Intel chipset: G31 Vs. G33/43

[imported_leonard]

I am building a computer that serves as a test machine for server-side web developement.
Since this machine will run without a monitor, it may be better to pick up a chipset with
integrated graphics. I have several choices from Intel: G31/33/35, G43/45. After checking
for a comparison chart among these chipsets from Intel's website, I prefer G31 since it is
cheap and some of its weaknesses (Maximum 4GB RAM support, ICH7, less USB ports) do not matter for me. I'd like to know whether there are other problems with G31 when it is used in a computer served as a small server?

 

[hans007]

i have a g31...

the only real differences between g31 and G33 are that th eG31 uses ich7 and the g33 uses ich9.

the G31 also only supports 2 dimm slots instead of 4. ich7 has 4 sata and native IDE. G33 has 6 sata and No native IDE.

theres no reason not to use it for a server. the igp is the same. G35 has a slightly better igp than the g33. and the g43 or g45 support more HD decoding basically. But yeah the G31 probably is no real world difference for a server. In fact the native IDE port is an advantage in unix, so you wont have to load drivers for a jmicron or marvell ATA controller if you have ATA devices.

 

[imported_leonard]

Thanks for your helpful comments.

 

[Wedge1]

Originally posted by: hans007
the G31 also only supports 2 dimm slots instead of 4. ich7 has 4 sata and native IDE. G33 has 6 sata and No native IDE.

Please educate me a bit here on what this actually means if I have a DVD-ROM (PATA) that I wish to connect to a board with no native IDE. What must be done to make the DVD-ROM work properly?

 

[renethx]

FYI

- G43 supports only two DIMMs (or four ranks/four sides).
- G43 does not support full hardware decode acceleration of MPEG2, VC1, and AVC.

 

[renethx]

Originally posted by: Wedge1

Originally posted by: hans007
the G31 also only supports 2 dimm slots instead of 4. ich7 has 4 sata and native IDE. G33 has 6 sata and No native IDE.

Please educate me a bit here on what this actually means if I have a DVD-ROM (PATA) that I wish to connect to a board with no native IDE. What must be done to make the DVD-ROM work properly?

Just choose a mb with an IDE connector. Almost every motherboard except Intel brand has a third-party IDE controller.

 

[Zap]

Originally posted by: Wedge1
Please educate me a bit here on what this actually means if I have a DVD-ROM (PATA) that I wish to connect to a board with no native IDE. What must be done to make the DVD-ROM work properly?

Basically most (but not all) motherboards will have an onboard chip that adds IDE/PATA functionality to the board. These add-ons work well enough that usually you won't ever know that IDE is no longer built into the latest Intel chipsets.