Cost-Defying Single-Channel Platforms: Chipsets from NVIDIA and VIA : NVIDIA nForce2 400 Squares Up Against VIA KT600

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Cost-Defying Single-Channel Platforms: Chipsets from NVIDIA and VIA

12:03 PM - 11/07/2003 by Patrick Schmid

1 – NVIDIA nForce2 400 Squares Up Against VIA KT600
2 – Features: What To Expect
3 – In The nForce2 400 Corner: Soltek SL-NV400-L64
4 – Test System
5 – Benchmark Results
6 – SPECviewperf 7.1, Continued
7 – Synthetic: 3D Mark 2001 SE

8 – Synthetic: 3D Mark 2003
9 – MP3 Maker Platinum
10 – PC Mark 2002 Pro
11 – SiSoft Sandra Max 3
12 – Conclusion: NVIDIA Beats VIA, But Only Just
13 – More on this topic

The Athlon XP remains far and away one of the best-value solutions you can get. However, most experts focus on the fastest available platform - the nForce2 Ultra 400 chipset from NVIDIA. Back in the real world, however, most users have a budget and can't afford their dream system.

VIA's KT600 chipset is the next generation, after the KT400A. Its biggest competitor, the nForce 400, is a trimmed-down version of the nForce2 Ultra 400 without the dual-channel memory interface. But you really have to ask yourself whether you need this particular feature. After all, the vast majority of pre-assembled AMD-based PCs sold use a single-channel chipset. Knowing this, we decided to let the low-cost model show us what it was made of.

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