out of these 2 what board

[canadian_divx]

i only hvae a choice between these 2 boards, what one should i get
the ECS L7VTA http://www.ecs.com.tw/products/pd_spec.asp?product_id=63 with all the optional, raid and firewire,
or
the K7S5A pro http://www.ecs.com.tw/products/pd_spec.asp?product_id=269

it is only between these 2 boards, the other hardware i got for them is the 2500 333fsb cpu, 1gb ddr 333, sound balster live, 80gb seagate 7200rpm

 

[Doctor Who]

This one - ECS L7VTA is much better than the K7S5A.

 

[Teddy]

Originally posted by Doctor Who
This one - ECS L7VTA is much better than the K7S5A.

Not to be rude, but says who?! What you've put is a very sweeping statement..any links to back it up?

 

[lieb39]

Being the owner of a K7S5A, all I can say is get something else!

I hope that helps.


-lieb39

 

[canadian_divx]

becase the customer wants ECS and they turned down an asus board for teh same price so i am not going to argue with them, i am goving him waht ne wants, a good ECS if there is one

 

[LeeJend]

The K7S5A PRO is an antique using the SIS 735 chipset which is pre-VIA 266 technology (not even pre 266A). It won't support the Barton 333 FSB. I just bought one for a backup system (got it and an Tbred XP2000 for $69 so the MB was basically free). The K7S5A also has a well documented problem with the CMOS losing its data. The problem was traced to the 735 chipset. I saw this when I first got it and powered up but not since. It may or may not have been fixed. The fix for the older boards is to SOLDER a resistor onto the MB to tweak the chipset voltage!

The other board says KT400/400A so I got suspicious and checked. It is not on the AMD Barton recommended ECS MB list:

http://www2.amd.com/us-en/recmobo/ResultsHandler/1,,30_118_3734_4348^7923~63674,00.html

Tread carefully. The customer is not always right.

The SIS 748, 746 and Via KM400 are on the list. Wonder if the KM is a mobile chipset or csome goofball variant like I got stuck with once KLE133 thought it was a KT133 but turned out not to be "processor" upward compatible.

PS Per your "a good ECS MB". Only if you compare it to Shuttle or FIC.

If he wants a good (translated as stable and well built) MB. The list is ASUS, Gigabyte, TYAN (uninspired but reliable) and ABIT. After that you're rolling the dice.

 

[Taurus]

Originally posted by LeeJend
Wonder if the KM is a mobile chipset or csome goofball variant like I got stuck with once KLE133 thought it was a KT133 but turned out not to be "processor" upward compatible.

KM400 = KT400 with limited onboard video. just like KM266/KT266.

 

[Goatman]

look for the L7S7A2 you can get it with Firewire, but not RAID.

http://www.ecsusa.com/products/l7s7a2.html