nForce2 vs. Intel chipset (845PE)

[Shenlon01]

Ok, I'm looking into buying a new motherboard/processor, but I keep ending up in a stalemate as to which I should choose. First, I figured I would decide which processor I liked better and then I would decide what motherboard would be best for that processor. Then I realized that how well each one runs depends a lot on the chipset that the motherboard is running now.
So, I was stuck again. I like the P4 processor for it's power and lower temps and higher FSB than the Athlon. I like the Athlon because it is a very efficient processor, requiring less power to do the equivalent of a higher Mhz based Intel processor. Price isn't much of an issue anymore, as both processors are similarly priced (for the most part).
I've been reading about the nForce2 chipset and it seems that it is a really solid chipset for the Athlon, but I also am a little confused because the review I was reading said that the nForce 2 chipset supports Dual Channel DDR, but that it does not improve performance that much because the Athlon can't keep up with it's (166 or 266, can't remember) FSB. If I buy an Intel processor, then I can get high Mhz memory and improve my systems performance because I know that it will be using all of it and the Intel FSB is capable of working that memory for every thing it's worth.
So, I'm looking to you guys for hopefully some more clarification. Is the nForce2 really that much stronger than an Intel chipset? Why, or why not? I am not adverse to buying either Intel or AMD, I just want the best deal I can get for my money.

[rugbydude]

i can see your problem there mate. The nforce 2 is definetly the best athlon motherboard and the problem with the FSB speed has been resolved with the release of the XP 3000+.And if you say the price for both the processors are roughly the same tell us what you are thinking of getting(for P4 and XP) and what you would use the computer for and we can give you some better advice.:devil:

[RDR]

as someone who has both an nForce based system & an i845PE based system...I can tell you the perfromance difference due to the chipset is minimal

the nForce is head and shoulders above every other Athlon chipset right now - but the i845PE is also very good...and the less power/less heat argument is a load of crap too, the differences are not worth taking into consideration

Both Intel & AMD based systems have their individual merits & it really comes down to what you're going to be doing with your new system.

[Shenlon01]

Ok, I plan on using this system mainly for working/browsing and some gaming. Not incredibly high end gaming, but I would like to play without having to watch a slideshow. I know most of that depends on my video card, but i'm also looking for a setup that won't bottleneck a top-end video card. I'm looking at around a 2.4 Ghz P4 or an Athlon 2400+, and would like to be able to keep this setup for atleast a few years. I know it's not going to stay top of the line for a few years, and hell it won't even be top of the line now, but I don't want to have to feel like i have to upgrade to keep playing new games. I know that's not really in my control either, but i'm just tellin you guys thats how i'm lookin at this. THanks for the input so far.

[rugbydude]

On that note i would go for the pentium 4 combo. Its brilliant for work and pretty damn good with games. It'll also overclock quite easily and with the right heat sink can get up to about 3ghz. That should keep you going for a few years.:cheers:

[Suicide]

Comparing the nForce2 to the 845PE is kinda silly :) The nForce2 is a dual channel ddr board, which will give better performance against the 845PE ... How, if you wanna keep it a fair comparison... look at the nForce2 and the Granite Bay chipset boards :)

[Morgan_Lander]

Except for the SiS 655 (which has some problems ATM), Granite Bay is at the top. Unfortunately, all the boards run at least $200 for starters. More feature packed ones cost and upwards of $250---and that's getting mighty expensive for a single CPU motherboard.

[RDR]

Comparing the nForce2 to the 845PE is kinda silly :) The nForce2 is a dual channel ddr board, which will give better performance against the 845PE ... How, if you wanna keep it a fair comparison... look at the nForce2 and the Granite Bay chipset boards :)

...and yet my i845PE set up scores higher in synthetic memory benchmarks (PCMark & Sandra) than my nForce Setup does.

[Suicide]

...and yet my i845PE set up scores higher in synthetic memory benchmarks (PCMark & Sandra) than my nForce Setup does.

Mine does too oddly enough :D But it's still comparing apples to oranges :)

[RDR]

Mine does too oddly enough :D But it's still comparing apples to oranges :)

I agree