Somebody recommend me a motherboard please

BananaMann · 09 Feb 2014

My desktop is starting to give up and its the motherboard and its overdue, there are so many motherboards out there and the info is beyond my technical understanding - could anyone guide me which path to follow as to choosing a motherboard for daily family use I don't need an expensive gaming unit? and I know I will have to match it with a compatible cpu
I don't fully understand the specs when it comes to motherboards which makes it difficult to know a good or bad buy.
The ram, video and all other parts I understand.

In terms of the issue I am having: Its the Ethernet connection that connects to the router that has failed so I cant download anything unfortunately, the Ethernet connection is built onto the motherboard and after checking the drivers etc its clear its failed.

I have since decided to up date the whole pc anyway rather than try and repair it - but when it comes to the motherboard's I have limited understanding of there exact specs

BananaMann · 09 Feb 2014

No need to state the current specs because I will be changing the SSD, RAM and CPU anyway. I just need to know a great motherboard.

BananaMann · 09 Feb 2014

Hello? :/

ShamrockRig · 09 Feb 2014

Will you be going with an AMD cpu or an Intel cpu?

BananaMann · 09 Feb 2014

Either. Just need to know a base of a good board to get better components for.

linnemeyerhere · 09 Feb 2014

That's a very large target, really need to make choice with Intel or AMD then what chip family otherwise it's pointless. Then give us a budget and a form factor for the mobo.

Layback Bear · 09 Feb 2014

Yes we do need to know some specs.

1. What case are you planning to use? Some cases can't fit some motherboards.
2. What power supply are you planning to using? Some motherboard and video cards need the proper newer power supplies.
3. What cpu are you wanting to use? We are bobbing for apples if we don't know this.
4. How much money do you plan to spend on a motherboard? Their is a wide range of pricing.
If you are going to use some hardware over; please list exactly which ones. Some of your old hardware might not match the new motherboard and cpu ect.
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The method I use.
1. Pick a case that will fit just about any motherboard I choose.
2. Pick a CPU.
3. Pick a motherboard that has the option I desire. Maybe a little more that is designed for the cpu you have chose.
4. Pick the ram that matches the CPU and motherboard requirements. (There are many options)
5. Pick the video card.
6. Pick a power supply of quality that will more than meat my needs and have the proper connection for my new system.
7. Pick the cpu cooling of quality that I desire.
8. Pick extra case fans if needed or desired.
9. Pick the SSD and Hard Drive of my choice.

OvenMaster · 09 Feb 2014

If you're looking for a brand name, save yourself some hassle and just get Asus or Gigabyte. Those two companies have 70% of the DIY market for good reason.

But the others are right. Unless we get more info, there's no way we can narrow down recommendations.

BananaMann · 10 Feb 2014

Current board is Gigabyte GA-M61SME-S2
Current CPU is AMD Athlon 64x2 Dual Core 4200+

Case = existing standard micro/micro-atx, nothing flash few silenced fans fitted, CD works fine
Video = existing Nvidia GeForce 8600GT
Hard Drive = New 120gb SSD, using existing HDD 160gb as second drive/storage
Crucial M500 120GB 2.5-inch Internal SSD, £63.59
RAM = New minimum 4GB at £47 - more if budget permits
Power Supply - unnamed 400w unit already in case

Therefore I was thinking around a budget of £250 but the memory has wiped £110 out already - so I am trying to squeeze the best out the remaining £140, if I know I will get better performance may even throw a little more cash at it.

What CPU - errr no idea, one says AMD is better one say Intel - basically whats best for general home pc, how do I read the spec!
Motherboard, looking for something with HDMI maybe, so I can maybe link it to TV etc, after that its a mystery.

I appreciate the great feed back and not looking for anyone to hand pick me a unit just guide me a little.

Amd over intel - its a family style unit no gaming, I know this rules out a lot of boards - with the boards there are so many I am not sure what spec to look at first! Also if I can save on the board and cpu I can squeeze more memory in!
Gigabyte H61M-USB3V LGA1155 H61 Express DDR3 SATA 300 mATX £44
Asus Z87-K Haswell motherboard LGA1150 Intel DDR3 ATX £85
Two boards one nearly double in price!!!
Again thank you