Yes by reading this topic, I'm sure you are all laughing already, but here is something I have never experienced in all my years of Tech'ing and building for customers or myself:

So yes, on my gaming system due to cashflow problems at the time, I needed a cheaper, newer motherboard to put in my P4 3.2 S478 CPU. So I bought the ASROCK P4S61 800FSB from one of my distributors. It had everything I needed to get back gaming again and have some fun. Now I knew I was cheaping out but hey, you would too if you wanted to just chuck in a temp MOBO and get playing until you had the money for a better performance board, no? Well maybe you wouldn't.

Anyway, I had also bought a ATI brand Radeon 9800 Pro AGP card to throw in for the graphics I needed, only running the onboard sound and a 3COM NIC, I knew I was ok. I had an ANTEC true power 450W power supply to boot, so all should have been fine......right?

Short story here: after being up and running for only about 30min playing Need For Speed Underground 2, I smelled that dreded electronic burning smell and before I could do anything, the PC powered off. Scared as hell, I hooked up my thermal tester to the ATI card and found it was not the problem but in fact the power supply. I tried powering back on but to only get a small power flicker and that was it. The power supply was dead! I couldn't understand it. So I pulled out one of my Enermax 300W reserve's and installed it. This time after about 20min of game play, that power supply packed it in, (with no smell this time). Now I was pissed off, how can this be? 2 great reputlable PS's fried?? It gets better!

I then head off to one of the local retailers to buy a new Antec 400W, now being carefull, I installed this one and had my thermal tester along with it, I powered up and everything was fine. I then started up the game once again and watched the levels on the tester, all was good until, BLAMO! it spiked and fried the power supply AGAIN!.

By this time you think I would have given up? Nope!
I brought it back and received a new one. Now this time I reverted back to my old Geforce FX5600, played the game and all was fine. No nothing. I figured ok, bad Video Card then....I returned the ATI 9800 Pro and got a new one as well, I installed it and didn't even get to start the game before, BANG! my system shuts off. I pick up one of the dead power supplies and throw it at the wall, calm down, have a beer and think.....well now obviously it's this crap ass motherboard!. I double check the specs on the board in conjunction with the specs on the ATI card AND the Geforce card for fun. Everything check out fine, go figure?

So at this point I head off to my distributor and he RMA's the board for me and ask's if I want another one. I tell him he's out of his mind and I pick up an ASUS P4P800 DLX.
Also I swap out the dead power supply and get yet, another one! I install the new board and power supply along with the ATI 9800 Pro and not a damn problem since...in fact I managed to get on of the highest benchmarks I have seen on a 9800 Pro.

Moral of the story? Dont EVER go against your own morals as a tech and cheap out. I can't believe I have the balls to even share this one, but hey! Manufacturers should not claim that their boards will support high end peripherals when all they do is cause pain. I know they are a low end board but geez, AGP port frying power supplies!? New one on me guys. Thanks for reading my BS experience.

Cheers!

You desearved to get screwed buying a AGP setup over a PCi-E setup with a 6600GT Vs a 9800 P (all with a simular price) . I mean ASROCK??!?! Common man seriously . Ontop of all that It has a SIS chipset! what kinda gaming are you doing? Buying a SiS chipset is the worst thing you can do for a gaming system.

He could of bought a VIA, maybe just as bad. Isnt ASROCK the same thing as Asus?

the Prisoner

I'm not a number, I'm a free man!