VIA K8T890
The VIA K8T890 is another chipset that has taken the long way to market. VIA was finally showing some production boards based on their new PCI Express chipset. Albatron and Asus are apparently ready to launch K8T890 boards in the very near future.
VIA "SLI"
VIA was also demonstrating a working machine with their version of dual video cards. The VIA solution is a bit different in that there is no bridge chip, slot 2 is x4, and any two video cards can be combined. VIA had combined an ATI X800 XT and an X300 in their dual graphics machine, but we did not have an opportunity to see benchmarks of the video performance.
Abit
Abit has long had close ties to VIA, and Abit was also touting their new AX8 board.
The AX8 is based on the PCIe K8T890 with the VT8237 south bridge. AX8 has the expected x16 PCIe slot for video, 3 x1 PCIe, and two legacy PCI slots. Features include SATA Raid, Gigabit LAN, and Firewire. The boards have shown up for pre-order at a few websites at some very reasonable prices for a PCIe dual-channel Socket 939 motherboard - about $120 for the regular AX8 version and around $150 for the 3
rd-eye version with the system info LCD panel.
ASUS
ASUS will also launch their K8T890 solution in the form of the AV8-E Deluxe. Merchants are starting their pre-order sales now, and we are told that you can pick up the board from a few select merchants if you know where to look.
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MarkM - Tuesday, January 25, 2005 - link
>For those still in the AGP camp, DFI also had the nForce3 250 socket 939 LanParty on display, but not in final PCB.Well, that is depressing, "not in final PCB?" I figure that means it's at least another moneht before I'll ever see it. I was really trying hard to wait for this board for my 939/AGP build, but everyone else may be talking about the "Athlon 128" before it finally materializes! :)
PrinceGaz - Friday, January 14, 2005 - link
I don't want SLI either, but the second x16 slot will work as a x1 in "single graphics-card mode", so you don't lose anything by going for the SLI capable board. The Asus SLI board effectively gives you three PCIe x1 slots then.It's probably worth holding off just slightly longer anyway because AMD's E0 revision A64 cores should be out soon, which as well as the SSE3 instructions, are expected to be manufactured using the latest strained-silicon process which further reduces power-consumption and increases overclocking potential.
sophus - Friday, January 14, 2005 - link
#5 I'm TRYING to wait for nforce4 non-SLI also.but only the gigabyte GA-K8NF-9 is available for about $150.is it wrong to want AMD + PCIe? late january couldn't come sooner...
I wanted a nice SLI rig but the initial prices are too steep for my liking.
geogecko - Friday, January 14, 2005 - link
#5. No, actually, there are two of us. Any word on when the A8N-E Premium will be available? This board looks perfect for the HTPC community, with the low profile chipset passive cooler.Where is it ASUS???
smn198 - Friday, January 14, 2005 - link
What do you think the chances are that once we have dual core, we will get 939 dual socket boards? I'd be interested!Swaid - Thursday, January 13, 2005 - link
#15If it's what I am assuming they are talking about, is that there is no need for a bearing surface since the whole fan housing is suspended in a magnetic field... Sure all other case fans are turned by an alternating magnetic field, but they are also not suspended by that same (maybe?) field. This would greatly reduce friction and cut down noise. It would be nice to see a diagram of this to know what they are specifically talking about. Sounds exactly what #16 said... Using MagLev technology (just on a smaller scale).
Decel - Thursday, January 13, 2005 - link
Actually, I believe that they're using MagLev..PrinceGaz - Thursday, January 13, 2005 - link
Hehe, I take my (virtual) hat off to DFI's marketing division for coming up with that magnetic-field nonsense. All fans regardless of their bearings effectively spin in a magnetic-field, that's what is making them spin.Its strange that when they say it "reduces friction, wear and tear, and heat generation", that they don't include the first thing someone might notice about a chipset fan-- noise. Instead they claim the fan operates more efficiently without any proof.
Don't get me wrong, I may buy a DFI mobo when I build my nForce4 box, but marketing bull like this really turns me off.
Momental - Thursday, January 13, 2005 - link
"the Fatal1ty AN8, based on the same nF4 ultra chipset, but geared toward top gaming with a price of over $300"Did I read that correctly??? ABit will be coming out with a motherboard that retails for THREE HUNDRED DOLLARS?? Umm.........yeah. What does it do besides make the most fantastic cup of Columbian coffee and amazing brownies?? I'm no cheapskate, by any means, but ya gotta be kiddin' me. That's some serious coin for a board.
Wesley Fink - Thursday, January 13, 2005 - link
#11 and #12 - We asked DFI your questions and they are answered in the Press release:"both nForce4 chipset based motherboards feature Japanese aluminum electrolytic capacitors, magnetic levitation north bridge cooling fan with fan speed control, and all aluminum heat sink on mosfets. The conductive polymer (electrolytic) aluminum solid capacitors provide high resistance to over-voltage and reverse voltage as compared with other capacitors, making them the ideal choice for overclocking and mission critical motherboards. To further provide maximum cooling on-board, both motherboards feature DFI’s first magnetic levitation chipset cooling fan that moves almost twice the air compared to standard chipset fans while producing extremely little noise. Thanks to magnetic levitation technology, the spinning fan blades “float” in a magnetic field and thereby dramatically reduces friction, wear and tear, and heat generation."
We have also corrected the description to the more accurate "Magnetic Levitation".