How Important is Chipset Speed?

[Etno]

Hey folks,

I'm getting the Athlon 2500+ 333 mhz with 512K and just trying to settle on
a mobo.

I can go for speedy NForce2 Ultra 400 chipset, or the slower but much
cheaper (and I'm sure still good) SIS 756FX. I can save about $20-$30 by
going for it.

My question is, ***all other features of the chipsets aside***, how
important is chipset speed really? Is it a very noticable difference? Is
it something thats definitly worth the extra money? Or, is it a small
difference (like the difference between a 2500+ and 2600+ processor)?

I'm trying to stay on a budget, so saving the money is worth it to me, so
long as the speed difference isn't really noticable.

Thanks!

 

[Jon Danniken]

Hey folks,

I'm getting the Athlon 2500+ 333 mhz with 512K and just trying to settle on
a mobo.

That processor runs at a FSB of 166MHz, and has the multipliers locked. If you wish to
overclock it, which is something it does rather well, you will need to increase the FSB, which
is why you would want the nForce2 chipset.

Jon

 

[Etno]

That processor runs at a FSB of 166MHz, and has the multipliers locked. If you wish to
overclock it, which is something it does rather well, you will need to increase the FSB, which
is why you would want the nForce2 chipset.

Thanks for the reply.

Yep. I know that. I'm talking all other features (including overclocking)
aside. Just chipset speed. Is it noticeable?

I'm putting OC'ing aside cause I'm not sure I would do it even if I had the
ability. I was gonna go for it, but Anon/Dave started throwing some doubt
in my mind down below

 

[dummy]

I think the most important thing in a motherboard is stability. I
have found the Asus NForce2 Motherboard to be very stable with the
WinXP Operating System. The A7N8X would be an excellent choice.
There is also an Asus A7N8X-X that is a little less and does not have
the Dual DDR RAM interface. The Dual DDR is an advantage of the
Nforce2 Chipset, another advantage is the stability. If you use
integrated sound, the A7N8X Deluxe is a great motherboard. It has
both a great 3Com Gigabit Ethernet port and good integrated sound.
Good integrated sound can be the difference between a game playing and
crashing.

 

[Etno]

I think the most important thing in a motherboard is stability. I
have found the Asus NForce2 Motherboard to be very stable with the
WinXP Operating System. The A7N8X would be an excellent choice.
There is also an Asus A7N8X-X that is a little less and does not have
the Dual DDR RAM interface. The Dual DDR is an advantage of the
Nforce2 Chipset, another advantage is the stability. If you use
integrated sound, the A7N8X Deluxe is a great motherboard. It has
both a great 3Com Gigabit Ethernet port and good integrated sound.
Good integrated sound can be the difference between a game playing and
crashing.

Yeah, I know the advantages and disadvantages of all the chipsets and
boards. I've been researching them all for a while now. Right now though,
all I want to know is if the difference in speeds of the chipsets are really
all that noticeable.

Thanks for the help though!

 

[S.Heenan]

Yeah, I know the advantages and disadvantages of all the chipsets and
boards. I've been researching them all for a while now. Right now
though, all I want to know is if the difference in speeds of the
chipsets are really all that noticeable.

Thanks for the help though!

To make a long story short, no, you will not see or "feel" a speed
difference between the two chipsets. Another good choice would be the Asus
A7V600/600-X with a VIA KT600 chipset. Around $75 USD.

 

[Conor]

Hey folks,

I'm getting the Athlon 2500+ 333 mhz with 512K and just trying to settle on
a mobo.

I can go for speedy NForce2 Ultra 400 chipset, or the slower but much
cheaper (and I'm sure still good) SIS 756FX. I can save about $20-$30 by
going for it.

My question is, ***all other features of the chipsets aside***, how
important is chipset speed really? Is it a very noticable difference? Is
it something thats definitly worth the extra money? Or, is it a small
difference (like the difference between a 2500+ and 2600+ processor)?

VERY IMPORTANT. The main differences are the memory throughput. The
nForce 2 does dual channel mode if you use 2 DIMMS thus giving a higher
throughput.


--
Conor

"The vast majority of Iraqis want to live in a peaceful, free world.
And we will find these people and we will bring them to justice."
- George Bush

 

[Conor]

Yep. I know that. I'm talking all other features (including overclocking)
aside. Just chipset speed. Is it noticeable?

In gaming, yes.


--
Conor

"The vast majority of Iraqis want to live in a peaceful, free world.
And we will find these people and we will bring them to justice."
- George Bush

 

[PWY]

If it were my decision, it would be worth 20 - 30 dollars not to wonder
later if the N-force board would have been better for me.