NVIDIA Announces Intel nForce Chipsets Coming

ruiner5000 writes "NVIDIA has just made a surprise announcement about their cross license agreement with Intel to make chipsets. This means that the bragging rights AMD users have had about having the superior nForce chipsets is about to end, and it will also bring NVIDIA's superior Linux support to Intel users. We have a statement and press release from NVIDIA about planned shipment dates, and expected products NVIDIA will be aiming their chipsets at. With the nForce 4 NVIDIA is aiming for desktops, laptops, workstations, and servers."

Comments

Superior Linux Support?

[Taladar]

Does this mean Intel Mainboards will require proprietary, closed source drivers like nvidia graphics cards that are a total maintenance nightmare because they break with every other kernel version in the near future?

Re:Superior Linux Support?

[Richard_at_work]

Im sick of this (and will probably get modded down) but this isnt the sole fault of the vendors, now is it. For whatever reason, they will not release their driver set under opensource licenses, and thats agreeable because its their code and their decision. On the other hand, the linux kernel devs wont supply a stable module API, because they dont like binary modules, which is also agreeable because its also their code and their decision. This does leave the end user in the unenviable position of recompilations, but IMHO nvidea seems to have found a suitable halfway point for this, only requiring a stub recompile. But from where Im standing, its not just nvideas fault, both sides are posturing and trying to make a good situation out of a less than good one, but the majority of people on slashdot seem to blame vendors for supplying closed drivers when they have no real need to.

Re:Superior Linux Support?

[EvilGrin666]

Intel publishes specs for its hardware where as nvidia does not. This means we get a closed source driver from nvidia thats often out of date and doesn't work where as with Intel hardware we have open source drivers written by 3rd parties (often the kernel devs) in the kernel tree itself.

The Linux kernel devs have no interest in a stable module API because they have no interest in backwards compatability. If they see a problem, they go in and fix it. Next kernel release all the open source modules in the kernel tree are using the new fixed api.

Its true Nvidia might not have a choice in the matter though. They might have cross licensing deals or patent royalities on some of the technology they are employing in their motherboard chipsets that prevents them using an opensource license or publishing open specs.

Re:Superior Linux Support?

[legirons]

"I'm sick of this (and will probably get modded down) but this isnt the sole fault of the vendors, now is it. For whatever reason, they will not release their driver set under opensource licenses, and thats agreeable because its their code and their decision. On the other hand, the linux kernel devs wont supply a stable module API, because they dont like binary modules, which is also agreeable because its also their code and their decision. This does leave the end user in the unenviable position of recompilations, but IMHO nvidea seems to have found a suitable halfway point for this, only requiring a stub recompile. But from where Im standing, its not just nvideas fault, both sides are posturing and trying to make a good situation out of a less than good one, but the majority of people on slashdot seem to blame vendors for supplying closed drivers when they have no real need to."

Well that's all nice and eloquent,

but...

If it doesn't run a Free Software operating sytem, we're not buying it.

What makes people think we'd go to the trouble of writing billions of dollars' worth of software which is Free, only to sacrifice those principles for a crappy graphics card, modem, or motherboard?

Re:Superior Linux Support?

[EvilGrin666]

Yes intel publishes specs, just like these Centino technical specs here.

As for Nvidia's drivers being out of date, how long did it take them to fix the 4k stacks issues? months wasn't it? I also suspect my Matrox cards drivers are updated faster than the Nvidia drivers due to the fact they live in the kernel tree and get updated when everything else in the kernel tree does.

Re:Superior Linux Support?

[molnarcs]

The 'vendor goes AWOL' kinda argument in the close vs. open debate is getting really boring. Problem is, that it is true - but in this case: what do you think is the chance that nvidia will just screw its linux userbase?

None. The reason: they have excellent and commited developers. They use a unified code-base for all their drivers. Occasionally, they go out of their way to provide support even for less hyped operating systems (FreeBSD, for instance). This is an old thread, and FreeBSD with 5.3 has proper (proper for Nvidia's needs) tls implementation, but still, it is a good example of nvidia's commitment to work with open source developers on issues with their drivers.

So yes, the 'what if company X choses to no longer support opensource' has a ring of truth to it (and opensource advocates can always have it open in kwrite for copy & paste job for every newsbit about closed source drivers), but you always have to think about the specific case. Does nvidia have good support for their chipsets for linux/freebsd? Yes, it does, and these drivers are quite up to date with their windows counterparts. Are they willing to address various issues with their drivers? Yes they are. Are they willing to opensource their drivers? No. And that seems to bring out the worst of zealotry in opensource land. I'm not addressing this to parent post specifically btw, but to all who beat the 'company X suxorz cause they're proprietary' drum.

Re:Way to go NVIDIA...

[Seven001]

How exactly are they screwing over the average guy? Granted I dislike Intel greatly and refuse to use their products, but I don't see how its screwing anyone over. I don't like the partnership either, but unforunately theres not a damn thing anyone can do about it except hope the Intel version of nForce flops.

Superior ?

[matt-larose]

What the hell makes commercial closed source drivers superior ?.

I agree that nForce is supported well on linux, but its mostly because the sound and ethernet are handled by opensoure projects now. The stupid AGP gart is another issue. /me curses nVidia.

Re:Superior ?

[plupster]

What the hell makes commercial closed source drivers superior ?

They exist. ;-)

Re:Good News for Nvidia and Intel

[nonmaskable]

>>

They've lost gamer sales because the AMD 64 processors are a much better value for gaming than Prescott spaceheaters. The mainboard chipset is a pretty marginal contributor to framerates.

Proprietary drivers a PITA

[xrepete]

Proprietary drivers are nothing but a PITA. They are totally unsupportable, and you have no idea how they will affect your system. Don't get me wrong. At least nVidia creates Linux drivers. However, until they create open-source drivers it is not something that I cannot have confidence in because if there are problems caused by the drivers I have zero support.

Eh?

[MiniChaz]

"NVIDIA's superior Linux support"

Are you on drugs? Since when did binary only modules constitute "superior Linux support"?

Re:Way to go NVIDIA...

[BCW2]

Some of us refuse to take the hit in the wallet for Intel. AMD is still the best bang for the buck. I know that my reasons are strictly money. Intel is overpriced for what you get.

Best tool for the job

[bug1]

The "best tool for the job" depends on the timeframe your looking at.

In the short term the easiest method is the best tool for the job as you cant justify overheads of learning a new tool.

In the long term retooling costs are insignificant and the best tool for the job may even involve making a custom tool for yourself.

Software Freedom enables long term solution, plans to be made in regard to maintenace and development to ensure long availablility and reliability.

Closed source software is a consumable, its not reusable, its long term maitanance and reliability is beyond your control, its nothing more than a short term solution.

Free Software should be seen as a form of infrastructure that indirectly benefits all of society.

Re:Best tool for the job

[cowbutt]

I'd like to play PC games, and my timeframe I'd like to do is "before the next ice age".

Whereas I don't really care about any games that came out after 1999 or so (hence my Radeon 7500 still performs fine for me), but I /do/ care about being able to use the hardware I've paid for for as long as I want to (rather than as long as the hardware vendor doesn't want me to buy new kit) and I like having the fallback position of being able to self-support if there are problems. So I try and by documented hardware supported by Free drivers these days.

Horses for courses though.

--

Bragging rights

[Lando Griffin]

This means that the bragging rights AMD users have had about having the superior nForce chipsets is about to end...

Maybe so, but we still have cheaper and better CPUs.

So...

[Dragoon412]

It's fairly well-understood that these days, the Athlon 64 is utterly dominant in terms of sheer performance and price/performance. At least in the gaming market, which is the nForce boards' target market. It seems the only reason Intel is even still competetive in the high-end home PC market is due to uneducated users buying from the likes of Dell and Alienware, and their success at branding themselves, which, as of late, seems to be falling by the wayside.

So while I don't think this is a bad thing at all, I think the gaming community, specifically the enthusiast builders as a whole (who actually care what chipset their system uses) will have a reaction along the lines of "Meh..."

So, I doubt this'll have much of an effect on anything. Enthusiasts are buying AMD, and the uninformed will keep spending money on Dells and the like regardless of who made the mainboard.

you guys don't pay much attention, do you?

[ruiner5000]

If you had then you would have read my report on Nvidia working on Linux system utilities, and continuing to improve their graphic drivers particularly focusing on DCC. Yeah, Nvidia can not open source their drivers due to licensing issues. What are they supposed to do? I think I will take the GiGE, advanced SATA RAID, advanced firewall, and best in class performance. Yeah, we are all pulling for Soundstorm to come back, but because the motherboard vendors didn't want it we lost it in nForce 3. You really need to learn more about what is going on with Nvidia before you criticize. I suppose most of you slashdotters complaining in this thread aren't paying attention.

Forceware ported to Linux is good.
Support in the Kernel is good.
Support for 64 bit in Linux is good.
Support for FreeBSD is good.
Advanced SATA RAID far past what Intel has is good.
GigE superior to Intel or any other chip maker is good.
Hardware and software firewall superior to what Intel or any other chipmaker has is good.

Yeah, real big deal having to install closed drivers, and miss out on those features. I think plenty of people will, and Nvidia is the preferred solution for AMD users running Linux exactly for these reasons. Is Slashdot behind the times?

FUCK OFF

[msimm]

Mod me whatever you want, but I'm am sick to death of hearing OSS users whine about closed source drivers.

Nvidia has excellent support for Linux whether you like their policy or not. If you want opensource drivers you can reverse engineer them your goddamned self. But to be honest, if your that much of a OSS zealot you should start by engineering and manufacturing your own OPEN HARDWARE PLATFORM and stop worrying about what Nvidia is doing.

No one owes you anything. OSS is a choice.