Intel vs VIA chipset

[Mictlan]

Which chipset is better?

I'm using an Intel 440BX chipset, and I'm wondering if I should try next a Via mobo.

I've got bad experience with a VIA Apollo 133 Pro mobo as it was incompatible with a Voodoo 3 3500 videocard. I had to return the mobo an exchange it for a BX mobo.

 

[Toejam31]

"Burned once, shame on them. Burned twice ..."

There are still many issues with VIA chipsets... one of which necessitated a recent recall of an MSI mainboard.

The 440BX is still the most stable chipset ever released.

If you intend to stay with an Intel platform, I'd suggest either the i815e, for use with SDRAM, or the i850 for RDRAM. Of course, there is also the updated 440BX, which supports a 133FSB and 133Mhz SDRAM.

Toejam31

 

[klosters64a]

There are a lot of Via and Intel chipsets. Perhaps a better question may be: Is Via chipset "X" better than Intel chipset "Y?"

We get used to certain hardware and software. "Foreign" gear and software can be judged "bad," simply because we're not familiar with it.

I wish Intel hadn't wasted our time with the i820 chipset. Whether the i810 and i815 are wasted efforts depends on your viewpoint.

I wish that Via would hire more R&D staff.

Paying for the privilege of being a Beta tester rather isses me offpay. Microsoft took the lead down this less than honorable road. Now every maker of hard and software has us buffaloed into accepting this rip off.

Face it. PC's are consumer electronics. I dislike the "Sucker" that has been printed on my forehead. Even if it's printed in invisible ink, the bar code reader dutifully scans it.

Don't get me started.

 

[badgers]

could you elaborate on the BX being enhanced to use 133 FSB?
I thought that at 133 the AGP port was out of spec?

 

[outhouse]

badgers (Jun 07, 2001 09:39 p.m.):
could you elaborate on the BX being enhanced to use 133 FSB?
I thought that at 133 the AGP port was out of spec?

when you get to high with FSB speeds there is a divider that kicks the agp speed down so its not overclocked.

 

[outhouse]

There both good chipsets to run it depends on what your after BX will not let you get the FSB that high there no way i could run at 167FSB on a BX chipset this means i cant overclock as high on the BX now VIA's problem is that your not going to get the bandwidth that you will with the BX so expect lower memory benchmarks there are some things you can do to get better memory scores out of the via though by running 150 or better quality ram [higher the better] will help and making sure all of your settings in BIOS are optimized testing with sisandra will tell you if your going in the rite dirrection.

 

[el]

I have two Via mobos one kt133 and one kt133 both are very stable but there are fewer conflicts with the intel mobos. comparing the 820 to via I would say Via is way better. heheheh

 

[ACiD_PoWeR]

i had a VIA Apollo Pro 133Z (the same as 133A but has AGP Pro too) and now i have MSI 815EP Pro-R with i815EP Chipset.. i would say that with the cas 3 setting the performance is the same exactly .. my RAM couldn' t go cas2 with the via chipset, but it runs quite fine with the i815 one .. the performance now in sandra's memory benchmark is :
PIII 800@930 155 with VIA 133Z at sandra : 384 / 456 (cas3)
PIII 800@800 133FSB (no OC) i815EP cas3 at sandra: 390/460
i cant overclock it more with the VIA one ..

I dont now if really the pc is faster in cas2 800 than cas3 930 or the benchmark shows false things... i must say that there is not only the speed..
the i815 chipset is more stable that the VIA and also, more compatible .. it is not buggy !! after seeing some benchmarks i had placed them
1st: i815
2nd:i440BX
3rd: VIA 133A (133Z is the same now..)
4th: i820 (yeap, its not only the problems, it has low performance.. my pc at cas3 800mhz with VIA 133Z runs faster than the i820 with a PIII 1 GHz)

i440BX is supposed the best chipset .. seeing the performance of this ASUS CUSL2 i say that stable, fast, overclockable, but cant reach i815 (133fsb is high for it .. there is not only the VGA and the PCI problem .. a celeron 800 at 100fsb can be higher in a MSI BX-Master than a cel 800 in an ASUS CUSL2 .. bye !!

 

[batboy]

In my opinion, forget the VIA chipsets. Everyone that I personally know that has one wishes they didn't have one. I also get tired of people knocking the i815. Yes, the early i815 had some teething problems, but the latest generation of i815 boards are great. They generally have much more features than the older BX boards. Don't get me wrong, the old BX boards were great in their day. I had one a year ago, but they're sort of becoming antiques now.