budget diy cnc controller question

[Jonathan]

People keep saying them boards are crap but have offered no alternative? I know there cheap crap thats why im here to get opinions and learn more about what others are using.

I bet you can't find a finished build log on this forum which doesn't show/tell which drivers they used.

Your question is like asking someone 'what engine should I buy for a 2.5m long van?' Nobody is going to tell you to get a specific engine because we don't know anywhere near enough about the van. Granted, a lot of people use the same drivers and similar motors, so we could mention one of those - but aside from being an argumentum ad populum, that would be irresponsible since you'll very likely end up with a poorly matched system. Don't think that just wanting to cut MDF and plywood makes things easier, as it's actually optimal to use the highest feedrates for cutting those materials.

Pick a few of the build logs from this forum at random and read them:
Gantry/Router Build Logs
Also read some for smaller machines so you can see the important differences you must consider for your relatively large machine.

Edited to add:
What are you prepared to pay for the whole system? As a rough guess I'd say minimum £2k to make something good enough, but good enough is the enemy of the best...