybe 24 before I went to a 64 bit chip.
Even though I don&#39;t currently use all the features available I decided it was worth the extra bucks upfront so I wasn&#39;t rendered obsolete before I was ready...

[bigdawgfoxx]

Alright clocker, the pix of the BIOS, will the bios for the non deluxe have all of those features also. I just really dont think I will need any of the extra features that the deluxe offers and for 30 bux I could upgrade something else.

[clocker]

As I don&#39;t have the non-deluxe I&#39;m not sure what features it may/may not have.
It&#39;s likely the same, but I can&#39;t say for sure.

[adamp2p]

Originally posted by bigdawgfoxx@19 December 2003 - 06:33
Alright clocker, the pix of the BIOS, will the bios for the non deluxe have all of those features also. I just really dont think I will need any of the extra features that the deluxe offers and for 30 bux I could upgrade something else.
I am sure the BIOS is almost exactly the same in both models

[ck-uk]

Or you could go for a soltek board mate.They arent as/or wasnt as well known as some bigger companies until there boards started to out perform them and as stable.There slightly cheaper than most too.


http://www2.soltek.com.tw/soltek/product/index.php

When the 64bit drops in price i think i&#39;ll definitely be going with a soltek.

I forgot about the topic.I know the deluxe is more helpfull to setup.If you say forget to put the cpu on & power up a female voice talks to you throught the spkers like "no cpu installed" :)