Motherboard Selection

[Jabes]

After looking at reviews of what seems to be an endless and overabundant supply of motherboards out there, I'm completely overwhelmed!
All I want is a motherboard that is known to work flawlessly with Hardy. I'm not really even that picky. My only criteria is:

compatible with an Intel Quad Core Q6600 processor
integrated graphics with option for video card
a nice-to-have would be eSATA support


I'll likely just use the integrated graphics on the board because I'm not doing anything graphics intense.
Any opinions or recommendations would be appreciated.

[Vivaldi Gloria]

ATX and onboard graphics is hard to come by. I doubt you can find one. There are good mATX cards around with ob graphics. I suggest you read the reviews of gigabyte mobos at newegg.com.

I have a couple of mATX cards with intel 3100 onboard graphics card. I really like 31000 because it works out of the box and there are FOSS drivers for it. Even a better & newer version of 3100 is out - 4500. I haven't tried them yet.

When it comes to esata, most gigabyte mATX mobos with more than 4 sata ports have an esata port. But if your case doesn't have an esata port then you need to buy an esata bracket also. Something like this:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16812226006

I'm not sure how the linux support is for esata drive hotswapping. Search these forums.

Any new LGA 775 mobo supports Q6600. No worries there.

I also like gigabyte boards with "D" in their name. These have solid state capacitors in them. Less likely to brake, a bit more energy efficient.

So goto newegg.com and browse gigabyte (asus etc) motherboards with LGA775 architechture and with 3100/4500 ob graphics. For example this looks nice:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813128353

[Jabes]

Thanks, Vivaldi Gloria. I didn't know that ATX boards don't typically come with integrated graphics. I guess the reason i was looking for an ATX board was because my case is big enough to hold it and ATX typically has more slots to work with. But if there is a good mATX board out there, I'm open to the idea.

I do have an eSATA port on my case. I was hoping to make use of it. I'll check into hotswapping.

I'll go to newegg today and look at some of the motherboards you mentioned.

[Jabes]

Just an FYI for anyone else searching for a motherboard that runs well under Linux, Phoronix.com tests motherboards and video cards with linux for compatibility. Most of the reviews that I've read there are pretty comprehensive. There is no way they could test every board out there, but it's a good place to start and will give you and idea of what chipsets work well under linux.