Nforce4: failed ?

[flexy]

the more i read......the more it looks that NF4 is actually a disappointment...i am especially disappointed in the fact that it uses AC97 (read: 97 !) software audio which is a HUGE blow and step back 7 years ago.

What do you think ?

I'll keep reading more reviews to form an opinion ....looking at what VIA will do with their KT890 chipset....but NF4 did/does not strike me as i expected, and other people seem to think the same.

(all from a person's perspective who wants to go socket 939 and pci-ex)

 

[Mrvile]

I want to go PCIe and 939, but the nForce4 looks good to me. Yeah, the sound sucks, but who cares you can just get a better sound card. SLI is the best.

 

[BW86]

nforce4 is going to be awesome , i dont really care about the sound since i use a soundcard

 

[SneakyStuff]

Originally posted by: BW86
nforce4 is going to be awesome , i dont really care about the sound since i use a soundcard

Audigy 2 ZS baby, I could care less about Soundstorm

 

[Insomniak]

Audigy 2 here as well. All I really care about it performance and what it supports (in terms of RAM speed, amount, what IDE/SATA connections, etc.) Onboard "features" don't concern me. There is better stuff out there that can and will be bought.

 

[Acanthus]

edited.

 

[StrangerGuy]

If the next VIA's A64 chipset does support AGP, I will be going the VIA route. I don't see the point of upgrading my 9800 Pro just because the mobo doesn't have AGP.

 

[Balthazar]

Originally posted by: SneakyStuff

Originally posted by: BW86
nforce4 is going to be awesome , i dont really care about the sound since i use a soundcard

Audigy 2 ZS baby, I could care less about Soundstorm

Actually you know I would give my right arm for my old soundstorm over this Audigy 2 ZS, the reason being, it was a PHENOMINAL soundcard and could do things this somewhat underwhelming Audigy 2 cant.

What bites is that Creative is the reason we dont get soundstorm anymore....I kinda hate them for that.

 

[bunnyfubbles]

What is everyone worked up about? Is there really any solid reason not to be impressed by NF4? The fact that AMD used the new platform to test the new AMD flagships tells me its hands down the best performing chipset for AMD cpus. And it is true, if anything we should be thrilled that the reference nForce4 board is showing performance improvements across the board (with few exceptions), and this is without overclocking potential.

At worst I think we should be concerned about whether or not NF4 systems will be as tweakable, but we shall wait and see (I doubt it'll be any worse than NF3250 if not better).

Yes no Sound Storm 2 is a bumber, but its most likely saving us money, and for those who already have a good soundcard then its one less thing we'd have to dissable.

 

[Jalidi]

I think Nforce4 is just a refresh of Nforce3 which, in itself, is a pretty solid chipset... all in all, it'll be a significant upgrade (with the A64 and PCI-E) from my current Nforce2/XP/AGP setup. Altogether it'll be a little expensive, but I'm about due for a complete system rebuild anyways.

It's a shame that there's no Soundstorm on Nforce4 though... if there was, I would've been all over it like a pitbull on a poodle. Nvidia should seriously consider marketing Soundstorm as a PCI solution, I would pick it up.

 

[batmanuel]

What I love about Soundstorm is the real-time DD encoding, which is great if you are looking to build a MEdia Center 2005 system for PVR workd and DVD playback. It also simplifies connections a lot by letting me pump all my audio in to the home theater through the digital audio inputs. You can sort of do it with an audigy, but you lose the real time DD encoding (no so much an issue with DVDs, but something I'd like when playing back my recorded TV shows).

I was trying to decide if I was going to base my media center around my current NF2 motherboard once I upgraded to a A64 for my main system (adding a Mobile Barton, a couple of huge SATA hard drives in RAID-0 and a WinTV PVR card - plus a nice desktop case like the new Coolermasters with the VU meter), or just get a nice new cheap A64 or Sempron combo at Fry's for it. Looks like I may have to hang on to the NF2 for as long as I can.

 

[LordOfAll]

Look at tech reports review of the fx-55 and then look at anands. TR uses a via chipset, anand uses a nf4 ref board. specifically look at the nero and winzip tests. Then get back to me on how bad the nf4 is.

Anand

TR

 

[imported_whatever]

Originally posted by: flexy
i am especially disappointed in the fact that it uses AC97 (read: 97 !) software audio which is a HUGE blow and step back 7 years ago.

the thing is, all sound cards comply with ac97. i know that the soundstorm is compatible with it, so i would guess that the soundstorm2 will be pretty decent.

 

[b3b0p]

Maybe I am missing something, but I just don't understand why anyone would care about encoding every sound out of their computer in DD. Most movies are already encoded in DD or DTS. Why would you want to re-encode a DD stream when it is already in DD? There is only one benefit I see to Soundstorm and that is playing WMV-HD files w/ DD. If your using your HTPC for movies (DVD? OTA HD maybe?) Why do you want real time DD encoding if it is already in DD or DTS?

 

[AWhackWhiteBoy]

why are there two threads for the same thing?

go here:
http://forums.anandtech.com/me...0878&enterthread=y

 

[XBoxLPU]

Why the hell is everyone so negative on nforce 4 lacking SOUNDSTORM?????

 

[Mik3y]

Originally posted by: Mrvile
I want to go PCIe and 939, but the nForce4 looks good to me. Yeah, the sound sucks, but who cares you can just get a better sound card. SLI is the best.

the point is that since it is a new chipset and provides some of the latest features, it shouldnt have to have crappy integrated audio. and many people arent willing to spend $ on a new soundcard when a new and supposedly very good motherboard should have descent audio with modern technology.

 

[batmanuel]

Originally posted by: b3b0p
Maybe I am missing something, but I just don't understand why anyone would care about encoding every sound out of their computer in DD. Most movies are already encoded in DD or DTS. Why would you want to re-encode a DD stream when it is already in DD? There is only one benefit I see to Soundstorm and that is playing WMV-HD files w/ DD. If your using your HTPC for movies (DVD? OTA HD maybe?) Why do you want real time DD encoding if it is already in DD or DTS?

I want it mainly for the analog cable shows I'd be PVRing with Media Center 2005 (or MythTV, if it supports soundstorm). Sometimes ProLogic just doesn't cut it. It would also be nice for some of the game emulators too. Space Harrier and Gyruss in DD would be pretty sweet, even if it just came out two channel plus LFE.

It also makes for much tidier cabling for HTPC applications if I only have to run a single coax or optical cable into my reciever, a big reason why nForce 2 Ultra 400 boards with S/PDIF outputs are quite popular among the HTPC crowd.

 

[lazybum131]

Originally posted by: batmanuel
What I love about Soundstorm is the real-time DD encoding, which is great if you are looking to build a MEdia Center 2005 system for PVR workd and DVD playback. It also simplifies connections a lot by letting me pump all my audio in to the home theater through the digital audio inputs. You can sort of do it with an audigy, but you lose the real time DD encoding (no so much an issue with DVDs, but something I'd like when playing back my recorded TV shows).

I can see how DD encoding would be desirable for an HTPC that's gonna be used for gaming, but I don't see any benefits for recorded TV shows. TV shows still come in stereo, and any decent receiver nowadays should have Pro-Logic 2 to expand the stereo into surround. With soundstorm, it would just upmix to surround first in the computer and add the extra steps of encoding and decoding in the receiver.

 

[imported_michaelpatrick33]

The Soundstorm was a losing money proposition for Nvidia apparently so they didn't continue its existence. Business economics always defeats the consumer getting something they actually want

 

[Viper96720]

Nforce 3 didn't have soundstorm either. Don't see any bitching about that.

 

[Chris2wire]

Not to argue with original poster, but I think NForce4 is a breakthrough.

SLI may seem overpriced now, but its implications for the future are huge just as dual core processing is. PCI express is a huge step forward too, much like AGP was.

 

[Dacalo]

Originally posted by: LordOfAll
Look at tech reports review of the fx-55 and then look at anands. TR uses a via chipset, anand uses a nf4 ref board. specifically look at the nero and winzip tests. Then get back to me on how bad the nf4 is.

Anand

TR

owned!

 

[Schadenfroh]

i hope that they put an AGP bridge on it, otherwise nvidia just gave me the big one

i dropped $400 on a 6800GT and i need agp

 

[dguy6789]

just wait for the socket 900 boards. They will have pcie and ddr2, and possibly btx form factor. Have no idea what chipset these will use though.