Well...looking at the Intel site on the specs of the board it looks good but I would see about getting the version without the built in graphics, LAN or audio. I dont trust any boards with extra features asd they cause IRQ and system config issues. Only 512MB ram is nice but I would go for a board that offers more memory than that! 512 is a great starter point but 1GB of RAM is truly the way to go!!
Hope that helps some
Opus

Originally posted by seven:
Anybody familiar with the Intel D815EPEA2 motherboard? Pros and cons?
Thanks.

I built a DAW with this MB about 6 months ago. P3 1G, IBM Deskstar drives, 256MB, WIN 2K, etc. I downloaded SONAR to try out on the system, and Logic 4.7. Sonar ran OK, but you really had to keep defraging the drive to keep the audio rolling along. Logic had no problems.

I also have an all SCSI based system with an ABIT Se6 MB, P3 933, 256 Ram, Quantum 10K Drives, WIN98se, Logic 4.8, Soundiver 3. This system is much better than the first, insainly fast, more track count by far, but its not a fair comparison either becasue it is all SCSI 160 based. It too has some quirks.

I've also built a system around the ASUS Cusl2 mb, P3 866, 128 MB, 1 deskstar drive.

Both the first 2 systems have been stable when tweaked and used in their respective ways. I did think that the ASUS board system was faster than all the ABIT system, even though it was an 866 vs a 1Gig P3. I'd rate the Intel as #2, and the ABIT I would not buy again, its seems very slow, but stable after bios updates. However, the Intel board is pretty locked for overclocking, heavy tweaks, etc.

ASUS mb's are real nice, I've also heard great things about the Gigabyte and Tyan boards as well.

They all have some quirk you just have to work around. Don;t assume because it says Intel it will make your life easier. I'd recommend the ASUS boards. Little more sometimes, but you can get them without the unrequired junk onboard.