Any motherboard experts?

Alright, so I got a new job and it is time to get a new computer. This computer will be used mostly for video editing and some other regular internet/email/multimedia purposes.

My only guidelines for a motherboard would be that it needs to have support for 2-3 SATA HDDs. Other than that, I don't really know what I am looking for in a motherboard.

I am not sure what brands are good, I have been looking on pricewatch.com and see a lot of brands that I am not familiar with and I don't want to get a POS motherboard to go with my otherwise quality computer. If anyone has any brand names I should look for, or a specific motherboard that you like, let me know.

 

I shop from tigerdirect.com
users ratings are reliable

 

tiger direct is alright.

as for brands, ASUS is my favorite. if you can, get a package deal with processor and MB. sometimes its cheaper that way.

 

Asus is a good choice for a mainboard would you like to use a AMD or a Intel processor personally I like using AMD processors because in my opinion AMD is just better and the price is ok if you plan to build your own AMD based system you should also get a good cpu cooler.If you plan to use your system for gaming and graphics AMD is a good choice....
The new sytem should be Vista proof if you plan to use windows Vista....

 

Tigerdirect is okay if you don't mind wading through the rebate BS..
If you want someone reliable with good prices try Newegg.com, Zipzoomfly.com, or geeks.com
I usually use geeks.com unless I want something cutting edge. (in that case, newegg because they have lots of reviews of the hardware so you can get an idea if other people are having good luck or bad luck with a particular item)

If you are building a PC with games in mind, the AMD processors are the way to go. If the computer will be for encoding/decoding video, you probably want to go Intel since they multitask better. (due to hyperthreading)

The amount you have budgeted for your PC is also a determining factor. If you want a good balance of gaming performance and encoding/decoding, and can spend the extra....go with an AMD dual core.

If you want to keep it on the cheap and just want good editing capabilities, go with the P4 with HT technology. (for prescott core get an aftermarket cpu fan...I recommend Zalman)

Why I'm telling you all this is your question was about motherboards...I like certain brands for certain procs


For Intel.....AsRock,Tyan, and Abit
For AMD.....DFI, GigaByte (avoid MSI and Biostar)
For anything....avoid PcChips, Amptron, Chaintech, Jetway, FoxConn

actually ASUS boards are good all around...

One other thing....chipset is important with AMD...Nvidia is best. With Nvidia get at least Nforce-3 250Gb (or higher) chipset if SATA/RAID performance is important

a personal note: I've been around computers since 1980. I've built over 50 PCs in those years. Only 5 of those boxes were Intel. (I like them for servers and I have one right now for.....compiling) AMD rules for gaming...hands down!