1) nothing wrong with AsRock. They're decently solid. Good reviews of the board across sites and customer reviews.
2) given that you're going to need a digital cable anyways, just get a HDMI-to-DVI cable or adapter. I'm sure there are cheaper ones if you look, but I found this in 20 seconds. -
nGear HDMI-DVI/D (Dual Link) 6FT Cable - M/M (19 Pins) / (24 PINS+1)