Best mATX conroe capable board for sensible money

I finally got my new computer build this weekend, and the P5B-VM is even weirder then I expected it to be.

First, when I plug the powercord in and switch the computer on, it will start and shutdown immediatly. Then after 2 or 3 seconds it starts up normally.
When the computer is off, and then switched on it start normally from the start.

Second, my Highpoint 2310 PCI-e 4x RAID controller isn't ok with this board.
It scans for drives, but doesn't find any, and when updating the BIOS the loading utility says it can't find any card...
The P5B-VM BIOS also doesn't show the card as a bootable device.
The controller works fine in another machine here at work.

Third, the 0307 BIOS reports my CPU temp some 13C higher then with 0207.

If these, and other things aren't changed/fixed by the end of october, and gigabyte hasn't released their mATX board which hopefully does work ok, I am back too ATX. Too bad I spend so much money in boards, cases, etc.
 
Well, I read a few weeks ago that Intel had problems with the graphics driver of the G965 IGP, and that therefore all manufacturers would delay there boards till the beginning of october.
Why Asus released the P5B-VM I don't know, since it uses that exact chipset...
 
well if i get a matx system im probably going to not get one until mid/later october anyway.

I just wish we could have some kind of definate info from OCUK or the manufacturers.
 
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ive sent OCUK an email about this asking when the new line of Conroe MATX boards will be available. Hopefully soon, as im itching to order and get rid of this hoover of a full atx system.
 
OK - I've just got my hands on an ASUS P5L-VM 1394.

mATX - Check!
Stable Intel 945G Chipset - Check!
Fully featured with loads of expansion ports, USB and Firewire - Check!
PCIe 16x Slot - Check!
4 DDR2 Slots - Check!
Supports Core2Duo - Check!
PCIe/PCI lock - Check!
Maximum FSB 450 - Check!
Wide range of CPU, Chipset and Memory voltage options - Check!
Does it actually overclock - YES!

I think we have a winner! And it's not the new SE one, either, it's the old one. The SE doesn't clock over 300 FSB apparently although you may be able to flash the BIOS backwards :confused:

And it's not megabucks either. I got a bundle of a retail E6300, 1GB decent clocking RAM and the motherboard for £265 delivered. (motherboard alone would have been £58).

All these weeks scouring the product specs pages seem to have actually yielded some results at last.

Now I just have to see how high it will go. I'd be delighted if I could get something over FSB 400 (2.8GHz). At the moment I'm burning it in at 333 FSB on stock volts.
 
Does it have a PCI lock too? And can it boot from other devices?

I got a Highpoint RocketRaid 2310 (sata-ii raid controller) and it doesn't show up in my P5B-VM list of bootable devices.
 
WJA96 said:
OK - I've just got my hands on an ASUS P5L-VM 1394.

mATX - Check!
Stable Intel 945G Chipset - Check!
Fully featured with loads of expansion ports, USB and Firewire - Check!
PCIe 16x Slot - Check!
4 DDR2 Slots - Check!
Supports Core2Duo - Check!
PCIe/PCI lock - Check!
Maximum FSB 450 - Check!
Wide range of CPU, Chipset and Memory voltage options - Check!
Does it actually overclock - YES!

I think we have a winner! And it's not the new SE one, either, it's the old one. The SE doesn't clock over 300 FSB apparently although you may be able to flash the BIOS backwards :confused:

And it's not megabucks either. I got a bundle of a retail E6300, 1GB decent clocking RAM and the motherboard for £265 delivered. (motherboard alone would have been £58).

All these weeks scouring the product specs pages seem to have actually yielded some results at last.

Now I just have to see how high it will go. I'd be delighted if I could get something over FSB 400 (2.8GHz). At the moment I'm burning it in at 333 FSB on stock volts.
Click to expand...

Keep us updated. PLEASE. ;)
 
prism said:
Does it have a PCI lock too?
Click to expand...

No. there is no BIOS option that explicitly sets the PCI clock, but as I am currently at 366 FSB it doesn't seem to be a problem. Onboard video, SATA and Gigabit ethernet are not affected.

prism said:
And can it boot from other devices?
Click to expand...

I'll try it later with an SiI3112 card, but there is no obvious [BOOT FROM SCSI] type option
 
For those with the P5B-VM, just pulled this off the Asus forums.

Well after a lot of searching forums.. I found out you have to manually set the PCI-E lock to get this thing to overclock.

In BIOS set the PCI-E to a max of 120, and the RAM to DDR2-667. I got the FSB stable at 325mhz atm (2.927ghz). Not great but a huge improvement over 270mhz lol.

If you go above 120 PCI-E though it will not recognise your harddrives.
Click to expand...

Someone wanna try it and see if it helps?
 
Confusion said:
me need a 965/975 chipset board.

wanna get a board which will support Quadro CPU.
Click to expand...

What? - you mean like when ASUS were saying that the 975X based boards would be Core2Duo compatible and then they weren't?

The number of people who, even 12 weeks after the launch of Core2Duo, are hanging back because the 'good' motherboards are not yet out should teach you that;

1. He who waits doesn't have a system.
2. Early adopters pay too much and generally get shafted.
3. There is always a better motherboard/processor/graphics card etc. coming out in a few weeks. See rule No. 1. ;)
 
Tute said:
WJA96, how's the new board going? You must be getting close to 400FSB by now?
Click to expand...

Er.... It's switched off upstairs and I'm sitting listening to the radio with the cat on my lap. It was quite happy at 366 FSB before tea, so that's where it got left for the evening. :rolleyes: Some people just get new computer stuff to play with too often eh? ;)
 
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