NF3 250 or Kt800 pro?

[imported_intercollector]

Looks like both chipsets are pretty decent for overclocking and performance, so it really comes down to the features.

Since both offer basically everything I need, my question is, which has a better sound implementation, since I plan on using whatever onboard sound they have.

 

[Odeen]

Both sound implementations suck, but the audio quality itself might be a little better on a Via motherboard with VT1616 codec chip than on an nForce3 motherboard, most of which will use some variant of the Realtek codec (ALC650, 655 or 850).

NF3 250 also does something unholy when you use an ATI video card instead of nVidia, so, unless you're a die-hard nVidia fan, I'd actually <shudders> recommend the Via chipset, as they don't have a dog in the GPU race, so the platform is pretty videocard-agnostic.

 

[DAPUNISHER]

She ain't cheap but she's a beauty and uses the Via Envy24HT 7.1 audio The one small failing of not being able to lower the mutiplier is likely to be resolved with a bios update later.

 

[tennesota]

Originally posted by: DAPUNISHER
She ain't cheap but she's a beauty and uses the Via Envy24HT 7.1 audio The one small failing of not being able to lower the mutiplier is likely to be resolved with a bios update later.

That is the board I would have preferred buying.

 

[RedBeard0531]

I'd go for the 150 version of that board, and save yourself the 30 bucks. they about the same performance.

 

[Sickpuppy]

What is wrong with ATI video + Nforce boards? I just got an ASUS K8V that I am going to return due to instability issues(random reboots/Memory timing problems), I am not sure what to replace it with.

I just care about performance and stability and I am not sure if my problems would occur on all the VIA boards or just the ASUS.

Edit: Overclockability a BIG plus! ^^

Suggestions?

 

[Vette73]

I am using the VIA chipset for my A64 right now. My board also has the VIA Envy soundcard on-board.

I KINDA lean toward the nivida IF it comes with the Envy sound and the staright path ethernet card (not on the pci bus)
BUT I think the VIA chipset supports up to 1200HT? So you might be able to control it more and get a better overclock? But is still to early to tell.

 

[BlindBartimaeus]

I got the vnf-250 and I am more than pleased with it for 80 bones. Of course there is no firewire which I don't use, and multiplier control which is fine cause I am getting pc 4000 ram, and it just has a regular lan which is OK becuase it works just fine.

Just my two cents

 

[Axon]

Just picked up the MSI KT800 offering, will see how it works out.

 

[DAPUNISHER]

Originally posted by: RedBeard0531
I'd go for the 150 version of that board, and save yourself the 30 bucks. they about the same performance.

That's not accurate. While benchies at stock aren't dramtaically higher they are improved, and it now features native SATA, a hardware firewall, 1000HT, and AGP/pci lock. Well worth the extra $30 IMO. The native SATA frees up the pci bus for gigabit and other badwidth hungry devices which will be a substantial improvement for those who need it.

 

[McArra]

Originally posted by: DAPUNISHER

Originally posted by: RedBeard0531
I'd go for the 150 version of that board, and save yourself the 30 bucks. they about the same performance.

That's not accurate. While benchies at stock aren't dramtaically higher they are improved, and it now features native SATA, a hardware firewall, 1000HT, and AGP/pci lock. Well worth the extra $30 IMO. The native SATA frees up the pci bus for gigabit and other badwidth hungry devices which will be a substantial improvement for those who need it.

But chaintech still uses Sil3114 for SATA

 

[DAPUNISHER]

Originally posted by: McArra

Originally posted by: DAPUNISHER

Originally posted by: RedBeard0531
I'd go for the 150 version of that board, and save yourself the 30 bucks. they about the same performance.

That's not accurate. While benchies at stock aren't dramtaically higher they are improved, and it now features native SATA, a hardware firewall, 1000HT, and AGP/pci lock. Well worth the extra $30 IMO. The native SATA frees up the pci bus for gigabit and other badwidth hungry devices which will be a substantial improvement for those who need it.

But chaintech still uses Sil3114 for SATA

I hadn't noticed that, weird....

EDIT: hey, got that answered thanks to our resident Guru mechBgon in another thread

I found what it is that I was recollecting... grab the .PDF file linked at the left side of this page at nVidia and they talk about it under the STORAGE header there. Integrated support for four SATA drives, integrated PHY for two of them and a digital SATA interface for external PHY with support for the other two. It would be interesting to see one of these paired up with a couple of 74GB Raptors.

So it appears the SI controller is off the pci bus now=sweetness!

 

[Josephus]

The Chaintec (nforce3 250) does not utilize the chipset's SATA/ATA features AT ALL. TGhey just plopped the 250 in for the 150 and made no design chages to the board at all. If you're looking for a 250 board, wait a while until Asus and MSI hit retail.

As for me. I'd probably go with the newer nforce boards. I'm not big inot overclocking and the featureset of the 250Gb is substantially better than the 800-Pro.

 

[DAPUNISHER]

Originally posted by: Josephus
The Chaintec (nforce3 250) does not utilize the chipset's SATA/ATA features AT ALL. TGhey just plopped the 250 in for the 150 and made no design chages to the board at all.

Could you provide a link for this? Thanks

 

[Josephus]

The Chaintech Zenith ZNF3-250 is based around the same PCB as its predecessor, Zenith ZNF3-150, and this fact explains why not all of the chipset capabilities have been implemented in the mainboard. Yes, the two chipsets (nForce3 150 and 250) are pin-compatible, but the latter chipset has much broader functionality. As a result, the only difference between the two Zenith mainboards from Chaintech is the faster HyperTransport bus in the ZNF3-250.

X-bit Labs Review

 

[Vette73]

The $100 chaintech board DOES have the True SATA, BUT (I juts looked and saw) the $180 board does not use the True SATA providided by the chip


I am waiting for a nForce2 250gb board that has the TRUE SATA ports AND the giga ethernet that does not run on the PCI bus.

 

[DAPUNISHER]

Originally posted by: Marlin1975
The $100 chaintech board DOES have the True SATA, BUT (I juts looked and saw) the $180 board does not use the True SATA providided by the chip


I am waiting for a nForce2 250gb board that has the TRUE SATA ports AND the giga ethernet that does not run on the PCI bus.

Stranger still

Thanks for the link Josephus :beer:

Ya know, I'm just going to file this Chaintech use of the 250GB under: business decision made to rush their boards to market so they could pick up sales in a virtualy competition free enviroment while others work on fully utilizing the chipset's features.

 

[Josephus]

You're Welcome

The ZNF 250 is an awesome board, no doubt about it. I love their regulator heatsink design, getting the heat out of the case and stabilizing the MOSFETs...

It just seems a waste of hardware. I mean they have so much on the chipset not utilized. Then again, for me the biggest advantage is the drive features, and I'm a bit leery of nVidia getting all the drivers functioning flawlessly for a while. The Si3114 has been out for some time and the the drivers have gone through a few revs. I don't think thewre are WHQL drivers yet. I kind of prefer the promise solutions.

 

[DAPUNISHER]

My 36gb Raptor on the SI3112 controller the AN50R uses is smoking so no complaints here Of course I don't use a bandwidth hungry PCI card, external storage device, or gigabit that make my pci bus scream for relief either. Heck, even the lack of pci lock on my board isn't an issue for me, my A64's ramping potential on 1.7v or less is all that's holding my overclock down now.

I will be getting a nF3 250gb board though and a CG stepping CPU if they turn out to ramp a bit higher.

 

[djm68]

Speaking of "ain't cheap", check out the Asus K8N-E...

shentech

or

Eastluna

For that price, the chaintech zn3-250 for $89 at zipzoomfly looks awfully attractive!

 

[McArra]

Originally posted by: DAPUNISHER
My 36gb Raptor on the SI3112 controller the AN50R uses is smoking so no complaints here Of course I don't use a bandwidth hungry PCI card, external storage device, or gigabit that make my pci bus scream for relief either. Heck, even the lack of pci lock on my board isn't an issue for me, my A64's ramping potential on 1.7v or less is all that's holding my overclock down now.

I will be getting a nF3 250gb board though and a CG stepping CPU if they turn out to ramp a bit higher.

I use Sil3114 in RAID 0, GbE, envy 24 sound with extension card and my system has no lack at all. It performs fast as hell.

 

[Odeen]

Originally posted by: DAPUNISHER

So it appears the SI controller is off the pci bus now=sweetness!

I doubt it. The SiL3114 is not a PHY - it's still a PCI controller chip.

But even if we assume that it was a PHY - only TWO SATA channels on an NF3-250 motherboard require a PHY. Why use a 4-channel Silicon Image chip for that? No, we get two nF3 SATA channels, if we're lucky, and 4 channels on the PCI bus.

I don't know about you guys, but with the embarassment of riches the current chipsets offer, I won't buy another motherboard unless it 1) implements all chipset features and 2) doesn't saddle me with extra devices on the PCI bus. I want to decide what's on my PCI bus, not Gigabyte, Asus, or Chaintech.

 

[Odeen]

Originally posted by: Sickpuppy
What is wrong with ATI video + Nforce boards? I just got an ASUS K8V that I am going to return due to instability issues(random reboots/Memory timing problems), I am not sure what to replace it with.

I just care about performance and stability and I am not sure if my problems would occur on all the VIA boards or just the ASUS.

Edit: Overclockability a BIG plus! ^^

Suggestions?

I believe it was Tom's, XbitLabs or Anandtech that put up an expose regarding nF3 performance with a 9800XT and a GFFX 5950. In most cases, the 5950 received a boost that the 9800XT didn't. That's not cool in my book - I don't want my motherboard chipset manufacturer telling me which video card to use.

 

[Sickpuppy]

Thanks for the tip Odeen.


I am considering the MSI KFIS2R but would like to hear some feedback of its stability overall with memory timings.

 

[JulesMaximus]

Originally posted by: Odeen

Originally posted by: Sickpuppy
What is wrong with ATI video + Nforce boards? I just got an ASUS K8V that I am going to return due to instability issues(random reboots/Memory timing problems), I am not sure what to replace it with.

I just care about performance and stability and I am not sure if my problems would occur on all the VIA boards or just the ASUS.

Edit: Overclockability a BIG plus! ^^

Suggestions?

I believe it was Tom's, XbitLabs or Anandtech that put up an expose regarding nF3 performance with a 9800XT and a GFFX 5950. In most cases, the 5950 received a boost that the 9800XT didn't. That's not cool in my book - I don't want my motherboard chipset manufacturer telling me which video card to use.

I don't think it performed any worse than on a VIA chipset. They said it could be due to drivers also. I didn't see it as such a huge issue.