nForce2 Preview

An anonymous submitter writes "I noticed that a review of NVIDIA's nForce2 chipset has been posted here. From what I can gather the chipset contains two 10/100 ethernet controllers, six USB 2.0 ports, UltraATA133 support, three 1394 ports, five PCI slots, and an integrated GeForce4 MX core including NVIDIA's nView technology and a TV Tuner." Tom's Hardware and NVNews also have looks at it.

Comments

RTFA (article)

[carlcmc]

to quote: "Because the traditional modem is being replaced by more modern technologies, such as DSL, a network card is pretty much indispensable these days. However, a single interface is only sufficient if the PC is to be connected to either the Internet or a a local network, but not both. If you need to connect the PC to both, then you definitely need a second port."

for a home with more than one computer with a cable modem this makes perfect sense. For a couple dollars more, it would be stupid not to...

Re:Why two ethernet controllers?

[andyr]

I can't think of any legitimate use for *two* ethernet controllers other than in a broader network application

I can think of two.

• DSL modem (many of which use ethernet) and a regular LAN. I am told you can just put the modem on the LAN, but on my Linux gateway I could not make that work.
• Thin client - very handy even at home, use your clunky old PC as an X-Terminal onto a server, 100BaseT private connection de-congests the (maybe 10BaseT) LAN

• Cheers, Andy!

Re:Why two ethernet controllers?

[ergo98]

Actually, apparently nvidia makes the integrated Ethernet port (integrated in the motherboard chipset), and 3COM makes the integrated, but circuitry isolated, "add-in" card. 3COM makes superb cards and chipsets.

GeForce 4mx is an abomination

[Chris Carollo]

nVidia's marketing department should be ashamed; the name of this piece of hardware is blatantly misleading. Every other "mx" version of their cards contained the same featureset of it's GeForceX line, but had slower/less memory.

The GeForce4mx, on the other hand, is missing the priciple feature of the GeForce3, that being hardware vertex and pixel shader support. The GeForce4mx is basically a really fast GeForce2. It's a sham.

It screws developers (no longer can we say "GeForce3 and up", we have to qualify by specifically excluding the GeForce4mx). It screws customers by making them think they get a better card than they are. It's just bad all around.

When I talked to an nVidia rep at this year's GDC he acknowledged it's hatefulness and gave the impression that it would be going away shortly. Given the number of these cards I see in stores and this announcement, I'm starting to doubt him.

Note to nVidia: when your marketing department starts screwing developers and customers, we developers stop wanting to support your cards. You've been at the head of the pack for a while now. Crap like this isn't how to stay there.

Re:remember: it's not a geforce4!

[Hektor_Troy]

t seems nvidia is going the same road as intel and sis with their cheap video-on-board motherboard. All of them sucked! Good luck!

Except that their on-board video doesn't suck; granted, a GF4MX420 is not the top of the line, but would you really want a motherboard that costs an extra 400$, that is going to be wasted in 6 months? Didn't think so.

Compare the onboard video with any other on the market, and you will notice, it does anything BUT suck - it wipes the floor with them, and it can probably do the same with quite a lot of budget cards out there as well. Notice the "budget" in that sentence before you fly off your bat.

Not to mention, that you have the option of having dual vga/dvi output PLUS tv-out. I don't know about you, but compared to the "external" gfx-card I have now, that's a lot better! Not to mention that it's also a lot faster than my current GF2 MX400. No - I don't need to play Doom ]I[, and if I did, I wouldn't buy an mb with integrated graphics, and frankly - your idea that anyone would is an insult to their intelligence, no matter how appropriate such observations might be.

I think you need to hear three little words, that no one have told you in a long time:

GET A LIFE!

Anandtech's Article...much more indepth....

[GweeDo]

Anandtech's article This one is much more than just a "breif" overview...it is meaty :)

If you actually read the article...

[TobyWong]

...you would realize they releasing a verion with integrated video and a version without.

Re:remember: it's not a geforce4!

[ocbwilg]

It seems nvidia is going the same road as intel and sis with their cheap video-on-board motherboard. All of them sucked! Good luck!

Hmm...maybe that's why nVidia also makes an nForce2 part that doesn't have integrated video. Oh wait, you'd have actually had to read the article to know that. Nevermind.

Seriously folks, integrated video is not always a bad thing. When I built a system for my father I used an nForce board because for $120 I could get a system with onboard video, audio, and ethernet. If I had bought a non-integrated solution it would have cost me over $200 for components of similar quality separately. Does my father need screaming fast graphics power or Dolby Digital 5.1 so that he can play Doom 3? No, an nForce was more than adequate. All he wants to do is browse the web, send emails, work on his geneaology database and VPN into work so that he can do his job (UNIX tools development for Lucent).

Now with the nForce2 there's another option for me. If I want I can get an nForce2 board without integrated video that still takes advantage of Dual Channel DDR400 (how many other mainboards have that?) and has high-end audio, USB 2.0, Firewire, and dual ethernet controllers built in. Then I can go out and buy a GeForce5 (or whatever they want to call it then) and have a screaming gaming system.

What would be really nice is to see this in one of the new Shuttle SS-series systems.

NOT a TV Tuner, a TV *Encoder*

[Namarrgon]

...and a TV Tuner.

This is incorrect. The chipset includes a TV Encoder, i.e. supports "TV Out" - S-Video or composite out to a TV. From the press release:

NVIDIA nForce2 Platform Processors offer a staggering array of features including:

* TV-encoder and HDTV processor for optimal visual quality

It does not include a TV Tuner capable of receiving broadcast TV. You'll have to add one yourself.

BTW, if you're wondering, the HDTV processor simply means it is capable of decoding HDTV-format MPEG2 video. You would still need an HDTV tuner/receiver to get the signal first.