Recommend Me OC'ing AM2 mATX Board

[_WBaS_]

After much debate, I've decided that I'd like to try the mATX world. I travel a bit and I don't use a lot of hardware so I think I can get away with mATX. I will probably try to squeeze any performance I can out of the system without buying a CPU new cooler. I think I'd like to get the TT Lanbox.

Main points for my consideration:
1) Moderate to low cost
2) Moderate OC'ing ability
3) Needs to have PCI-E x16
4) Needs to have at least 1 SATA and 1 PATA
5) Needs to support DDR2-800
6) Needs to fit both my GFX card & Sound Card
7) Needs to support AM2 socket (obviously), AM2+ not necessary as I do not upgrade frequently

... does anyone have a recommendation for a decent overclocking mobo that supports my hardware (refer to my sig)?

Thanks in advance!

[One4yu2c]

The LANBox is an excellent choice for a micro-ATX enclosure. It got high marks in our review, and we got to play with it again when Left-Click sent us their MicroPwn system for review.

As for overclocking, that's always a challenge with mATX motherboards. You'll generally find yourself working with a gimped BIOS, though there are exceptions. We haven't received any mATX AM2 motherboards for review, but if we were going to request one, it'd likely be the Gigabyte GA-MA69GM-S2H. We can't vouch for it personally, but we've been pretty impressed with Gigabyte's enthusiast level offerings to come through HL, and the reviews around the web on this model look promising (LINK, LINK, and LINK). Just keep in mind that you'll need to hit CTRL-F1 in Gigabyte's BIOS to uncover the more advanced tweaking options.

[_WBaS_]

Thanks one4yu2c, I saw that motherboard but wasn't too sure. I'll have to read the reviews you linked. I was also considering the BIOSTAR TForce TF7025-M2. Any thoughts on this mobo?

[One4yu2c]

Same rule applies, in that I can't offer hands on experience. But I can say that I'd have a very tough time recommending a Biostar or PC Chips branded motherboard. These companies cater more towards the budget buyer, and can make a suitable choice for a general purpose PC, but even then, I'd argue that there are just too many higher quality alternatives (Asus, MSI, Gigabyte) at similar price points to give Biostar and the like high consideration. And when it comes to enthusiast minded setups where overclocking will play a role, you get a simple 'don't buy' recommendation.

In all fairness, their current boards probably aren't too much different than the 'other guys' (you'll find that many companies end up sharing the same reference design), but Biostar has the burden of proving themselves and shaking their reputation before becoming a viable alternative. We actually have an enthusiast oriented Biostar (TP35D3-A7 Deluxe) currently undergoing benchmarking, and without giving away the review (we're not finished yet), I can say that preliminary results show they're taking a step in the right direction, but they're not there yet.

[_WBaS_]

I appreciate your honesty. Although I find it surprising that you don't recommend a Biostar Tforce for overclocking. I've heard many good things from overclockers about their Tforce line. Looks like I'll need to do a bit of research on mATX boards. Thanks again!

Anyone else have recommendations to add?

[gvblake22]

I have a mATX Gigabyte AM2 board and I can tell you right now they are not made for overclocking. The BIOS (at least on my GA-M61PM-S2) is very limited, it won't even let you change any of the RAM timings except for the CAS latency. My suggestion is that once you get your choices narrowed down, go to the manufacturer's website and download the manual for the board you are considering and read through the BIOS section. If the options in there look sufficient, then put it in the "yes" category; if not, then slide it off into "no" territory. If the BIOS doesn't let you change much, then an obvious lack of effort has been made to condone overclocking or tweaking. Finding a mATX board that will overclock like most people are used to is going to be a real challenge, so don't get your hopes up too much.

As for mATX cases, you might want to check out the offerings from Cooler Master. Their mATX case offerings are usually compact, but still provide decent cooling (at least a 120mm fan somewhere) and room for slightly larger coolers. You might also want to check out the Silverstone SG03. It's a little more expensive, but is obviously designed with the enthusiast in mind.

[One4yu2c]

Originally Posted by gvblake22

I have a mATX Gigabyte AM2 board and I can tell you right now they are not made for overclocking. The BIOS (at least on my GA-M61PM-S2) is very limited, it won't even let you change any of the RAM timings except for the CAS latency.

As an FYI, the GA-M61PM-S2 is very much a different breed than the above linked GA-MA69GM-S2H. I'd be careful not to pigeonhole a branding as either OC friendly or unfriendly based on a single model, and look at the specific board(s) in question. It's like any other formfactor - different models for different purposes...

[_WBaS_]

Good suggestions gvblake22, thanks! I'll def. check out the manuals before getting the mobo. Only problem is that with gigabyte you don't know what you'll get with the ctrl+f1 since they don't list that in the manual :(

EDIT: One4yu2c, that second review said they couldn't change the vcore???

[One4yu2c]

Originally Posted by _WBaS_

EDIT: One4yu2c, that second review said they couldn't change the vcore???

HardOCP noted they were using the F3A BIOS, which is the latest BIOS release available according to Gigabyte's website. My guess is that the other site was using an older BIOS version that didn't allow changing the vCore:

HardOCP Review - The GA-MA69GM-S2H’s BIOS is built using the Phoenix AwardBIOS format, with version F3A shown below. Note that GIGABYTE chose to hide more advanced options from the end user, which can be accessed only by pressing the CTRL-F1 key combination from the main menu[...]The CPU voltage becomes user settable with the CPU Voltage Control option set to Manual. The BIOS allows for a maximum of 1.550V to be supplied to the CPU, which is a high ceiling when using the newer .65nm AM2 CPUs.

Gigabyte Product Page - BIOS F3A, 2007/08/03, Improve HT bus overclocking

If that board's a consideration, I'd dig around the web and see if you can find a user testimonial to confirm or deny the vCore options, or shoot an email to the review site and ask which BIOS they were using.

[gvblake22]

Originally Posted by One4yu2c

As an FYI, the GA-M61PM-S2 is very much a different breed than the above linked GA-MA69GM-S2H. I'd be careful not to pigeonhole a branding as either OC friendly or unfriendly based on a single model, and look at the specific board(s) in question. It's like any other formfactor - different models for different purposes...

I wasn't trying to say that all Gigabyte boards or nVidia based mATX boards are poor overclockers. I was just trying to say that motherboard manufacturers usually don't seem put a lot of effort into designing mATX boards to be very "tweak friendly"; there are, of course, many exceptions. I just used that board as an example of things to look for since it is the only mATX AM2 board I have first hand experience with. So sorry if my post was unclear, I didn't want to stereotype all Gigabyte mATX boards or something. I was just trying to point something that was not tweaker friendly with my board so other buyers with similar mindsets (like Stormcrow) can keep it in mind when they are shopping around.

Not getting on your case bro, but thanks for having me clarify things, I don't want to come across saying something I didn't mean...