First, Choose a CPU
Now that mainstream dual-core processors are available from both AMD and Intel (AMD's least-expensive dual-core chip cost around $300 at press time, while Intel offered a $150 dual-core CPU), there are few reasons not to spring for one. But which should you get? At the moment, AMD's Athlon 64 X2 chips are the better choice for power users: In our tests, desktop systems with Athlon 64 X2 CPUs have consistently outperformed Intel Pentium D-based counterparts with similar specs and prices. Our motherboard tests bear this out: The AMD-based systems turned in an average WorldBench 5 score of 122, compared with an average of 110 for the Intel systems.
Motherboards are often categorized according to the type of CPU socket they have. If you're looking for a board that supports dual-core chips, that translates into either a Socket 939 motherboard for AMD chips or an LGA775 board for Intel's Pentium D processors. In the latter (introduced in 2004), the pins reside in the socket instead of on the processor itself. Motherboards using older socket styles (such as the Socket 754 and Socket 478) can be decent choices for extremely low-cost systems.
A Word on Chip Sets
Once you've decided on a CPU, you'll want to look at the different chip sets that support that type of processor. The chip set provides the core logic and manages the motherboard's functions. Several companies (including ATI, Intel, and nVidia) make motherboard chip sets, most of which offer the same basic features. The variants of nVidia's nForce4 chip set were the most widely used on the boards we looked at, though Intel's 975X Express has become increasingly popular for Intel-based motherboards.
If you want an Intel board that can run two ATI graphics cards, for instance, you might go for one that uses the ATI Radeon Xpress 200 CrossFire chip set (such as the Asus A8R-MVP), which supports ATI's CrossFire technology. If you'd like to build a system that uses nVidia's SLI (Scalable Link Interface) multiple-graphics-card technology, you'll need a board with one of nVidia's nForce4 SLI chip sets.
Your CPU and chip set will determine which type of memory your system needs. Although both AMD and Intel boards support dual-channel memory (where pairs of DIMMs are used to boost memory bandwidth), the Intel boards support newer, faster DDR2 memory. We recommend buying the fastest memory your motherboard will accept. That means pairs of DDR400 DIMMs on the AMD boards we tested. The fastest memory the Intel boards support is DDR2-667, though they also take slower DDR2-533.
Ad Choices