Need motherboard advice please

[deathspeed]

I'm looking for a motherboard in the $100 range for a new Intel build, but I haven't been keeping up with motherboard trends lately, and I need to build this within the next 2 weeks so I don't have the luxury of doing as much research as I would like. Can anyone direct me to a site that compares several brands and chipsets? What is the difference between Intel P43 and P45? Why would I ever need dual-LAN?

I'm considering this Asus P5Q SE/R ($92 after shipping and rebate): http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813131335

Any thoughts on this mobo? Or any other suggestions? I don't need SLI or firewire or eSATA. I do need LAN, USB 2.0, SATA 3.0, PCI-E 2.0, and onboard sound, which seem to be pretty standard with the P43/P45.

I'll be using my existing case, drives, power supply, and monitor (see signature), but here is the rest of my proposed build, so any thoughts are appreciated!

memory - kingston KHX8500AD2K2/4GR DDR2 1066
processor - Core 2 Duo E8500
GPU - MSI NX8800GTS 512M OC
OS - Vista Home Premium
mass storage hard drive - Seagate Barracuda 7200.11 500GB or Western Digital Caviar SE16 640GB




-----signature-----
Thermaltake Tsunami, OCZ ModStream 520w, DFI nF4 Ultra-D
A64 X2 4600+, MSI 8800GT,
74 gb WD Raptor, 2x1gb OCZ PC3200 EL Platinum

 

[EXCellR8]

The P5Q is a decent motherboard, with enough features that will suit you. One of the only things I know regarding the P43 and P45 chipsets is that the 45 overclocks better but I'm guessing that you could care less about that... You wouldn't need dual LAN if you don't plan on using multiple local network connections. I would invest in a Radeon HD4850 over the 8800GTS, it's more powerful, will give much better performance and it's cheaper than the GTS. Also, make sure you buy a RAM kit that runs at your motherboard's native speed.

 

[deathspeed]

Thanks! Newegg is running a combo deal with an E8500 and a P5Q Pro motherboard that saves $35, plus there is a $20 rebate on the mobo, so i'm probably going that route.