Dual Core Intel Platform Shootout - NVIDIA nForce4 vs. Intel 955X
by Anand Lal Shimpi on April 14, 2005 1:01 PM EST- Posted in
- CPUs
Intel's 955X Chipset
With pricing out of the way, let's have a look at the 955X chipset itself. The Intel slide below provides a good overview of the chipset:
For the most part, the features are pretty straightforward, but there are a few interesting points. Note that Intel shows support for dual PCI Express x16 slots with the use of an external bridge, meaning that motherboard manufacturers could effectively offer SLI support on 955X platforms. We firmly believe that Intel will introduce support for SLI once both ATI and NVIDIA have introduced their SLI technologies. It has yet to be seen how Intel will implement this bridged dual x16 solution and whether it will be a true dual x16 setup, or two x8 slots like NVIDIA's SLI.
The board that we used for this review actually featured two x16 slots, but only one was a true x16 slot - the other was a x4 slot with a x16 connector.
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mkruer - Thursday, April 14, 2005 - link
The only reason why Intel allowed Nvidia to make a chipset for them was for the SLI. Intel is worried, and rightfuly so that Nvidia's SLI sloution for AMD whould give AMD an advantage.Questar - Thursday, April 14, 2005 - link
"Honestly, Intel processors and even the platform haven’t been interesting since the introduction of Prescott. They have been too hot and poor performers, not to mention that the latest Intel platforms forced a transition to technologies that basically offered no performance benefits (DDR2, PCI Express)."Your opinion only, don't make this out to be fact.
"at the end of the day, Intel would still be happier if there was no threat from companies like NVIDIA"
nVidia (please print it correctly) is not a "threat" to Intel in the chipset market. They couldn't make a P4 chipset without a license from Intel. If Intel was threatened by them they wouldn't sell them a license. The purpose in licensing is give system builders more choice in design features.
"However Intel’s chipset team has reason to worry; motherboard manufacturers weren’t happy with the 925/915 chipsets, and with a viable alternative in NVIDIA, we may very well have an opportunity for NVIDIA to start eating into Intel’s own chipset market share in a way that no other company has in the past"
Intel probably makes as much net profit off the licensing of the nVidia chipset as they do selling thier own - after all thay don't have to design, build, ship or sell anything. So why would they be worried?
Really Anand, you have to begin thinking these things trough.
Houdani - Thursday, April 14, 2005 - link
Grrr, I should have noted that I was referring to the NCQ testing.Houdani - Thursday, April 14, 2005 - link
Anand: For the Intel DC Preview, what would you say was the queue depth during the various multitasking tests? I'm curious how today's test compares with how you tested the Intel DC in the preview.Also, is the relation between a depth of 8 versus a depth of 32 linear? Would there be any value in testing a depth somewhere in the middle, such as 16 and/or 24?
Thanks yet again for the quality work!
ChineseDemocracyGNR - Thursday, April 14, 2005 - link
"NVIDIA does not support Intel’s HD Audio spec, so you’re stuck with AC’97 on the nForce4 SLI. "That's inexcusable for a $80 chipset, IMO.
ksherman - Thursday, April 14, 2005 - link
cool and all, but is there any variation of the Intel-based SLI vs the AMD Based SLI?