The IGP Chronicles Part 1: Intel's G45 & Motherboard Roundup

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• kilkennycat - Wednesday, September 24, 2008 - link

  Anand and Gary,
  
  Seems as if an important candidate is MIA in your 3-part review of integrated chip-sets/uATX motherboards, the LONG-promised nVidia MCP7A chip-set for Intel processors with integrated 9400/9300 graphics. The only potential integrated-graphics competitor to the G45 in the Intel-processor world. When is the MCP7A due to be released? Most recent speculation (in DigiTimes, iirc) was the end of this month (September). In time to add a review of one or more uATX motherboards based on this chipset as Part 4 to this group of three reviews?

• Anand Lal Shimpi - Wednesday, September 24, 2008 - link

  By the time this series is over the MCP7A won't be out, but we'll have a standalone review of that product to coincide with availability :)
  
  -A

• yehuda - Thursday, September 25, 2008 - link

  Ok, when will this series be over? I ask because the last news on MCP7A said that it should be out before the end of this month and your statement makes me wonder if there's another delay ahead.

• kilkennycat - Wednesday, September 24, 2008 - link

  Anand, thanks for the reply.
  
  NDA gag on projected-availability information from nVidia ??

• Anand Lal Shimpi - Wednesday, September 24, 2008 - link

  Yep, it won't be too much longer and NV is quite excited about it but specifics I can't give out unfortunately.
  
  *If* I were in NVIDIA's shoes I'd want to capitalize as best as possible on Intel's handling of G45. I'd make sure that the first products worked *perfectly* and availability was immediate and at competitive prices.
  
  If NVIDIA blows this opportunity I'll be quite disappointed, especially given how much crap it has given Intel about Larrabee.
  
  We'll know soon enough, but after the IGP Chronicles are over :)
  
  -A

• Pederv - Wednesday, September 24, 2008 - link

  From what I read, the G45 can be summed as, "It has a few good points but over all it sucks."

• kevinkreiser - Wednesday, September 24, 2008 - link

  I was hoping there would be mention of the graphics problems when putting nvidia cards in these boards. I was very vocal about this over at the AVS forums. Did any one notice any mention of this in the article? Also will there be coverage of the new nvidia boards MCP7A?

• Gary Key - Wednesday, September 24, 2008 - link

  Our final article will feature the discrete cards like the 9600GT and HD 4670. In testing so far, I have not had the problems that have been reported. I do have some additional NV cards coming to test. We will have coverage on the GeForce 9400 series when it launches. ;)

• kevinkreiser - Wednesday, September 24, 2008 - link

  Thanks for the quick reply. I appreciate you guys keeping an eye out for the aforementioned problem. And also thanks for the heads up on the forthcoming MCP7A article.

• sprockkets - Wednesday, September 24, 2008 - link

  http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N8...">http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N8...
  
  Shame it costs $100 though. Shame too that Intel boards work so poorly, since I like that mini-itx board. The one from Jetway for the 8200 chipset probably doesn't work any better.