VERY Low-Cost Hacks

[PH]

I see from recent NewEgg additions that they are offering closed-out Intel-manufactured motherboards for as little as $25.

Many of these are LGA 775 models, but some are earlier, pre-LGA models.

Of the LGA 775 models, some are DDR, but a few are the more desirable DDR2.

The ones which are BTX are to be avoided. These are an obsolete form factor which did not make the grade.

The ones which are ATX are usable in most currently available cases.

Throw-in some DDR or DDR2 RAM and a P4 proc, or a better, if supported, Core 2 proc, and that is one way towards and exceptionally low-cost Hack.

The 915GAV and 915GAG seem to still be available on eBay and elsewhere, and although these are DDR and not DDR2 (so the RAM will be more expensive unless you can obtain hand-me-down sticks from G4 Mac Minis), the range of procs which are supported is greater, and includes Intel procs which have EM64T (supports 64-bit instructions). Plus, the 915 Northbridge is fully supported by the MacOS X GMA950 kexts, even in Lion, and with all resolutions and CI/QE.

[Jeff Hester]

I'm not one to question Peter :) but wouldn't the "low cost" of these MB's be erased by the extra cost of RAM you'd pay instead of going with DDR3.  I could see these as a "deal" if one had a lot of old RAM laying around.  But DDR3 RAM is pretty cheap these days, much more so that DDR2.

 -- Jeff

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[mosslack]

On Jun 24, 2012, at 5:30 PM, Jeff Hester wrote:

I'm not one to question Peter :) but wouldn't the "low cost" of these MB's be erased by the extra cost of RAM you'd pay instead of going with DDR3.  I could see these as a "deal" if one had a lot of old RAM laying around.  But DDR3 RAM is pretty cheap these days, much more so that DDR2.

 -- Jeff

Would be nice if someone did a comparison for that as it is a good point. I've really cut back on new Hacks, partly b/c I'm now retired, but also b/c I have many other things going on. 

Just a message from mosslack...

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[pete...@cruzio.com]

> I'm not one to question Peter :) but wouldn't the "low cost" of these MB's
> be erased by the extra cost of RAM you'd pay instead of going with DDR3.
> I could see these as a "deal" if one had a lot of old RAM laying around.
> But DDR3 RAM is pretty cheap these days, much more so that DDR2.

Yes, the above is essentially true.

IF you have DDR or DDR2 RAM already, then no amount of low(er)-cost DDR3
RAM which is purchased will be cheaper.


Incidentally, DO take a look at the new B75/P75 motherboards from Gigabyte.

The 75 series Northbridge gives you on-chip USB 3.0 (with unknown MacOS X
compatibility), support for legacy PCI slots (which the earlier 7 series
Northbridge did not, but could with an extra-cost generic "bridge" chip)
and SATA III/SATA II ports as 1/5 rather than 2/4. The 75 series also
offers extra USB 3.0 ports for, say, the front panel, although one
motherboard places all four on the rear panel.

Interesting: some BIOSes are offering an option whereby pre-USB 3.0
devices will be rejected on the on-chip USB 3.0 ports.

Intel is billing the 75 series as between the entry level 7 series and the
performance level 7 series. I guess one could read the 75 series as 7-1/2.