Abit-NVidia breakup = Abit NForce 2 boards hit a dead end?

Forget it and go 64bit.

 

I think you're right. Don't wait for something that doesn't exist. I
think the third generation NF7-S is as refined as the Abit NForce platfom
will get, stable, proven, well supported by enthusiasts, on it's ninth BIOS
rev and will be happily running several years from now. I see nothing in
the AN7 other than uGuru as an improvement over the NF7. Since it's the
end of the line for the 32-bit series anyway, I wouldn't sweat future BIOS
tweaking, etc. That will be dropped shortly anyway. I considered the Asus
as well, but I found an unlocked 2500+, a gig of PC3200 HyperX, an NF7-S
and an SLK900A w/ Panaflo, and I'm cooking at 2.2G.

Feel better, just my .02

 

64-bit is very pricey.
But whatever you do, don't get an AN7 - it's a POS for o/c'ing.
Get an NF7-S2 - easily the best o/c'er today .... 250 FSB without breaking a
sweat.
If not, then a DFI Ultra.

 

The below link, posted earlier by "maniac", got me wondering.

http://www.xbitlabs.com/news/video/display/20040107114451.html

I usually change motherboards about every two years. My trusty but getting
tired KT7a-R is about due for retirement. I was planning on picking up an
AN7 when (now "if") v1.1 comes out but now I am not so sure.

The "sensible, logical" side of me is quite sure that Abit's existing
NForce2 motherboards are well protected by existing contracts and therefore
will continue to be improved (new bios, board corrections, etc) but there is
another side that is wondering if, because Abit and NVidia are now PO'ed at
each other and since Socket "A" is on the way out anyway, if whatever
improvement are in the pipeline now (if any) are all there ever will be and
the AN7 will never get past v1.

After some research a few weeks ago I had parked the ASUS A7N8X Deluxe at
number three behind the AN7 and NF7-S but today I found myself on the ASUS
site taking another look.

Anyone out there help me ease my paranoia?

 

64 bit is a little TOO new. Everything out there is "first generation" and
nobody making either cpu's, chipsets or motherboards is really quite sure
what they are doing. AMD isnt even sure what socket they will eventually go
with.

The cost of converting to 64 bit is HUGE. Last time I checked every 64 bit
chipset out there required registered ram. Something almost no one uses
therefore almost no one has. This makes going 64 an even more expensive
proposition because you not only need the new cpu and the new motherboard
but new ram as well.

After you have spent all that money what you end up with is a machine that
is not all "that" much faster than a good 32. The numbers 64 bit systems are
putting on the benchmarks are looking good but these wonderful numbers do
not translate into practical use in the current "real world" because there
is no 64 bit operating system and zero 64 bit programs that can take
advantage of the new features. Ultil these things hit the market a guy with
the fastest 64 bit system money can buy is not going to be all that much
better off than we here in 32 bit land.

Those users with the money and the inclination to live out there on the
"bleeding edge" have my applause and gratitude for they are the people that
establish a market for new technology. The premium prices they pay for the
"latest and greatest" give AMD, Intell, VIA, NVidia, etc the time and money
then need to work out the first-generation flaws. Without these "pioneers"
there would be no second-generation.

So thank God for the pioneers but me? I prefer to wait back in St Louis
(read 32 bit) until most of the trails are blaszed and most of the Indians
(read bugs) are on the reservation. I dont mind an occasional rading party
(bsod) stealing a steer or or a couple of horses (or else I would get a
Dell) but I have not the money, time, inclination or knowledge to take on
the tribes in their prime.

 

I wanted an AN7 but your point is why I was waiting for v1.1 of the board to
see if they improved things. If the Abit/Nvidia falling out does indeed
freeze the AN7 in place then I will likely end up with an NF7-S. The "Guru"
thing I would be giving up is nice but the ability to "tweak the bios on the
fly" seems more suited to those performance fanatics who will joyfully spend
two weeks of sleepless nights just to take their game from 90 frames per
second to 90.5 frames then, instead of playing the damn game will launch
themselves on a month long quest for 91 frames..

I love these fanatics and speed freaks becaue they are the ones who write
the "how-to" articles and answer the NG questions for me so I dont cut the
wrong trace or burn something up. But I only overclock when a "jerky"
program tells me I need to then I overclock only to the point where the
"jerks" go away.. I then leave the settings alone until the next program
looks a little slow.

 

I am going to wait a bit to see if the Abit/NVidia breakup does freeze the
AN7 in place but the present refined state of the NF7-S you mention is what
will likely make that my next board. That "uGuru" is nice but not something
I would likely use much after the initial "New Toy-Gee Wizz" wears off. The
ASUS A7N8X Deluxe is also a very good board but I have a built-in "mindless
bias" for Abit that the ASUS board does not give me reason to abandon.

As you say, that NF7-S should be plenty of board to last a couple of years,
giving AMD, Intel, Microsoft, VIA, NVidia and the rest time to work out the
kinks in 64 Bit and for the price to come down to where a 64bit system can
be bought while still leaving enough money for food, mortgage payments,
clothes and other such nonsense that my wife insists on wasting money for.

 

I am going to wait a bit to see if the Abit/NVidia breakup does freeze the
AN7 in place but the present refined state of the NF7-S you mention is what
will likely make that my next board. That "uGuru" is nice but not something
I would likely use much after the initial "New Toy-Gee Wizz" wears off. The
ASUS A7N8X Deluxe is also a very good board but I have a built-in "mindless
bias" for Abit that the ASUS board does not give me reason to abandon.

<>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>><

There is no ABIT/NVIDIA breakup,infact Abit is coming with a new MB for FX
CPU very soon. You believe whta is rumored in these newsgroups,do more
research from reliable sources. DOUG

 

Well said. I'm content with my Barton 2500+ running as a 3200+ just
by changing the FSB and the FSB/AGP/PCI ratios. No more tweaking
necessary...I got my money's worth.

 

Umm, 64 bit is not as expensive as you make it out to be. You can get a
socket 754 (which WILL be around a while) board for $130, and the athlon 64
3000+ for $210 which is significantly faster than the 3200+ athlon XP (the
ratings are a bit more conservative for the 64s). I liked the Abit
KV8-Max3, so I spent about 30 bucks past that on the motherboard ($160), but
I couldn't resist guru, the 6 serial ports, and all of the toys. Also
contrary to your beliefs all socket 754 boards use single channel, regular
'ol unbuffered DDR. I'm using the same stuff that I had with my 2000+
athlon XP. I agree, go 64. The onboard memory controller is solid as long
as you read the directions about which slots to put your memory into. The
FX series (the registered memory one) was never meant for mass consumption -
only to ensure that AMD swiped the high end performance crown with a selling
part. Do you really think Intel is selling a lot of Extreme editions? It's
there for the same reason.