[AllenD]

Is this FIC FS15 MOBO reliable? I know nothing about FIC. I've only had experience with ASUS. I'm trying to build a PC for general use and as a second HDTV recorder while keeping the cost down. I'd rather not sacrifice reliability for cost. Any other suggestions...


Thanks.

 

[AllenD]

*bump*

 

[xcel]

Hi Allen:


___I actually posted a long note about FIC’s trouble in the past as well as various other VIA type issues w/ various board manufacturers but after I posted, I followed your link to see you were looking at an I815 EP. In either case, here is just a part of that post that may give you some reasons to possibly reconsider any board from FIC themselves:

___I am assuming you were looking at VIA chipset based FIC’s so my post will deal with those …


___If you have read you fair share on FIC boards from the infamous Socket 7’s to today’s latest various VIA based solutions, you are choosing what I would consider one of the lowest tiered MB manufacturers out there. This does not mean that a turn around may have occurred but seeing FIC based xx11x MB’s make headlines amongst the tech forums again and again (problem posts), would make this companies boards one of my last choices. I am looking for other HQ alternatives to Asus boards considering the very high prices we are having to pay for them currently …


___I pulled out the rest of the one and a half page post as it would be entirely OT given the chipset you were looking at but hopefully this helped.


___Good Luck


___Wayne R. Gerdes

___Hunt Club Farms Landscaping Ltd.

___ [email protected]

 

[AllenD]

Thanks Wayne. The other reason I was looking at the FS15, other than price, is that it has the I815 EP chipset. I'll keep looking around for more info/review on this mobo.

 

[xcel]

Hi AllenD:


___Might I suggest instead that you consider an Intel 815EPEA2 for your PIII needs? At less than $100.00, Intel boards are almost completely void of configuration adjustments but are extremely stable and are within 2 – 3% of any other I815EP board at std. clock rates and none BIOS tuned configurations. The price can’t be matched for the stability and or compatibility. Just don’t expect to be able to tune the board to what you can the board of choice in the PIII arena in an Asus CUSL2/TUSL2 is all.

As an edit: I just looked up the prices on the TUSL2 and it is also under $100.00 now! Why even think of lesser boards when you can have what I consider the best I815EP board for under $100.00 in this case.


___Good Luck


___Wayne R. Gerdes

___Hunt Club Farms Landscaping Ltd.

___ [email protected]

 

[AllenD]

Wayne,


You talked me into it. You are the voice of reason in a sea of confussion that's called my brain.


Who's a reliable etailer that sells it at that price? Pricewatch lists Megamax, Beatprice, PeachPC, Myinfinity, and USSA are selling the TUSL2 for $99 + s/h. (Beats Mwave by $30 total which pays for my RAM!)


Thanks a bundle!

 

[xcel]

Hi Allen:


___One link should suffice … Reseller Ratings . Be careful with those shipping charges as well. I have ordered parts from Peach earlier this year before they had any real ratings but they have raised their shipping rates a tad and there reseller rating has fallen so I have not used them since.


___Good Luck


___Wayne R. Gerdes

___Hunt Club Farms Landscaping Ltd.

___ [email protected]

 

[Drake Sullivan]

I was one of the few who jumped on the first generation of AMD Thunderbird boards: the FIC AZ11.


Since I have first used this board, it has been nothing but trouble. Via chipsets have lost my personal "nod"; the issue with the SB Live/southbridge, frequent system lockups, BIOS posting drive devices in garbled characters (and failing to work upon post) have been a nightmare.


Once in a blue moon, my DVD-ROM drive will fail to recognize under the secondary channel. At which point, the drive has to be moved to the orimary channel on slave setting, degrading the speed of the hard disk (ATA/33 vs. ATA/66). Granted, the hard disk never really would exceed 33 MB/sec except on bursts, it still felt like a cumbersome task. After a few months time, the HDD and DVD-ROM drive will not get along, and spit up garbled letters upon boot-up again. It's a vicious cycle.


Multiple BIOS flashes have been made, and the newest 4-in-1 driver updates will hang WinME (w/a black screen).


Since getting this board, FIC boards have really lost my loyalty. I heard a few people recommending this in the past, but they really aren't all that perfect. Case in point, if you want a decent MB, go with Asus or MSI.