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Nforce 3 or NForce 4

J

jameswhite1979

Senior member
Hi,

I am looking for a kinda comparision between the two pros and cons new and old. I think that I am going to find that I should have bought a mobo with the NF4 chipset 🙁

J
 
Thats OK I am no so worried about the AGP v PCIe has my Vcard is AGP always. I am also not bothered about the builtin firewall. Any other big differences. Anything to do with the memory controllers and bridges or is this more on the mobo side of things?

J
 
The HT speed is faster on nForce4, I believe.

Also, you're a fool for asking about differences in memory controllers.

The memory controller for the Athlon 64 is on the die itself.
 
Originally posted by: jameswhite1979
Thats OK I am no so worried about the AGP v PCIe has my Vcard is AGP always.
Click to expand...

Then you wont be able to use a nF4 motherboard without getting a new video card.

 
It's a good point Traire I know that Biostar produce a boards with a 'XGP' port but its just a *connector* to the AGP via a PCI and limited bandwidth and support for video cards.

I ended up having a good read on the nvidia site and found all the data I required which was mainly the Raid0+1 stuff.

I am aware that the MC in on die I was just typing a fast post and forgot. Fool....... hehe well would be intresting to know what you do for a job and then I will tell you what I do 😀
 
Originally posted by: ItmPls
Nforce 4 = PCI Express / 939
Nforce 3 ULTRA = AGP / 939
Nforce 3 250 = AGP / 754
Click to expand...

UNFORTUNEATELY that's an OVERSIMPLIFICATION. I have been shopping for socket 754 and sokcet 939 boards and I found, for example, a socket 754 mobo with an nFORCE 4 chipset and PCI-Express, the ASUS K8N4-E Deluxe which can be seen over here at New Egg ! Furthermore, I have "found" a couple of Socket 939 boards that have the nFORCE 3 chipset. For example, the Gigabyte GA-K8NSC-939 mobo which can be seen over here at NewEgg and the Gigabyte GA-K8NS Ultra-939 with the nFORCE 3 "Ultra" chipset but socket 939 which can be seen over here at NewEgg along with the Gigabyte GA-K8NSNXP-939 with nFORCE 3 "Ultra" chipset which can be seen over here at NewEgg !

HERE'S what the MAJOR DISTINGUISHING factor is:

I found NO nFORCE 3 mobos that were NOT anything but AGP graphics/PCI based boards and I found NO nFORCE 4 mobos that were NOT anything but PCI-Express 16 graphics/PCI-1/PCI based boards REGARDLESS of which socket they employed, whether it was Socket 754 OR Socket 939. The SOCKET style is NOT what distinguishes the nFORCE 3 chipset-based mobos from the nFORCE 4 chipset-based mobos but rather the graphics and major PCI bus architecture. 😀

Take care and good luck !

Greg
 
Originally posted by: Insomniak
PCI Express. The new standard. That's the big show. Other than that, the two core logics are all but identical.
Click to expand...

That's BASICALLY correct but as piroroadkill pointed out there IS a difference in the HT (HyperTransport) bus frequencies between the two chipsets.

The nFORCE 3 runs at 800MHz and the nFORCE 4 runs at 1000MHz.

Not a real huge difference but one of the difference between the two none-the-less.

And as Traire pointed out, one WILL have to get a new video card, if they only have an AGP card because currently ALL nFORCE 4 boards are shipping with PCI-Express 16 slots for graphics ! 😉

 
BTW, with all other features being equal on a particular brand of motherboard, the nFORCE3 mobos and the nFORCE 4 mobos are almost indentically priced !!!
 
Originally posted by: Fisher999
Originally posted by: Insomniak
PCI Express. The new standard. That's the big show. Other than that, the two core logics are all but identical.
Click to expand...

That's BASICALLY correct but as piroroadkill pointed out there IS a difference in the HT (HyperTransport) bus frequencies between the two chipsets.

The nFORCE 3 runs at 800MHz and the nFORCE 4 runs at 1000MHz.

Not a real huge difference but one of the difference between the two none-the-less.

And as Traire pointed out, one WILL have to get a new video card, if they only have an AGP card because currently ALL nFORCE 4 boards are shipping with PCI-Express 16 slots for graphics ! 😉
Click to expand...



Immaterial. The Performance difference is negligable. The only thing it might affect would be overclocking, and anyone enthusiast enough to do proper OCing won't be asking the differences between NF3 and NF4.
 
Originally posted by: Fisher999
Originally posted by: Insomniak
PCI Express. The new standard. That's the big show. Other than that, the two core logics are all but identical.
Click to expand...

That's BASICALLY correct but as piroroadkill pointed out there IS a difference in the HT (HyperTransport) bus frequencies between the two chipsets.

The nFORCE 3 runs at 800MHz and the nFORCE 4 runs at 1000MHz.

Not a real huge difference but one of the difference between the two none-the-less.

And as Traire pointed out, one WILL have to get a new video card, if they only have an AGP card because currently ALL nFORCE 4 boards are shipping with PCI-Express 16 slots for graphics ! 😉
Click to expand...


That's not true, Nforce3 150 runs at 800mhz and Nforce3 250 runs at 1000mhz. So basically the only difference between the two chipsets is agp/pci-e.
 
The original NF3-150 was 600mhz not 800mhz.

The NF3-250 and NF4 are for ANY A64 cpu's.

The 754 chips works just fine on NF3 and NF4. The same for 939 chips. They work on NF3 and NF4 chipsets. The mobo makers are pretty much the ones that determine which cpu they want to implement with their mobo's.


Jason
 
Originally posted by: Insomniak
Immaterial. The Performance difference is negligable.
Click to expand...

I agree that the performance difference is negligable but that was NOT the point I was trying to make. I was emphasizing to him to be careful to realize what video card interface he would have to choose going with nf3 vs nf4.

Greg

 
Originally posted by: formulav8
The original NF3-150 was 600mhz not 800mhz.
Jason
Click to expand...


Not that it matters much, but I believe some Nforce3 150 could do 800mhz after a BIOS update with some board makers. Anyhow, no one in their right mind would buy an nforce3 150 right now.
 
Originally posted by: formulav8
The NF3-250 and NF4 are for ANY A64 cpu's.

The 754 chips works just fine on NF3 and NF4. The same for 939 chips. They work on NF3 and NF4 chipsets. The mobo makers are pretty much the ones that determine which cpu they want to implement with their mobo's.
Jason
Click to expand...

You did not read my original post in this thread very cleary; I pointed out that both socket types, 754 and 939 are used on BOTH nF3 AND nF4 chipset-based mobos. I only pointed out to him that (mobo maker's decision or not) that RIGHT now if you go nF3 you will have to use an AGP graphics board and if you go for nF4 you will have a board which requires a PCI-E graphics card. THAT's the point !!!

Some of you know-it-alls are so nit-picky and only READ WHAT YOU WANT TO READ.

THANK GOD MOST people at this forum are NOT like YOU !!! :disgust:

 
Originally posted by: Fisher999
OMG NO U UR WRONG K!?@
Click to expand...

chill out with the caps?

if you want to compare the two, why don't you go to the chipset manufacturer's website? i'm sure they have a full list of specifications for each.
 
Originally posted by: fishmonger12
Originally posted by: Fisher999
OMG NO U UR WRONG K!?@
Click to expand...

I did not say what you have entered as my "quote". And as far as CHILLING OUT with the caps I ONLY do that when I feel something needs to be EMPHASIZED; if it bothers you than ask more politely.

:disgust:
Click to expand...
 
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