[mdlug] Well, shucks - motherboard/CPU advice needed

[Dan Pritts]

> Attach a PATA drive to a SATA cable:
> http://www.724deal.com/18-inch-ide-to-ata-interface-converter-card-727.html

this isn't actually what you describe it as, it's a converter
for a laptop hard disk to a standard sized PATA connector.
i'm sure they have the right part for a similar price to
the below.

> 
> Attach a SATA drive to a PATA cable:
> http://www.724deal.com/parallel-pata-to-serial-sata-hard-disk-converter-643.html

since ray mentioned every little bit counts, i'll suggest
http://search.ebay.com/search/search.dll?from=R40&_trksid=m37&satitle=sata+ide+adapter&category0=

which shows them for $5.50 shipped.  I've bought simliar items 
from hong kong sellers before with good results.


for motherboards, I like this board:

http://www.newegg.com/product/product.aspx?Item=N82E16813131174

which has basically everything on it you might ever want, including
firewire, for $80, and is from a good manufacturer (says the guy
with the flakey-under-linux pc chips mobo and the dead epox mobo
from my previous round of purchases).  Note it has ATI graphics,
not nvidia.

or this:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813131172
same, except no HDMI, for $70.

or better yet,
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813131172R
the no-hdmi board "open box" for $38.

danno
--
dan pritts
danno at umich.edu
734-929-9770