xen, Once you get into HD there is no going back. TV out is pretty much obsolete. Heck even component output from HTPC is getting 'obsolete'. Back in the days, I had both popular Asus mobos with TV out features that I wish I never have 1. M2NPV-VM and 2. M2A-VM-HDMI. I used the TV out module a few t...

I have one of these mobo which is a perfect fit for my Silverstone LC11B case. It works really great but afterall, I manage to run into a problem : I finally got a LG HDDVD/BR ROM drive with PowerDVD7 and this integrated graphic chip is apparently NOT good enough and won't even play because the Powe...

I had a bad bone-headed incidence with a 478 CPUs. Firstly, I ripped the heatsink out along with the CPU stucked, then I tried to rip the CPU off the heatsink and the CPU came flying and hit the Northbridge heatsink and bent a few pins. It was a miracle everything still worked but it was pretty hard...

ouch...that is expensive, $20-30 more than 690G...given you can get a 3450 addon for <$50...tough decision.

Gigabyte G33M-S2H works http://www.gigabyte.com.tw/Support/Motherboard/Driver_Model.aspx?ProductID=2600 This is really painful, because I've been looking for this exact motherboard from the start, but it's unobtainable in the UK! I think what I might do is keep looking for the Gigabyte board, inclu...

Gigabyte G33M-S2H works http://www.gigabyte.com.tw/Support/Motherboard/Driver_Model.aspx?ProductID=2600 It's shameful to admit I have the same LC11B case and this is why I bought this mobo (I also have Asus M2A-VM HDMI and ASRock NF6G-VSTA because they all have the same configuration needed by the L...

Stock Foxconn HS/fan...the rig is in a SFF AOpen desktop case with almost zero airflow :~)

I added another 2x512MB and do 4x512MB on this M2A-VM HDMI/runs XP Pro...it improved the performance a little bit, does 1280x720 pretty much flawlessly. There are still occasional and noticeable artifacts and odd stutter displaying 1920x1080. There is one good attribute in this mobo is the onboard Q...

This M2NPV-VM mobo while relatively rich in feature and gives decent onboard graphics, it is plagued with various problems...BUT hot NB isn't one of them. FWIW, I currently have 4 new HTPC rigs, in order of decending NB temperatures : 1. MSI K9N Platinum SLI (easily cause 2° burn) 2/3. Asus M2A-VM ...

I just bought the HDMI version (main silly reason is I need a mobo that is compatible with Silverstone LC11 risers) and this is like the only contemporary one. M2A-VM HDMI Athlon64 4200+ x2 (219MHz stock voltage + CnQ) Kingston 667 value ram 2x512MB (800MHz @ 1.9V) Maxtor ProLine 500GB SATA2 Sapphir...

Got it...it is a rare breed with 2 IDEs, and I am using both of them as well. I said too early about running great, the board is now giving me CMOS checksum error whenever I unplug the power cord, still doing it after replacing the Li battery, no biggies, just annoying. I'll have to read up the Asus...

Do I understand correctly that RAM sticks can be downgraded through the BIOS? That is, if I buy DDR2-800 sticks that do not function correctly, will I be able to configure the BIOS to run the sticks as DDR2-667 or DDR2-533? If that is true, can I downgrade voltage too? If a stick is rated at DDR2-8...

I never restrict myself to only memory modules "recommended" by my mobo manufacturer. I just make sure I get stock voltage memory chips. Memory is memory, long as its made to standard your not going to run into any compatibility issue's. Okay, that makes sense. Perhaps then somebody can help me. On...

The dual output mobos (Nvidia6150/7050 & ATI690G) can display 2 monitors...but one MUST be DVI-D and the other MUST be VGA...adapters won't work AFAIK.

Felger Carbon wrote:

ppl4golf wrote:Apparently, a while ago somebody complained to AMD and got the Semmy replaced by a Sempron x2 :~)

Sempron X2

Whatever it was called...IIRC, it was the 3600+ x2 that had 2x256 cache which was a 90nm :~)

Hi, im trying to get cool n quiet working on my pc. I have an AM2 sempron 2800+ on an MSI K9NGM-L motherboard. CnQ is enabled in the bios, I've installed the AMD processor driver and power management is set ti "minimal". Any ideas? I use the same CPU in one of my rigs...no CnQ because the stock spe...

Great review, covered a lot of stuff folks really want to know.

Do I understand right : a 3-pin cpu fan would NOT be controlled in this mobo ??

a friend of mine does, 45 to 50 under maximum load with the stock cooler. this is no different than those guys of you using the core 2 duo with stock cooling. and it's pretty logical it will be this way because the CPU consumes around 65W, just like the core 2 duos. my athlon xp consumes 62W and it...

some people here are pretty ignorant.. i wrote two posts ago about the 65nm versions of the Pentium 4 631 and 651 processors. these are 65W cool running and fast as hell parts, they will sure fit your bill! they're at least twice as fast as your celeron, and on top of that the celeron consumes 84 w...

M2A-VM is the HDMI version minus Firewire and the addon HDMI/HDTV/Coaxial SPDIF

I think the extra $15 is probably worth it though I am thinking about a low profile case and it won't fit the addon card.

This would be nice for you, but I doubt your chipset supports it. I could find little information of what type of CPU your mobo supports. Intel's site still says only P4, which is obviously outdated. My only suggestion would be a slower Celeron D or a better heatsink. Is modifying your cabinet a po...

Another vote for 690G with HDMI

I think ASRock is calling the chip inside AM2NF6G-DVI 6150SE as well.

Interesting, the article a couple of post above stated this 6150SE doesn't do PureVideo. I don't use it myself but I think many do.

I have 3 AM2 mobos : 1. MSI K9N SLI Paltinum (GF570) - NB heatsink is scorching hot and probably can inflict 2° burn touching it. 2. ASROCK AM2NF6G-VSTA (6100/405) - the little NB HS is pretty hot to touch but all the temps in speed fan are fairly good. 3. Asus M2NPV-VM (6150/430) - the NB HS is no...

If $ is no object, you might want to look at the SFF x2 3800+ or the newer 60nm x2. I have 3 AM2 CPUs : 1. Sempron 64 2800+ (1.6GHz) which wouldn't play 1080p WMVHDs smoothly unless I overclocked it to 2GHz. The good thing is it doesn't run too much hotter, only a couple of degrees at load. It runs ...

My socket AM2 Semprons 2800+ runs very cool and quiet also (though ironically it doesn't support Cool'n'Quiet). I had Celeron D in the same SFF case tugged in the same TV cabinet in my bedroom and here are the numbers (°C) Celeron D : idle (48) load (~70) - stock fan screaming at full speed both id...

Mariner, I have the NF6G-VSTA, good basic board, I just wonder if you are able to adjust the cpu fan speed and if yes, using what. Thanks. I had to use a Fanmate and got it down to 1100 rpm. Agh...that's what I did as well...I sacrificed a 2-optical disc setup and got a Zalman 5.25" fan controller ...

Mariner,
I have the NF6G-VSTA, good basic board, I just wonder if you are able to adjust the cpu fan speed and if yes, using what.
Thanks.

I have this board. I had no compatibility problems with it (using Kingston RAM). What I didn't like is the onboard video does not have enough horsepower to smoothly render 1080i HDTV in a 1366x768 resolution under MCE. At least, not with a Sempron 3200+, nor with an Athlon 64 3500+. The 6150 may be...

Regarding using this MB for a htpc. Does it come with a SPDIF connection, or do you have to add it yourself ? I 'homemade' a digital out using a regular RCA cable and it works, strangely, it seems to interfere with my MS wireless kb/mouse reception. The Abit 6150 board comes stock with S/PDIF In & ...