Introduction

When the NVIDIA nForce 420 chipset was first announced, the performance crowd had some very high hopes for the technology. NVIDIA is the current leader in graphics technology, and have pushed the 3D envelope farther and faster than any other company. Many hoped that NVIDIA could bring the same commitment to performance and features into the motherboard chipset segment, and create a product for the high-end AMD motherboard buyer.

The specifications of the nForce 420-D sounded like a wish list for many enthusiasts, including a dual-channel, TwinBank Memory Architecture, HyperTransport system bus, along with relatively high-end audio hardware. Other integrated features included 10/100 LAN, HomePNA and MC '97 Soft Modem. Naturally, there was the allure of GF2 MX-like integrated graphics, but this was more of an aside to the entry-level buyers rather than giving notice to the hardcore gaming community.

When nForce motherboards first started appearing, the performance edge was there, but not as much as many had hoped. Sure, the nForce was faster than a similarly-equipped VIA KT266A, but the differences were very slight. There was also an inherently higher retail price to contend with, and nForce boards had a difficult time finding their own market niche. In some ways, it was a board without a true market, as the performance crowd gravitated towards the KT266A and entry-level buyers were too used to budget prices for their integrated products.

The real key to the challenges NVIDIA faces resides in the integrated graphics component. Some really like the feature, but for mass market appeal, NVIDIA really needed to adjust the nForce options and get the price down to competitive levels. Enter the nForce 415-D, with all the performance features you know and love, but without the integrated video portion and its added cost. This doesn't mean the nForce 415-D is a bare chipset, as the integrated audio, network and modem features are still present.

When ABIT releases a new board, consumers tend to sit up and take notice. That is because ABIT is well-known for taking an existing reference design and adding everything but the kitchen sink. Their new NV7-133R is no different, as it uses the basic nForce 415-D chipset but includes a host of additional features such as ATA-133, IDE RAID, and USB 2.0, while incorporating the various integrated audio and LAN features of the nForce. At first glance, the NV7-133R seems to be a powerhouse motherboard, with just about every feature you could imagine. We'll find out if the ABIT NV7-133R is up to the huge task of combining all of these elements into an integrated design, while not forgetting their performance-minded target market.