What does Gigabyte have to hide?

[JeBarr]

I've spent the last two months playing catch-up on hardware specs in preparation for next build and in the process I've hit a few snags trying to compare models across different e-tail and review sites.

It seems Gigabyte appears to be withholding specs in regard to the onboard ethernet / lan controller. Not just hiding the specs from newegg and etc....oh no....but going so far as to remove the details from their own website.

Normally I would just ignore that and look for the driver to determine which brand and model ethernet controller....which is what I've already done.

In situations like these in the past I would simply steer clear of a brand withholding tech specs when i have enough models to choose from.....but because my final five mobo choices include three different gigabyte boards I feel compelled to get to the bottom of this before making my final decision.

Why are they witholding such a vital spec from potential customers? (repeat customer in this case)

What other shenanigans might they be up to?

 

[Smoblikat]

Maybe they dont list it because noone but you cares. Anyone who cares THAT much about the performance of their onboard NIC would just get a PCI-e NIC and use that. Gigabit is gigabit.

 

[JeBarr]

It isn't just the nic....but the fact they appear to have something to hide.

 

[MagnusTheBrewer]

It isn't just the nic....but the fact they appear to have something to hide.

You're reading too much into it. Gigabyte and, many other tech companies, are just exceedingly bad at communicating.

 

[holden j caufield]

having been around thousands of servers. I prefer intel to the realtek and broadcom nics. Driver support is 100x better with intel.

 

[JeBarr]

So am I to understand it was all just a big mistake? Somebody at the company goofed and neglected to post specs across nearly the entire lineup....even on their own site?

That is why I asked the questions to determine if I have any reason to be suspicious or just let it go and assume gigabyte have good intentions even during this time of dwindling DIY market and flood of mobos with the slightest variance.

 

[MagnusTheBrewer]

So am I to understand it was all just a big mistake? Somebody at the company goofed and neglected to post specs across nearly the entire lineup....even on their own site?

That is why I asked the questions to determine if I have any reason to be suspicious or just let it go and assume gigabyte have good intentions even during this time of dwindling DIY market and flood of mobos with the slightest variance.

It's all part of a master marketing blitz. Seriously, we've seen so many meaningless catch phrases, they've just initiated a new twist, keep the consumer in the dark for as long as possible. It works for the airlines, media and, government so, why not tech companies?

 

[SilentRunning]

What models because I just randomly checked 4 motherboards and Gigabytes listed the brand lan chip for each.

 

[JeBarr]

You know....that actually does make sense when I consider which mobos do actually have the spec listed.....

Take the G1.Sniper 3 for example

Dual LAN from Intel & qualcomm/atheros/bigfoot/killer/whatever lol

Both are very popular and look nice on paper as well as haviing solid reputations in various markets.

A potential buyer might just assume that all high-end giga boards include reputable ethernet controllers, perhaps?

 

[SilentRunning]

You know....that actually does make sense when I consider which mobos do actually have the spec listed.....

Take the G1.Sniper 3 for example

Dual LAN from Intel & qualcomm/atheros/bigfoot/killer/whatever lol

Both are very popular and look nice on paper as well as haviing solid reputations in various markets.

A potential buyer might just assume that all high-end giga boards include reputable ethernet controllers, perhaps?

You do realize that all those listed after Intel refer to one chip Qualcomm Atheross bought the Bigfoot Killer brand

 

[JeBarr]

What models because I just randomly checked 4 motherboards and Gigabytes listed the brand lan chip for each.

I'm so glad you asked that question.....guess what? The mysterious specs in question have been posted to ALL motherboards I was considering....

Well....now I get to be the big idiot and apologize for wasting bandwidth.

Please understand that I've been researching for over two months and it would seem the relevant data was posted within the last couple days.

If you hadn't brought to my attention I might have wasted even more time when all I want to do is pull the trigger and get started on the most massive build I've ever done.

I'm sorry Anandtech readers....next time I promise to do a last minute check before throwing out such a suspicion.

 

[JeBarr]

You do realize that all those listed after Intel refer to one chip Qualcomm Atheross bought the Bigfoot Killer brand

I've been out of the loop for more than 5 years now because I build and upgrade on a long cycle. This happens every time my next build starts.....I almost always go big and as such my systems tend to last 2 to 5 years before I even consider another.

During my last build the first killer nic just hit the scene and yep I bought one. But to answer your question yes I was aware that bigfoot networks were bought up by qualcomm atheros....but was not aware that qualcomm and atheros joined forces until recently.

 

[Rifter]

IMO as mentioned above intel is the way to go for NIC's. They by far have the best driver support across the widest range of OS's.

 

[JeBarr]

Well....after all that I take a final look at my choices and realize that for the first time ever I'm not finding a motherboard to fit my needs.

I've been tinkering with hardware for almost thirty years since the c64 and building my own rigs starting with 386sx16 but never had so much trouble finding suitable foundation.

Going down the road of 'can i have a board built to my spec?'.....when every board manufacturer I've ever approached didn't want to talk unless I was ordering 10 bajillion units.

I can afford to pay for extra features I won't use but it's just never been my style to settle....I'm not used to this.

Are my expectations too high?
Is my dream of 3D Surround and dual system without compromise just that..a dream?

 

[Rifter]

I dont see why a NIC is such a huge deal, most mobo's have a 1X or 4X PCIe slot that is useless for most add in cards(not enough bandwidth for VGA or RAID cards) but perfect for sound or NIC, so just add the NIC of your choice to whatever board you want.

 

[JeBarr]

It was never about the specific NIC. I have every intention of installing a pci-e x1 ethernet controller regardless of onboard brand but would actually use both at the same time.

I don't buy anything without knowing as much as possible beforehand, and given what I now know the decision was made to hold off on purchasing components.

A two board combo does not exist yet for my dual system vision....so now I wait and consider other short term options for half of my current needs (gaming). The other half sleuth box and PC consolidation will just have to keep on waiting i guess.

Just around the corner, right?

 

[Zap]

Are my expectations too high?

I don't know, but consider this. Why do you spend so much time and consideration over what is essentially a consumer level device? Would not having your "expectations" met really cause you that much agony? That much mental anguish?

For instance on the subject of NIC chipset occasionally pops up. On an intellectual level I know that Intel NICs are somehow "better." Heck, BITD when CPUs were still measured in MHz I can remember seeing benchmarks showing how much more CPU utilization X LAN chipset had over Y LAN chipset.

Does that matter today? My needs seem quite average for a home user. I browse web pages, watch streaming videos and play computer games while using a Microsoft Windows OS. My current motherboard uses an Intel NIC (Asus P8P67 Pro). If someone snapped their fingers and magically swapped my Intel NIC with a Realtek, or Atheros, or Broadcom or whatever... would I notice?

If you hadn't brought to my attention I might have wasted even more time

Perhaps instead of spending the past two months "catching up" and trying to teach yourself what you should look for in your next build, you could have just asked? A lot of people here (and elsewhere) are completely up to date on current hardware and can suggest several choice parts. If you ask, most will even tell you WHY those are the best choice - no need to research several months. If you decide to go this route, around 1-2 weeks before you actually buy the parts post a build thread in General Hardware with answers to these questions and you will get some great advice.

Why are they witholding such a vital spec from potential customers? (repeat customer in this case)
...
I've been out of the loop for more than 5 years now because I build and upgrade on a long cycle.

5 year cycle? Honestly you're not much of a repeat customer. This might fly at your local car dealer who would love to have the same customers come in every 5 years like clockwork to buy a new car, but not with computers.

Create a build thread like I suggested, and I'm sure several well respected members here will chime in on parts choices.

 

[JeBarr]

Thank you Zap, I'm grateful for your valuable input.

However, I've decided this instead:

The best way to future-proof is to save money and spend it on future products. (Ken g6)

 

[Zap]

However, I've decided this instead:

 

[imported_paulc871]

I have an 890gx. is it affected?

 

[serpretetsky]

I have an 890gx. is it affected?

i don't think your question makes sense in the context of this thread.

Is your 890gx affected by what?

 

[Insert_Nickname]

IMO as mentioned above intel is the way to go for NIC's. They by far have the best driver support across the widest range of OS's.

I dont see why a NIC is such a huge deal, most mobo's have a 1X or 4X PCIe slot that is useless for most add in cards(not enough bandwidth for VGA or RAID cards) but perfect for sound or NIC, so just add the NIC of your choice to whatever board you want.

For instance on the subject of NIC chipset occasionally pops up. On an intellectual level I know that Intel NICs are somehow "better." Heck, BITD when CPUs were still measured in MHz I can remember seeing benchmarks showing how much more CPU utilization X LAN chipset had over Y LAN chipset.

The NIC brand does not matter for the overwhelming majority of users. I personally do prefer Intel due to the functionality of their drivers. But if you care, its as simple as adding a 82574L PCIe card, like Rifter pointed out.

On some of the older realteks, I have had problems with longer cable installations. That means 30m+. But that's a whole other story...

 

[Maximilian]

I have an 890gx. is it affected?

Massively affected yes, surround your PC with salt and set fire to it, this will cure it. :thumbsup:

 

[nature1ders]

It's not a conspiracy, but they don't really care. However I've had issues like that with not knowing the stuff and the only way I found out was to boot into Ubuntu and generate a hardware report, then I was able to find the chipsets out etc.

 

[nerp]

Just get the Killer NIC and be done with it.