Be Excellent To Each Other

I don't know this shit off the top of my head any more, and I am exactly as capable of doing the research as you are.

I am doing the research!

And someone here will know this shit off the top of their head.

I will have a guess that the Intel X48 is better than the X38, the Intel P45 is better than the other Pxx chipsets and that the nForce 7 is better than the nForce6, so I have cut down your list by more than 50%. Hope this helps.

Edit - I'm only running nForce4, are they really up to 7 already? Might be time for an upgrade.

Remember, folks, that S-M-R-T.

I'm quite happy to say that I have never in my life given a fuck about motherboard chipsets, so long as they support the functionality I want to use.

I'm *told* that the NForce chipsets were a bit pants after NForce4 (which is what I'm using). No idea if that's true though.

Not much help really, eh?

The second least expensive one?

That's similar to the best tool-buying advice I ever received: "by the cheapest tool that is clearly better than what you think you need."

I'm not sure I understand how that works?

Does it mean:

a) Buy the cheapest?
b) Buy the Second cheapest?
c) Find a good tool then buy the one slightly cheaper than it?
c) Find a good tool then buy it?
e) Find a good tool then buy the one slightly more expensive than it?

Scientifically, I'm going to get an X48 as they are the highest number. And they should be bloody good, looking at the prices.

Look for the tool that's clearly what you want -- the right pitch of price and performance -- and buy the next one up. You'll always grow into it, and later on, you'll be glad you bought the bigger/better/faster one when you come to do some job that's bigger or more complicated than the last one.

Ah, but a quick look on wikipedia suggests that after nForce4, nVidia bumped up the numbers to nForce 500, 600 & 700 with different chipsets in each range. So I guess you'll be wanting the nForce 790i?

No, I've read that the nForce series isn't as good.

But the numbers? It's more than 16x bigger than the X48 (although the X does sound better than nForce, hmm).
How is the everyday consumer supposed to tell?

Joans makes a valid point. Also, don't be fobbed off with that x64 crap -- it's 12 worse than x86.

One big factor will be the graphics cards you're planning on using; I could be wrong but I'm pretty sure that nVidia SLI will only work with nForce-based boards (assuming they're SLI capable of course) and you'll only be able to get two ATI cards to work with a compatible Intel-chipset board (look for "Crossfire" compatibility, that's what ATI call SLI).

Hand back your PHd, please.

He just meant in base20. (if that works)

Only the 12 is in base 20.

Joans is right. Ahem.

Er... Whoops.

I can confirm you DEFINITELY CAN use Nvidia or ATI SLI/CrossFire on Intel chipsets. I have a friend who does just that.

Of course, you could just check the specs on the motherboard itself. It'll tell you, like.

Not automatically. The motherboard manufacturer has to have added the nForce 200 to the board, which acts as a controller for the SLI process. The Abit board Grim... has ordered seems to lack that. However, this is not a technical requirement but more a commercial one, and there are hacked versions of older drivers that will do it even without that chip; it's not an elegant solution though.

The new Intel X58 will allow "native" SLI though (i.e. no secret sauce nVidia chip) [citation]

I do like http://www.tomshardware.com for this stuff... anyone else enjoy it?

I used to, before he started being paid by someone to write better reviews for thier hardware...

Malc

I was quite a big noise in the forums there back in the day (1997 or so). The site went downhill years ago now. Hexus, AnandTech, TechReport, TrustedReviews, Ars Technica are my top five trusted sites for hardware reviews.

Woo! I shall note and review them... cheers!

Where were you yesterday, damnit?