VIA PT800 chipset any good?

[matt1976]

store has a deal, p4 3.2 prescott and via pt800 mobo for $219. Was thinking of getting it, but wondering how good or bad that chipset is? This would be for a gaming system. I know the I875 is the best but I really cant afford a Asus P4C800-E Deluxe

 

[tweebel]

Usual reply: If you want to buy a gaming system, choose an Athlon64. Much faster for gaming and components might be a little cheaper.

 

[endyen]

All around bad idea. That is a via chipset, it is probably on an ECS (or Extremely Clappy Stuff) and since the max thermal output of that chip is 115w, it makes a better heater than processor.
If you really want Intel get the P4c, and an Abit IS7 mobo.

 

[Crashman]

VIA makes the worst chipsets of the main 4 venders (Intel, nVidia, SiS, VIA). And nVidia doesn't have a P4 chipset out yet. You don't need the 875P because the 865PE is the same thing (that is, it uses the same core). I'd go with the Abit IS7 (around $90), and that's a superior board to the P4C800-E Deluxe anyway (yes, I've owned one).

If you really want a high quality, inexpensive board, and don't ever plan on overclocking, there's a grey-market board out that's an exceptional value: The Gigabyte GA-8ISXT-FS. It's an OEM board by Gigabyte for Fujitsu-Siemens PC's, full of features, uses the 865PE chipset, and cost around $40. The reason it's so cheap is that FS flooded the market with leftover stock when they dropped production of the PC that used it.

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[Crashman]

Oh, I just remembered, I haven't tested the GA-8ISXT-FS with Prescott. So you'd be on your own doing a search to see if anyone can confirm Prescott support.

My recommendation on the Abit IS7 still stands (Prescott compatable since last February's BIOS update).

<font color=blue>Only a place as big as the internet could be home to a hero as big as Crashman!</font color=blue>
<font color=red>Only a place as big as the internet could be home to an ego as large as Crashman's!</font color=red>