Should I get a VIA KT 400 chipset mobo?

[MacDude]

Would it be as mistake to buy a VIA KT400 mobo? I would like to buy the Gigabyte one with AGP8X and firewire. The problem is that so far all the benchmarks (TomsHardware) show it to be slower than the KT333 based mobos. I don't know if this is due to crapy DDR 400 or bad mobo design. I would be using the mobo with an Athlon XP 2100+ and DDR 333Mhz. I want to buy a KT 400 board because I've heard that the FSB will go to 333Mhz if ever I want to upgrade the processor.

Thanks for the help.

 

[statix]

Better to wait little longer for nForce2 then you can decide. I won't buy KT400 for myself.

 

[teqwiz]

It's never a mistake to buy the latest and greatest as long as you have 4 things: Money, Prayer, Patience, Experience. Or you could pay me to install it for you.

 

[Dufrane]

I would not buy one since the benchmarks are worse that the kt 333 boards.

 

[pitupepito2000]

Hi,

Right now the VIA KT4 based boards are in such an early stage that you don't gain any performance at all from using them instead they perform lower than the VIA KT3 based boards. I wouldn't go any further than KT3 based board because that amount of bandwith is PC2700 ram, and the fsb of the athlon XPs is 133.

The fsb of the Athlon's is creating a bootleneck right now in performance.

I hope this helps!

 

[fragusmaximus]

MacDude, I have had this same question myself and I would agree with the rest of the posters. I'm not all that impresed with the KT400. I was about to go with the Asus A7V8x, but have decided to wait out. The features included are nice, but the chipset is the most important component to me. Forget the fluff. I'm getting a mb for the chipset.

 

[teqwiz]

I pre paid a soyo KT 400 as I'm So impressed with the 333. Stable man! OC and lots of fun to configure. The 400 is for my new rig. Gotta have the newer technology in hand to play around with it. Looking forward to finding out what that baby will do. Look me up in about 2 or three weeks.

 

[yodayoda]

Originally posted by: MacDude
Would it be as mistake to buy a VIA KT400 mobo? I would like to buy the Gigabyte one with AGP8X and firewire. The problem is that so far all the benchmarks (TomsHardware) show it to be slower than the KT333 based mobos. I don't know if this is due to crapy DDR 400 or bad mobo design. I would be using the mobo with an Athlon XP 2100+ and DDR 333Mhz. I want to buy a KT 400 board because I've heard that the FSB will go to 333Mhz if ever I want to upgrade the processor.

Thanks for the help.

the problem with that review is that it was done by Tom's Hardware with several preproduction KT400 boards by second tier/european makers. don't buy the first board on the market, but it will definitely be faster than the KT333. maybe not as dramatically as the KT266 to KT266a, but still some difference. also the onboard ethernet, firewire, usb 2.0, and 8x agp are all nice touches. that new abit board with ethernet, 6-channel sound, and highpoint raid is looking mighty good =)

 

[Insane3D]

also the onboard ethernet, firewire, usb 2.0, and 8x agp are all nice touches.

All of those things can be had on KT333 boards...except AGP 8X of course.

 

[RideFree]

yodayoda

that new Abit board with ethernet, 6-channel sound, and highpoint raid is looking mighty good

not to mention the lan, USB 2.0 and Firewire.
I assume you were looking at the AT7-MAX2?

 

[MacDude]

There are to problems with the TomsHardware review:
1) They were using pre-release boards and they still had many bugs
2) They were using pre-release DDR 400

I wanted to see the boards used with DDR 333 since that is what I will be using it with. I love the features in these boards, Firewire, USB2, LAN, AGP 8X, RAID, decent sound. These boards have everything! I'm really in a situation where I can't wait any longer. I need a computer now to do lab reports, programming and school stuff.

I just want to know if these boards with support the new 333Mhz FSB when Barton comes out. I want to be able to replace the CPU only (and not the mobo, RAM, etc) in about a year.

I though about it, I'm buying the Gigabyte GA-7VAXP with a Throughbred!

 

[SinfulWeeper]

I say wait for the KT400a chipset. Via always has a small revision of the chipset.

 

[DevilsAdvocate]

Where was the KT333A? Via does not always do that.

 

[MacDude]

And when will that come out? I really can't wait for the KT400a, I need a computer within a week or two. If I order it today it will come next week. I will do some testing and tell you all how it performs.