3 Motherboard Recommendations
Power on a Budget: ECS AMD690GM-M2
You rarely find the most exciting and up-to-date components for bargain-basement prices, and that goes for motherboards, too. But in terms of basic features, and with a $54.99 price (after a $10 mail-in rebate), the AMD690GM-M2 from ECS is a good deal. Capable of housing AMD's current powerful AM2 processors, supporting up to 16GB of RAM, and with a PCI Express x16 slot for a 3D-crunching graphics card, it offers more up-to-date options than many budget models. If integrated graphics are all you need, the onboard AMD 690 chip is among the best you'll find. The board even supplies integrated VGA and DVI ports.
Elitegroup Computer Systems
The Entertainer: Gigabyte GA-MA69GM-S2H
If you're looking to build a Media Center-style machine and want to make sure you don't miss anything, the $89 Gigabyte GA-MA69GM-S2H might be the Socket AM2 board for you. In addition to a VGA port for your monitor, it has optical S/PDIF in and out ports, eight-channel integrated sound, and a High-Definition Multimedia Interface (HDMI) connector for high-definition (HD) video. If you want to upgrade your video later, you get a PCIe x16 slot, as well as a PCIe x4 slot and two PCI slots. The four SATA hard drive connections enable you to add enough drives to have plenty of room for recording (and watching) HDTV right away. Get the right case, and the MicroATX form factor could allow you to keep your computer right next to the television.
Gigabyte Technology
Game Winner: Asus Striker Extreme
Enthusiasts with a taste for Supreme Commander or World of Warcraft frequently push their PCs to the limits, and the Asus Striker Extreme is a great tool for that. It supports up to 8GB of DDR 800 RAM, three PCIe x16 cards (allowing for two graphics cards and a physics-acceleration card for top 3D performance), and Intel's newest, most powerful CPUs. It also features eight-channel audio, a rear-panel LCD screen for diagnosing errors, and enhanced overclocking features. At $349.99, though, the faint of heart (or wallet) need not apply. Buy Now
Asustek Computer
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