New mobo needed: which make & model?

[gkar]

I think my mobo is stuffed during a simple vid card upgrade -6600LE to EN8500GT. here is the precis:


I went to upgrade my video card from an MSI NX6600Le to Asus EN8500GT Silent/* 512 today. Here was my procedure:

1) uninstalled video card Nvidia drivers
2) replaced card with new model
3) booted up but no video signal
4) reinstalled original card & booted up fine
5) reinstalled new card: same issue
6) refit original card again but now no video signal with this card

I then started getting constant reboots using case switch; had to turn off at PSU. All chassis, CPU, PSU fans working. HDD drives spinning up. Upon firat boot in (6) it booted up to full login as I heard my startup audio -no video. I tried clearing CMOS but then unable to boot up as probably booting into CMOS.

I removed the mobo from the case, setup on a cardboard platform, connected PSU & video card with connection to CRT TV composite, then VGA to projector. When I first turned on the PSU it began booting instantly without bridging the power terminals. Still no video.

What now! Thanks. Could the mobo somehow be shorted as I heard a slight crack (no worse than has happened on various boards I have worked in the past) when completing (5)? I believe the constant reboots were present before the crack; I think.

Here is my config:

AMD643000+ CPU (not O/Ced)
Zalman 7000B-ALCu CPU cooler
MSI K8N NEO4-F mobo 22/6/06 1D BIOS
MSINX6600LE video card
2X Hauppauge 150MCE tuner cards
Winfast TV2000XP Deluxe tuner card (no drivers installed)
1GB DDR400 Ram
1X SATA 500GB HDD-3X partitions incl. 16GB boot
1X SATA 110 HDD -single partition for TV records
1X SATA 160GB HDD -2X partitions
Silverstone SST-ST400 PSU (new)
Benq DW1640 DVD-RW
Asus E616 DVD Rom
Silverstone LC14 HTPC case
Win MCE2005

I have been researching an upgrade (only two years old & I have to replace CPU & RAM). I am swaying towards the AMD X2 BE-2350 CPU.

What is a good mobo choice? Preferably one with three PCI2.2 slots as any digital tuner cards in NZ appear only to be available in this variant & I want to keep one 150MCE card for analogue.

Other requirements are:
co-ax for audio out
Gigabit ethernet (standard these days)
large no. of SATA connections not required as my case can only fit 4x HDDS max.

Will update as further is thought of: am short on time at moment. Thanks.

[nimrod77]

How about one of these??
or one of these?
Either will do Bluray decoding no problem and have VGA onboard. Saves another component to add to your system.
Check this site for HD playback performance stuff
HTH

[-=SEV=-]

Hi All,

I have been looking at a motherboard for my HTPC as well and the ASUS M3A-H/HDMI has caught my attention. Its a full ATX MB though and has 3 PCI 2.2 slots, its AMD so will take your CPU as well as the BE2350 (recommend waiting for the 4850e though). It has onboard video (HDMI and VGA out) and is also capable of Hybrid CrossfireX with a compatible ATI video card. The Express Gate lite allows u to access internet without booting windows. This board is only just started appearing in Australia so not many places have it in stock.

Info on this board can be found here http://www.asus.com/products.aspx?l1...29&modelmenu=1 .

Paul.