nForce2? nah........... KT600!

[drewK7VT2]

I have read a ton of reviews on the KT600, and after seeing all the problems that people seem to have with the nForce2, I think the KT600 chipset will be on the next motherboard I buy. Really, though...I don't see why people think the nForce2 chipset is so wonderful(it's good but not great). Albeit the KT333/400 aren't as advanced as the nForce2, they really are just as reliable if not moreso. I still use a KT266a board and love it. I was gonna get an nForce2 board because I hate waiting, but I think it's gonna be worth the wait for the KT600. Should be out in a few weeks to a couple months, and if I remember correctly ASUS is going to be the first brand to use the KT600.

:D

-drew

[drewK7VT2]

some KT600 news/reviews:

http://www.hardocp.com/article.html?art=NDc2
http://www.neoseeker.com/news/articles/headlines/Hardware/2403/
http://www.neowin.net/comments.php?id=9676
http://www.xbitlabs.com/news/mainboards/display/20030606162829.html

[MonkeyBlitch]

hmmm interesting...

[Blakhart]

Sounds nice. The problems associated with the nvid boards will drive many to a via product. Like me.

[glc]

Mark my words, folks. Those boards being "reviewed" now are hand picked pre-production boards. I predict the same thing is gonna happen with the KT600 as has happened with almost any new chipset - everyone is gonna be rushing to buy the first ones in the door, and they are gonna have problems. You guys will be swearing at them just as much as you are swearing at the NF2 right now. When they have been out for a while and they get 6 or 7 bios revs under their belt, then they may be stable - just in time to be made obsolete by the next greatest thing since sliced bread to come out.

The famous Intel 440BX chipset - arguably the best chipset ever made - had major issues in its early days. We wouldn't touch them for quite a while, we stuck with the old LX chipset and its 66 FSB till the BX got all the bugs out.

We computer "hobbyists" are really just a bunch of unpaid beta testers. I don't dare build a computer for a customer with unproven components. That's why right now I do almost exclusively Intel 845PE and GE boards, they are "mature" and proven solid.

[reboot]

I love beta testing.
I've had my share of bad language with the NForceII, but nothing compared to any SiS boards I've owned.
Performance is there, once it's configured.
The KT400 performed without jumping through hoops, the 600 promises much, but will it deliver?
I still love my 440BX/PIII overclocked setup, mostly because it's more stable than anything else I've ever owned (overclocked), and I'll probably still have it running in 5 years or more. Not so with any current AMD setups, regardless of chipset.

[drewK7VT2]

I've never really even bothered with nVidia or SiS. Since I started using AMD (first AMD was a K6-550 on a board w/ VIA Apollo MVP3 chipset), I have always used VIA and have had nothing but praise for them. Before that I was Intel all the way. Now after using both, I think I could go either way.

I, too, hope that VIA isn't over-promising with the KT600. Also, I wonder if there will be a KT600a, like they did w/ the kt266(a)/kt400(a). The "a" version may also be something worth waiting for, if it's even necessary.

[Blakhart]

All too true, glc, but still the nvid probs are just the same as via's; trying to patch silicon with code. It can't be done. Then there's serious design flaws.....
Case in point: http://www.nforcershq.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=16898

Pay attention to my part in the dialogue.

Vive la BX!

:D

[drewK7VT2]

Originally posted by Blakhart
All too true, glc, but still the nvid probs are just the same as via's; trying to patch silicon with code. It can't be done. Then there's serious design flaws.....
Case in point: http://www.nforcershq.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=16898

Pay attention to my part in the dialogue.

Vive la BX!

:D

99% of VIA and nVidia's chipsets are perfectly reliable if you buy a decent-brand motherboard. I'm so tired of people saying one sucks just because a few people had a bad experience. I have never had a problem with VIA, just like many have never had a problem w/ nVidia. The problem areas reside in a very small percentile and do not really even represent the norm. Even SiS is *decent* if it's put on the right brand motherboard.

[Speedypeanut]

Have you checked out the Chaintech Zenith 7NJS, runs on the NForce 2 and i havet had any problems with it, i dont think ive heard of any problems with it, in the any review, cept price.

[Xayd]

Actually some of Via's problems spanned across multiple chipsets, and have been well documented (bad IDE drive performance, PCI latency causing sound corruption/disk corruption, etc.).

nVidia seems to be starting out with the same type of track record. /shrug

If AMD wants to be a serious competitor they need to step up and start making the mobos and chipsets as well. As long as you're forced to use a third party mobo with their CPUs they'll never dent Intel's sales that much.

I used AMD from the K6-2 thru the original Athlon myself, but Via eventually drove me away. It might not matter much on a websurfing appliance but when you start dealing with large amounts of data and video/audio editing and recording and such, the instability of a Via mobo will drive you literally insane ;).

[Blakhart]

Look around in the forum part of nforcershq.com, and you'll see that every make of nforce has owners with audio problems. Many also complain of poor ide performance. And this is not just a few people, either. Via has had the same issues in the past, but for differing reasons. If a technology is not performing up to "advertised" levels, then I tend to communicate my dissatisfaction regarding same. I think, but am not positive, that this may be a natural response.

[Vlad16]

It would be nice if AMD actually started introducing chipsets for their own processors as Intel does. I had horrible problems with the VIA KT266 chipset, switched to the AMD chipset and have yet to have a problem. Unfortunetly that was almost two years ago and AMD has yet to release a chipset for their newer processors.

In the Intel world, it's usually a no brainer going with an Intel chipset with an Intel processor. AMD really needs to get onboard by supporting their processors with their chipsets. Of course, this will likely happen with their 64 bit processors but they lost almost two years in the market without releasing new chipsets.

[glc]

The first AMD chipset for the Athlon (751?) was very stable, but not exactly a good performer. Their DDR chipset actually used a Via southbridge.

AMD has a chipset for the Opteron.

[drewK7VT2]

i have used a kt266a for quite a while. zero problems. not too sure about the kt266 though.

on the other hand, yeah, I do agree that AMD needs to hurry up with their own chipset. and hopefully the athlon64's AMD chipset will be a good reliable performer.

[CaptTuna]

My nForce2 has been stable as a rock since day one. You get some good ones, you get some bad ones. You pays your money and you takes your chances.