Are all mobos w/ onboard video inferior to similar ones w/o it??

[amber26]

Are mobos w/ onboard video necessarily inferior, other than the graphics, to boards w/ no onboard video - all other things being equal?

Before answering, I'm talking about very similar boards by same mfg, same cpu, same RAM, and SAME GPU installed on both boards. One board has chipset w/o onboard video (say P35) and one board does have onboard video (say G35). For a fair comparison, both would have to be same form factor (ATX).

Looking at my 1st build. To save $$, thought about getting a board w/ onboard video and buy a GPU when it's really on sale. Don't really use it for gaming, but will probably use for occasional, light video editing. Otherwise, just want a solid, fast PC.

Leaning mostly toward Intel C2D E-6750 or C2Q Q6600.

Any suggestions for stable, dependable mobos to look at for non gaming? Not saying I'd never OC it, but it's not a priority.

I'll probably be running XP home or Linux on it for now.

Thanks.

[blue60007]

If everything else is equal the main difference is of course, onboard video or not, and the ones with onboard video are typically microATX with a couple less PCI slots. For what it sounds like you are doing, a cheaper board with onboard video should be sufficient. The ASUS boards are good to look at. I'd say whatever the onboard video version of the P5K is. There's probably one called P5K-VM. Usually ASUS sticks "-VM" on the end to denote the onboard video versions.

[glc]

Asus VM boards are micro ATX though. I think to get onboard video on full ATX you have to get an Intel board.

The P35 and G35 chipsets are essentially equal in other respects.

[amber26]

Thanks Blue60007 & glc for helpful replies.

I don't know the answers - that's why I'm asking. Others have told me (aside from the mATX vs std ATX size issue), many mobos w/ onboard video (which are often mATX) have "fewer BIOS options, "watered down" chipset, fewer expansion slots, etc." Last one is a given if one is ATX & one a mATX.

The 'others' comments about "watered down chipset" would suggest (right or wrong) that, for ex., the i G35 w/ onboard video is inferior in several ways to the i P35, and that mobos w/ the G35 (as an ex.) would also be inferior to similarly featured / priced mobos (same mfg) using the P35.

That may be true, but if so, I'm not sure why. Other than as you said, many w/ onboard video are mATX. But that (might??) mainly involve expansion capability, not performance of the mobos?

The expansion issues are valid concerns and maybe that alone should steer me away from a mATX - yes, no??? Just not sure if it dictates overall poorer performance.

[glc]

Fewer bios options are not necessarily bad - unless you are tweaking and overclocking, defaults are generally best anyway. There is something to be said for keeping it simple - it tends to be more reliable and stable. That's why Intel boards are solid as a rock, it's hard to screw them up by making settings that don't work right, those settings generally don't exist. That's also why DFI boards are so quirky - the bios in those things are designed for the enthusiast.

You can build a solid, fast PC without making ANY settings in the bios except date/time and boot priority - and maybe hard drive operational mode.

The only place where mATX limits you is in expansion. The G35 is hardly "watered down". If the board has enough SATA ports, etc. there's no reason to shy away.

[amber26]

Originally Posted by glc ...That's why Intel boards are solid as a rock, it's hard to screw them up by making settings that don't work right...

So what's a couple of really good Intel boards (or other) to look at right now (not w/ gaming in mind)?

The Intel I've seen discussed most is DP35DPM. For whatever user reviews on Newegg are worth, they're not outstanding on the DP35DPM:

Rating / Percent (only 20 reviews)
5 / 35%
4 / 30%
3 / 20%
2 / 5%
1 / 10%

Don't want to spend $250+ on a mobo, but don't want a $59.99 one either.

The only place where mATX limits you is in expansion. If the board has enough SATA ports, etc. there's no reason to shy away.

Other than lack of PCI slots (some mATX seem to have as many PCIe x 16 & x 1 as the ATX), and max RAM, what specifically should I look out for on a mATX that may seriously limit expansion? BTW, I'm not hell bent on a mATX, or even a mobo w/ onboard video.

[flanzig1]

I built a quad core on a uATX for $600. Used:
Asus P5B-VM SE
Corsair XMS DDR2 800 2gigs of ram
Intel Q6600
FSP 400w PSU
Seagate 7200.10 SATA 80gig HD
SATA DVD drive
Had a case and OS. Could drop the quad core and go to an E6750 and use the saving for a case and biger HD.

[glc]

The DP35DP does not have onboard video.

Asus *DOES* have a current full ATX with onboard video now - the P5K-V. The only thing it lacks is a lot of SATA ports and a native RAID controller, it's a ICH9, not a ICH9R.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16813131184

[faulkner132]

Originally Posted by amber26 but don't want a $59.99 one either

I spent $55 on my Biostar all in one mATX AMD board and it has been running very reliably for the past 2 years.

Personally I love all in ones because you _know_ there are no conflicts with the core components.

[piasabird]

You can look at a couple of things on these motherboards. One thing is the number of SLOTS they have for RAM. Most only have 2 ram slots and some have 4 RAM SLOTS. 4 Slots may be more desirable, or it may not matter to you. For expansion purposes sometimes 4 is better.

A second area to look at is Sound or audio. On an office computer that does not matter much. However, some people want good audio to listen to music, or they may want certain kinds of audio plugs.

The integrated Video has some options also. Some motherboards may have better plugs or interfaces to plug into. For instance some people prefer the Video to be Digital Plugs, or HDMI instead of VGA. This is important if you plan on using a Flat Panel monitor with only Digital plugs. Also some of the more sophisticated models may be designed for things like Digital Video Recorders. The Actual chipset for the video may differ quite a bit. I have seen some of these have GMA 3000, GMA 3100, or also GMA X3100. So some of these computers may be better suited for Vista than others. When it comes to Vista compatability, sometimes the motherboards say Vista Capable, and sometimes they say Vista Ready.

Something else you might see is a more solid state Capaciter/s on some of these motherbords.

I was looking at two different Asus Motherboards.

P5KPL-VM and P5V-VM

[not important]

Originally Posted by amber26 Are mobos w/ onboard video necessarily inferior, other than the graphics, to boards w/ no onboard video - all other things being equal?

To answer your original question... Mobo's with onboard graphics, and all other things being equal, are NOT inferior to those that do.

[piasabird]

Just look at feedback and messages from people who purchsed those motherboards. Sometimes it is hard because some motherboards may not be as popular as others.

Every motherboard model is a little different.

Some integrated video motherboards have more complaints than others. The low-cost integrated motherboards are often targeted and built for low-end Value Systems. It does not mean they do not work as well. They just often have fewer features.

It is a bit of a risk if you buy a motherboard with 1 or 2 hits, compared to the most popular motherboards with 100 or more comments.