VIA MVP4 Chipset

by Anand Lal Shimpi on February 10, 1999 9:32 PM EST

At first Sight

At first sight, the MVP4 can be a relatively frightening product, simply because the thought of having an AGP accelerator integrated into the North Bridge of a chipset is quite limiting. This is completely true, meaning that the MVP4 will not be a high end solution for those users looking to achieve the best possible performance out of their systems with no consideration for cost. The MVP4 will, however, be a solution that is both cost effective, and a good performer for the cost. For direct competition against Intel's Pentium III, you'll still want to stick to the MVP3/K6-3 combo, however for a more cost effective solution that would be an excellent competitor to Intel's dominant Celeron line of systems, the MVP4 will definitely make its presence well known.

VIA's MVP4 Prototype

In terms of chipset performance, the MVP4 is no more and no less than the MVP3, the performance issues begin to factor in when you take into account the speed of the integrated hardware, such as the integrated Trident Blade 3D video controller. The key improvements the MVP4 holds over the MVP3 revolve around, as you may be able to guess, a more all-in-one design, being highly integrated, and low in cost.

Building the sub $1000 PC The North Bridge
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