Motherboard Advice

[vinx]

1) i have xp atm, but with a new build im prolly going win7
2) idk, havent really looked into that yet lol
3) yea i meant cores, but it does stand to reason they are seperate and going to be faster then 2.0 (id just rather look stupid an ask first before buying lol)
4) no other parts.. i expect the total price to vary depending on parts. but i like to start with the MB first and build around that.
5) Gaming, plus id like to run Adobe CS5 creative suite on it

I think the CS5 has recommended processors iirc but the real question is just..
what are some decent manufacturers? or maybe better yet..
what manufacturers should i avoid?

I usually dont buy high end and dont mind takin chances on soso mid range hardware
I just want to avoid the brand names with horrible track records..
know any? hehe