Nvidia Nforce Vs VIA chipsets

amiga1

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Nov 19, 2004
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Hi

My next computer im building will have an AMD 64bit CPU and be mainly for games.

im just wondering if i should get an Nforce3 or VIA chipset motherboard? is one better than the other or is the difference in performance neglible.

cheers.
 
THG has done a review of the SIS, VIA and the Nforce chipestes

<A HREF="http:///http://www6.tomshardware.com/cpu/20040601/socket_939-08.html#nvidia_nforce3_250_ultra" target="_new">clicky</A>
 
nVidia makes better quality chipsets than VIA. SiS makes better quality chipsets than VIA. Hell, I think my mom could make a better quality chipset than VIA. VIA is a power player in the industry (size wise) and uses that weight to get boardmakers to produce high priced boards using their junk components, but that's just polishing a turd.

I'd go nVidia all the way.

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<font color=red>Only a place as big as the internet could be home to an ego as large as Crashman's!</font color=red>
 
Amiga,
Looks like we're in the same boat. I've decided to go with the K8T800pro. Still trying to settle on a board though, I'm going socket 939 and mo's are still pretty scarce. Let me know what you settle on.
 
hi...ok thanks for the advice...ill get a nforce board :)

@airspace31

im probably going to go for the gigabyte GA-K8NS...its a 754 socket board.

I'll be getting my computer parts around december 11th...will nforce4 boards be out by then?...and are they really alot better compared to nforce3 boards?
 
yes the nforce4's should b out and easy to find in 1-3 weeks.

they have many more features than the nforce 3 boards (depending on the company u choose and $), but they will prolly rape the nforce 3. also keep in mind that the nforce4's have pci-express, so u may have to change ur vid card option.

p.s. if u r gunna buy sooner than the nforce4's DO NOT get a s754!!!! they are not the way to go because they will not be upgradable beyond 3400+ (correct if im wrong).

Homer: (crying) ahhh i dont remember the last time i cried like this!
Lisa: When u put ur shirt on backwards
Homer: (crying) o ya, (crying) the tag chafed my skin (crying)
 
That just hit me, if you upgrade to a PCI-ex board a video card better come with it. Seems like my next major upgrade will be around next Christmass or beyond. . .
 
they will not be upgradable beyond 3400+ (correct if im wrong).
the 2.4Ghz, 1Mb Cache 3700+ is a S754 part, and is the official highest chip that will be supported on S754. People willing to overclock will no doubt get far higher though :wink:

---
"Sex without love is an empty experience...
But as empty experiences go, it's one of the best" - Woody Allen
 
I had an old VIA board and I still blame it for subtle problems I experienced. Supposedly nVidia cards and SB Live's didn't work properly together on VIA boards (of course Creative's tech support was abyssmal for the Live!, so who knows what the problem was). So on this upgrade I resisted temptation in lower priced VIA boards and went with the nForce 3 250 Ultra GB and cannot be more pleased.

I concur with Crashman, who has given me plenty of guidance, too. Stay away from VIA!
 
I'm currently running a gigabyte ga-7va and have actually had no problems thus far. I bought this system pre-assembles and it came with a geforce 4 mx 440. after I got it home I installed my soundblaster live 5.1 on it and never had any problems with it, unless you consider the graphics card itself being garbage

only thing is, if I'd have known better I'd have built the system myself(which is my next project before too long, you can expect to see me wandering around THG's forums sticking my fingers into places they don't belong trying to figure out what goes where) and would have used an nforce2 board for the OC features though.
 
The GA board is nice. I also really like the Asus K8N. Trick with s754 boards is to use the ram slot closest to the chip. The fewer slots used the better. The on die memory controller is a great thing, but it does cause some pain. I am not too high on the 939 boards because of memory problems.