64-bit firepower

Strength in numbers

Naturally, the start of a 64-bit platform is a 64-bit CPU. For this you have two options: Intel’s P4 EM64T based offerings, or AMD’s Athlon 64 path. Either will do, though AMD has the edge at the moment. You also need a motherboard and RAM to match – the CPU dictates the motherboard chipset you can use, and in turn this dictates what RAM you need. So, to help you build your 64-bit platform we’ve looked at and benchmarked eight of the best, five for AMD and three for Intel, to help you take the next step.

How we tested

The common components used for testing were a GeForce 6800 Ultra, 1GB (two sticks of 512MB) of both DDR2 667 and DDR400, a Pentium 4 3.73GHz and an Athlon FX-55. We restarted after each run to get an average of the board’s bandwidth, not the video-cards.

Mobo MSI K8N Diamond Chipset NVIDIA nForce4 SLI, Socket 939 Supplier MSI www.msicomputer.com.au Price: $389
As with many SLI boards, the slots on this Socket 939 SLI beast are probably too tight for a dual-6800 Ultra setup, as it doesn’t allow enough air circulation. GTs would fit perfectly, as long as they’re single-slot-profile-sized. It has six SATA ports, four of which are controlled via the nForce4, dual-Gigabit Ethernet and four DDR DIMM slots, supporting up to 4GB in dual-channel. The standout feature is the onboard eight-channel 24-bit Creative SoundBlaster Live chip. MSI have made a great move by replacing the default AC’97 codec, as seen on the nForce4, with something far greater. Solid 64-bit board with great features.

Mobo DFI LanParty NF4 SLI-DR Chipset NVIDIA nForce4 SLI, Socket 939 Supplier PC Case Gear www.pccasegear.com.au Price: $356
This SLI motherboard was made for the tweaker. From the myriad of BIOS options down to the additional jumpers thrown in and the ability to save up to four different BIOS configurations, this board is really something else. It also has onboard reset and power switches. Equipped with eight SATA ports, it really throws this board ahead in terms of features, with four RAID 0 and 1 ports via the nForce4 and RAID 0, 1 and 5 on the third-party controller. To switch between SLI and normal display mode, six rows of joined jumpers were used with a pair of supplied grabbers. For those obsessed with fiddling, this screams ‘Enthusiast!’

Mobo Albatron K8SLI Chipset NVIDIA nForce4 SLI, Socket 939 Supplier AMI Computers www.ami-computers.com Price: $196

Both SLI PCI Express slots on this mobo are x8, so there’s no need for a converter to reduce the speed. Spacing between these slots is of slight concern on this board, as dual-expansion-slot-stealing cards don’t allow for much air space. In terms of features, there isn’t a great deal. It has a Gigabit Ethernet port, 5.1 AC’97 audio and the obligatory four SATA ports with RAID 0, 1 and 0+1, one port of which is slightly difficult to access with a large video card plugged into the primary PCI-E x8 slot. There is plenty of room for RAM, with four dual-channel DDR DIMM slots. For those after a basic 64-bit board with SLI.

Mobo Gigabyte GA-K8NXP-SLI Chipset NVIDIA nForce4 SLI, Socket 939 Supplier Synnex www.synnex.com.au Price: $299

This baby sports eight SATA ports, with the third-party chip (Sil3114) supporting RAID 0, 1, 0+1 and 5. The BIOS options aren’t quite as hardcore as DFI’s (Ctrl+F1 for advanced options), and instead of multiple BIOS ‘profiles’, there are two CMOS chips, one acting as a backup in case all goes haywire. Packing one 1x and two 16x PCI Express slots, two 32-bit PCI slots, four DIMM slots (up to 4GB), two ATA133 interfaces and dual-Gigabit Ethernet, it makes for an easy platform to transfer the old machine to the new. This mobo is for the power user who wants it all but doesn’t wish to spend too much time tweaking around.