HELP: Motherboard Selection (ASUS)

[Ted Mittelstaedt]

> -----Original Message-----
> From: owner-freebsd-questions at freebsd.org
> [mailto:owner-freebsd-questions at freebsd.org]On Behalf Of Predrag
> Punosevac
> Sent: Monday, January 28, 2008 2:37 AM
> To: Ted Mittelstaedt
> Cc: David Naylor; freebsd-questions at freebsd.org
> Subject: Re: HELP: Motherboard Selection (ASUS)
>
>
> Ted Mittelstaedt wrote:
> >
> >> -----Original Message-----
> >> From: owner-freebsd-questions at freebsd.org
> >> [mailto:owner-freebsd-questions at freebsd.org]On Behalf Of David Naylor
> >> Sent: Monday, January 28, 2008 12:21 AM
> >> To: freebsd-questions at freebsd.org
> >> Subject: HELP: Motherboard Selection (ASUS)
> >>
> >>
> >> Hi,
> >>
> >> Late last year I bought a AS US P5N-E (force 650) motherboard.  It
> >> didn't work with FreeBSD and SUMP (I can't blame FreeBSD has Linux and
> >> Windows struggle to run on the board, and it is riddled with bugs).
> >>
> >> I'm now hoping to convince AS US that I need a different motherboard,
> >> does anyone know which AS US boards work (or don't work) with FreeBSD.
> >>  I need SLID, quad core and 4 DIM MS.
> >>
> >>
> >
> > Why don't you ask us when you have actually managed to get AS US
> > convinced?  It seems to me your chances of doing this now are
> > gone.  The Uniform Commercial Code only requires retailers to
> > offer a 30 day guarentee.  Assuming "late last year" meant sometime
> > in December, you should have returned the motherboard to the
> > retailer weeks ago.  And, AS US has no obligation to take the
> > board back and supply you with a different one under their warranty.
> >
> >
> >> One board I was considering was the AS US P5N32-E (with force 680i).
> >> I know there was a problem with NF (but I can live with that, if it is
> >> not already solved).
> >>
> >>
> >
> > I think your nuts to consider AS US again.  You got burned once by them,
> > do you like getting slapped upside the head repeatedly?
> >
> > The best chance you have of
> > salvaging this train wreck is selling the motherboard on Ebay for
> > 50 cents on the dollar, and treating it as a learning experience.
> >
> > In the future, don't buy a motherboard from an online retailer
> > unless you know it works.
> Ted,
> I love reading your comments as you are so knowledgeable but you should
> give a brake to a poor guy. He is already traumatized
> by online experience so we need to conform him.
>

I loved your post!  Your right - he didn't say, of course, that he
bought online - I didn't want to imply that he did, actually, I
just wanted to make sure that he didn't decide to go online.

> There is nothing wrong in buying thins from online retailers as you can
> usually save 30-50% in my experience but as Ted said you have to know
> what are you buying.
>

I buy lots of stuff online myself - but you have to be careful, and
you have to be sure of what your doing.  Most of the time, I am -
but I've got burned a few times online  (fortunately, not for more
than $20 USD or so)

> Tad's idea of Ebay is almost perfect. You can also try to get a read of
> your board on the Craigslist. My advice would be that you put the
> price 10%-20% bigger of what you actually pay for for the board.
>
> If the person knows what he is doing he would not buy from Ebay or
> Craigslist anyway.

Yes - but a lot of people DON'T and so that is why you can unloa.. I
mean sell stuff there.  And of course the old adage of one man's
trash is another man's treasure always applies - I've bought
what just about anyone would consider junk before - extracted
the bits I wanted - then tossed out the rest.  Sometimes when
you need a power supply it's cheaper to buy the device then
toss everything but the power supply in the garbage.

The same things apply to the old car market.  I've seen people selling
a car engine for $600 that I could go buy an old car for $300 that
had the same engine - remove the engine - and haul the rest of
the car to the wrecker and get $50 for the scrap steel.  Of course
I have to have the tools to remove the engine - but they are the
same tools I need to have to deal with the $600 engine.

> I just looked the Tuscon's Craigslist and some moron is selling a mother
> board for $50 bucks. Instead of the picture of his mother board he gave
> a link  to  the Geeks' web-site where the same mother board is clearly
> priced $33.95. Including $8 shipping, that is still cheaper
>  than $50 which his asking price (If I remember well arithmetic from the
> kindergarten:-) ).
>

ROTFL!!  That's one of the best I've heard about.  If you ever want
to kill 10 minutes and get a few laughs, read the craigslist free
list.  I particularly love the ones that start out "free TV set doesen't
turn on - you fix"  Yeah, like I'm really going to be able to fix
a TV that has it's entire circuitry embedded in a big ASIC inside
the TV....

Ted