[Notes on testing]
The combination of nV
and ATi worked perfectly
throughout testing (sorry to disappoint the conspiracy
theorists out there). As one would expect the nForce2
supports any video card you wish to use. While the synchronal
bus if far more recommend for the nForce, we chose to
use the memory at it's faster 166MHz setting. Running
at dual 133MHz speeds actually lowered scores slightly
even though the latency of the different settings was
less. This is partly as we have chosen to use a 133FSB
CPU for this review. Why? Simply because the nForce is,
in many ways, an all in one solution and you need to gain
an idea how it will perform for you. Not
many people have access to the newer AMD CPU's and certainly
won't until a long time after this Xmas. With that in
mind we looked at a more mainstream rig. It is still a
real number cruncher just slightly more within reach of
a retail audience. Please note we have used very new versions
of drivers, even for our board. You can take a peek at
the new audio panels below.
Part Six: nForce Drivers v2.00,
More Than An Update?
The new nForce drivers have really improved
upon those shipped with the Leadtek retail package. In
truth these were very poorly conceived as, while they
worked excellently when installed, most users will have
to install aspects of them on their own. (USB 2.0, ATA
133) For the user who wants to get up and running as soon
as possible but has a more limited experience this presents
a small problem. The updated 2,00 drivers have improved
the situation greatly. Installation was a breeze and the
everything was faster than ever. We know about nV's reputation
for VGA updates, let's hope their chipsets receive the
same amount of attention.
The audio panels have has a facelift in
this release but the change is more than skin deep. The
audio was sounding better than ever, it's the first on
board soundcard that can truly rival an Audigy (for example)
for those who mainly use it for games and music.
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