Risks of Buying a Cheap Motherboard

[edmn61]

Well, I've been looking around for good AGP cards for a good price, and I've found some stuff, but it was nothing near what I originally wanted. However, most of the PCIE cards I found were cheaper while still being better. I found out that I could buy a new PCIE compatible motherboard, buy a better graphics card, and spend about the same amount.
I've been looking around at some AMD motherboards, and I've seen a wide price range. What would be the disadvantages of buying a cheap one, other than a smaller number of slots? And I would also appreciate if someone would tell me about any compatibility issues that could arise with a new motherboard.

EDIT: I also have a question about Newegg. There's a mother board that has a low price and it says open box, but when I click on it to get a more detailed product description, the price goes up to what I assume the price would be if it wasn't open box. This doesn't happen with another open box item I tried. Is it a typo? The Prob

Also, any of you have any recommendations? Price, AMD 64 compatibility, and PCIE are what I care about most.

 

[Ethereal_Dragon]

There are no open box items at the link you gave.....

Obviously, the cheaper Mobo's will typically have less features, and my not be as reliable, and shorter lifespan.

You will want to make sure that you are getting a motherboard with the same CPU socket type, and DDR memory (only socket AM2 supports DDR2).

 

[edmn61]

Oh, they updated it.

Well, aside from socket type, hard drive type, fitting inside the case, and memory problems, what else do I have to consider when getting a new mobo?

I've never upgraded a PC except for adding RAM, so, what are the chances of a pin snapping off the CPU or RAM when getting a new mobo?

 

[Ethereal_Dragon]

There is ALWAYS a chance that a component can be broken while working on a PC. As long as you read the documentation that comes with the hardware, and understand how the components fit together BEFORE connecting them, you will be all good. Just take your time and be patient.... Rushing isn't work breaking an expensive component.