K8T890 vs NF4

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Brian23

Banned
Dec 28, 1999
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Today VIA anounced the 890 chipset. To me it looks like a good chip. I don't understand why everyone is all excited about the NF4's SLI. Some people (me) don't care about SLI, so via's chip looks just as attractive. I've heard that the 890 has better audio quality too. I've never had a problem with any VIA chips before. Why is everyone excited about nvidia's chip and not VIAs?
 
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Sunner

Elite Member
Oct 9, 1999
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I like nVidia chipsets more in general, but I'm probably gonna get a VIA based board due to nVidia's lacking OSS support.
 
flexy

flexy

Diamond Member
Sep 28, 2001
8,464
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106
ni, it does not. NF4 has some ghetto ac97 software sound 'emulation'.

I will probably wait for benchmarks - but i do NOT think that there will be any big performance differences between nf4 and kt890. in the end features will count...and a good onboard sound could definetly be a selling point.
 
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Darien

Platinum Member
Feb 27, 2002
2,817
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Why not just buy a sound card? Most analog connections on onboard sound are utter crap. nforce2 is no exception. If you can afford a nice set of speakers that use optical input and the like, then you can afford a dedicated soundcard.
 
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imported_michaelpatrick33

Platinum Member
Jun 19, 2004
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The via chipset will also have SLI support coming out so I don't know if Nvidia will have a huge marketing advantage based on SLI or not. Time and performance numbers will tell.
 
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Chris2wire

Senior member
Oct 20, 2004
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I like Nvidia, its better in many ways but mainly because its "cooler". That may sound stupid, but Nvidia is a trendy company, if you know what I mean, while VIA is not.

But, theres many problems with high end Nvidia cards and Nforce3 motherboards. ironic huh. Theres a 14 or 15 page thread somewher eonline full of ppl with the same problem. It sucks. Im one of them. So I've switched to VIA, but on my next upgrade in the far future Ill gladly go back to Nvidia. Itll be Nforce5 by then though.
 
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n0cmonkey

Elite Member
Jun 10, 2001
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noob = newbie
FOSS = Free/Open Source Software

Right now there is no good support for FOSS from nVidia. Their ethernet drivers are all closed source, and they refuse to release documentation. With graphics I can understand (not like, just understand), but since just about every major ethernet chipset company out there has either release open sourse drivers or the documentation to allow developers to create open source drivers, nVidia has _no_ excuse for not releasing something.
 
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Sunner

Elite Member
Oct 9, 1999
11,641
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Originally posted by: n0cmonkey
noob = newbie
FOSS = Free/Open Source Software

Right now there is no good support for FOSS from nVidia. Their ethernet drivers are all closed source, and they refuse to release documentation. With graphics I can understand (not like, just understand), but since just about every major ethernet chipset company out there has either release open sourse drivers or the documentation to allow developers to create open source drivers, nVidia has _no_ excuse for not releasing something.
Click to expand...

Yep, it's not like an Ethernet controller is a big mysterious thing, and it's not like nVidias controller does anything special.
Same thing with their soundcards, I can understand if they don't wanna opensource all the fancy stuff, nvmixer and whatever it's called in marketish, but geez, just give the OSS world something basic to allow plain old sound playback.
 
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arswihart

Senior member
Jul 16, 2001
541
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this is a good question, kt890 vs. nf4 i mean. I was disappointed just like everyone else when SoundStorm2 was not in the final specs for nf4. I can't believe it really. Its going to cost nvidia a significant market share, lost to VIA in this case. I look forward to the day when all components are built into the motherboard, including great graphics and sound, while add-on cards are truly that, add-ons for specialized functions. The onboard sound on the nf4's will undoubtedly be inferior quality, and that is going to tip my decision to go with VIA instead of purchasing some overpriced pci sound card just to get decent audio.
 
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n0cmonkey

Elite Member
Jun 10, 2001
42,936
1
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Originally posted by: Sunner
Originally posted by: n0cmonkey
noob = newbie
FOSS = Free/Open Source Software

Right now there is no good support for FOSS from nVidia. Their ethernet drivers are all closed source, and they refuse to release documentation. With graphics I can understand (not like, just understand), but since just about every major ethernet chipset company out there has either release open sourse drivers or the documentation to allow developers to create open source drivers, nVidia has _no_ excuse for not releasing something.
Click to expand...

Yep, it's not like an Ethernet controller is a big mysterious thing, and it's not like nVidias controller does anything special.
Same thing with their soundcards, I can understand if they don't wanna opensource all the fancy stuff, nvmixer and whatever it's called in marketish, but geez, just give the OSS world something basic to allow plain old sound playback.
Click to expand...

Sound cards are a tighter market than ethernet controllers. Name 5 "ok" or better sound card companies. ;)

But ethernet cards are a dime a dozen. Everyone makes them. There are great ones with good open source drivers (think intel), cheap decent ones with open source drivers (think linksys), and crappy ones with open source drivers (think 3com). Keeping that stuff secret makes no sense at all.
 
flexy

flexy

Diamond Member
Sep 28, 2001
8,464
155
106
it all comes down to that: What does NF4 HAVE what others do NOT have ? (Things which are usefull, needed ?)

The answer: Nothing.

All chipsets will have 1000 HT, dual channel. Mem controller is on the CPU anyway, so dont expect any big performance differences.

Built-in hardware firewall ? I certainly dont need it since i have a router, everyone can get a $60 nice linksys everywhere....NV wants to seel you onboard h/w firewall, eaeting up 10% CPU cycles....sorry...this is nothing for me :)

Onboardsound ? This subject is already done with..NF4 wont have any good one.

SLI ? SOme say VIA comes out with SLI.

I personally am not interested in SLI in a market where a good card is RARE like golden eggs and is over $600 or so....second i think SLI is retarted anyway.....third, the NV SLI only supports NF cards, which is retarded too.

And yes, i think anandtech (?) even mentioned that there are KNOWN incompatiblities w/ Nforce4 and *certain* IDE optical drives.

So..the only advantage of NF4 is that, RIGHT NOW, it looks like the best, fastest chipset supporting S939/SLI, dual channel etc...but, as said, other boards are coming out soon...ATI, SIS, VIA....NF4 is *not* the big thing like it was hyped first...on the other hand..let future benchmarks decide. I hope they'll come soon.
 
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CSMR

Golden Member
Apr 24, 2004
1,376
2
81
Originally posted by: n0cmonkey
Sound cards are a tighter market than ethernet controllers. Name 5 "ok" or better sound card companies. ;)
Click to expand...
E-MU, M-Audio, RME, Terratec, Edirol. Do I get a prize?
 
Mrvile

Mrvile

Lifer
Oct 16, 2004
14,066
1
0
Also since Radeon has so many more PCIe cards out right now than nVidia does, they'll take a nice leap once their version of SLI comes out. Anyone have a link to some official text for VIA/ATI SLI?
 
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n0cmonkey

Elite Member
Jun 10, 2001
42,936
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Originally posted by: CSMR
Originally posted by: n0cmonkey
Sound cards are a tighter market than ethernet controllers. Name 5 "ok" or better sound card companies. ;)
Click to expand...
E-MU, M-Audio, RME, Terratec, Edirol. Do I get a prize?
Click to expand...

:cookie:

Never heard of any of them.
 
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OMGoddess

Banned
Jun 25, 2004
714
0
0
Originally posted by: ohnoesaz1
I like Nvidia, its better in many ways but mainly because its "cooler". That may sound stupid, but Nvidia is a trendy company, if you know what I mean, while VIA is not.

But, theres many problems with high end Nvidia cards and Nforce3 motherboards. ironic huh. Theres a 14 or 15 page thread somewher eonline full of ppl with the same problem. It sucks. Im one of them. So I've switched to VIA, but on my next upgrade in the far future Ill gladly go back to Nvidia. Itll be Nforce5 by then though.
Click to expand...


This is so true that it's funny.
 
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Acanthus

Lifer
Aug 28, 2001
19,915
2
76
ostif.org
Originally posted by: Mrvile
Also since Radeon has so many more PCIe cards out right now than nVidia does, they'll take a nice leap once their version of SLI comes out. Anyone have a link to some official text for VIA/ATI SLI?
Click to expand...

There will be no SLI for ATi this generation.
 
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