Byte claiming all single-processor AMD chipsets unstable

[NFS4]

<< guy that wrote that article is an idiot. The 761 chipset has been just as stable as any intel chipset I've ever owned.

NFS4 doesnt want the tea, just the ice...possibly to get nicole to give him a titty piercing >>


Ouch, no piercings for me

Actually, iced tea is my favorite drink. However, I could play hide the ice cubes with her after I finish the tea

 

[nortexoid]

what about the memory translator hub issue w/ intel chipsets??

now THAT is a stable intel chipset...uh huh...and that's not the only one.

isn't there some recent southbridge issue regarding IDE transfer?...that they DON'T plan on resolving?

besides that, there's a ton of chipsets minus VIA that are perfectly stable.

i won't pretend that VIA is good....they do work for some stably depending on the configuration and software used, but they're far from being stable, typically.

 

[JediJeb]

Hmmm K7S5A running SETI, Trillian, Netscape, IE and Office on W2KPro 24/7 for the last 4 months without a single crash. Nawwww not stable at all.

 

[alphatarget1]

so far i have no problems with my new AMD (finally no more intel for me ) but i've heard nightmares with nForce chipsets. VIA chipsets are getting better though.

processor wise: If I'm gonna make a server it's probably not going to be an AMD due to the heat (don't give me that XP runs cooler than P4 sh!t you know it's not true) but performance wise AMD is really g00d for the price. They just need to improve on the shortcomings of their CPUs (which there aren't many, heat is the main factor). At least they dont rely on their marketing department to make g00d CPUs

 

[RanDum72]

And he also forgot about the Intel 820 chipset...very buggy....

 

[human2k]

god damnit why nicole? theres a faaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaarrrrrrrrrrrrrr better selection of "ladies" for the perfect bj.

 

[AGodspeed]

but i've heard nightmares with nForce chipsets.

Just cause I'm curious and interested, where have you heard of nForce "nightmares"?

 

[hans007]

ok via sucks. it takes some work sometimes to get it perfect. but it'll work.


byte was a great magazine before. especially before when they were still a print magazing. i used to read it when i was like 10 learned a lot about a lot of things. they were far more technical than pc mag. it was like the difference between anandtech and hardocp

 

[Gstanfor]

This is a prime example of why I dislike VIA so much. VIA's athlon supporting chipsets have done as much to tarnish the reputation of the Athlon and AMD as they have done to help. So much so that even veteran industry observers like Jerry can't see the wood for the trees.

I've said this before and I'll repeat it again (and again if necessary) - VIA helped the Athlon to be accepted into the market by ensuring there was a platform out there to run the chip on, and for that we should be grateful (ALI could and should have done more than they have up until recently, same with SiS).

What I am not grateful for is VIA not bothering to bug fix its core logic, even after 3 generations of athlon chipsets (and those bugs stretch right back to pre super-7), instead preferring software patches to fix issues.

Until VIA properly documents its chipsets, as others who wish to be taken seriously in the industry do and fixes long present bugs and quirks that should not be present in current chipsets if their engineers were doing the job they are paid to do, then VIA deserves to be a low-end, bottom feeder, value oriented chipset producer only - which is exactly what they were until they managed to become almost the sole supplier of athlon chipsets.

VIA is the only real smear the Athlon has ever really had to endure. Unfortunately, since they control the majority chipset it is a large smear that has held the success of the Athlon back more than any other factor has managed to (including Intels best efforts at blackmailing the industry into not using the Athlon). Even if the competing chipsets out there were to overtake VIA overnight in Athlon support I doubt you could reverse the damage that has been caused.

I sincerely hope that AMD is not planning on relying as much on VIA for Hammer support.

Greg

 

[Pocatello]

Come on, without VIA's support, AMD wouldn't be as successful in the market as it is now.

 

[Duvie]

I agree via sucks...They have done a lot to damage the reputation of amd chips...if not...notice how many recent converts to p4 systems that are all saying easy installs and tweaking and more stability now at 600mhz ocs then via was ever...

I still think my sis735 was a tremendous board...ecs qc aside there is still not one credible sis chipset issue I have seen...via should give sis a BJ!!!!

This is what you get when you trust a competitor (ie cyrix) to build for you...Also they have the lamest p4 boards...so they pretty much suck the full gament...

 

[Priit]

<< I agree via sucks...They have done a lot to damage the reputation of amd chips... >>

And I think Microsoft has done a lot of damage to all alternative platvorms fcking up/not including their drivers..

 

[Narcoleptic]

I've been using a Abit KG7-R motherboard allmost since it came out with a overclocked Duron its so stable I the only time I reboot is for a patch.

 

[MrGrim]

All I have to say is that VIA's KT133A is making me switch to an Intel platform. I will never try another VIA chipset no matter how good it is.

Oh and please no "you can't setup a system properly" replies because plugging a ZIP drive and installing VIA 4in1 drivers is not that big of a task; guess what though, both of them don't work!

Anyway ...

 

[Venomous]

<< Oh and please no "you can't setup a system properly" replies because plugging a ZIP drive and installing VIA 4in1 drivers is not that big of a task; guess what though, both of them don't work! >>



Then you need someone else to build your computers because i have a Zip and a Asus A7V133 working without issues, special patches, etc on Win2k Adv Server.

 

[PliotronX]

This guy seems like GUTB Sr..

 

[Athlon4all]

Here's what I have come to think. I think that this whole situation, which I think is at the center why amd is having so much trouble gaining acceptance, really, the computer industry has been spoiled by intel. Intel's chipsets are sooooooooo easy to install, and usually trouble free that companies won't settle for anything else. I think that also VIA got a very bad reuputation in the SS7 days and even in the early Athlon days (KX133) (ALi fits into this category as well) and some companies may not be willing to fight with VIA products again. I will not argue that without VIA's support, the Athlon would have not gotten off the group, but really IMHO, the time has come for another dominant player to take over in the chipset market for AMD and I really have been impressed with both nVidia and SiS in the pastyear and really, if they can just gain enough acceptance from Mobo makers and the general public, I think that there is great potential for AMD's rep to be better. VIA Does make decent products, and they can be stable but I do think that they are not as good as SiS and nVidia's solutions. We'll see what happens, but I think that over the next few years VIA is on it's way out and SiS and nVidia will be fighting for their spot in the market. Thats what I think.

 

[Pabster]

While I don't necessarily agree in sum total with Byte's assesment, one cannot totally discount the merits of the arguments.

VIA chipsets have driven no small amount of would-be AMD users to the other side of the fence, even sacrificing performance, to maintain a stable and trouble-free machine. And you can't blame 'em.

The only truly solid Socket A chipsets are from AMD (of course) and SiS. ALi's latest is decent, but doesn't have the performance.

 

[Gstanfor]

Pabster, not to be picky or anything, but why no mention of the nforce in your list of stable motherboards? In what way do you feel it lacks stability? (leave aside performance and integrated features briefly and focus on core chipset stability as compared with others).

Greg

 

[DN]

I agree overall with what he said about AMD and it's supporting chipsets.. If you're a gamer then you probably don't REALLY care to the point of denial, but that's another story..

 

[NFS4]

<< I agree overall with what he said about AMD and it's supporting chipsets.. If you're a gamer then you probably don't REALLY care to the point of denial, but that's another story.. >>


??? OK, care to back up your statements?

 

[DN]

Besides my own personal experiences with the issue, you do read the forums, right..? Base yourself on that alone, if necessary..

 

[Novgrod]

y'know it's funny, i got a kt133a-based mobo--you know, the one that passed Anand's 24 hour stress test without a crash, so he extended it to 48 hours and it still didn't crash--and I couldn't be happier.

Seems obvious that this guy isn't applying the scientific method.

 

[Mem]

<< It's not the AMD Athlon chips, which are so far as I can tell quite stable and solid; it's the support chip sets, which aren't. >>




Sounds like USER ERROR to me ,



<<
The only truly solid Socket A chipsets are from AMD (of course) and SiS. ALi's latest is decent, but doesn't have the performance >>




BAH!!!! ....the only true solid Socket A chipsets is the ones I buy & install myself .

 

[MadRat]

VIA chipsets work just fine. The only drivers broken in VIA chipsets are the ones between your ears, Pabster. You are just angry with the world and VIA is a PC target around here. Truth is they work just fine.