Chaintech 7NJS nForce2 Motherboard
ZENITH
by Tryx Reyes
November 20, 2002
Manufacturer: Chaintech
Supplier: PCGear New Zealand
Introduction
We have seen nVidia's very first try at the motherboard chipset market with their nForce offering. We all know by now that it wasn't much of a success. We have reviewed an nForce board from one manufacturer and we never really liked it because of too much memory issues. There was such a big hype during those days before its release that everyone was talking so much and getting excited about it. But it never really stood up to everyone's expectation. It might have introduced a few new technologies at the time, but it wasn't enough to convince the market that it was the board to have. That's why only a few manufacturers supported the chipset and came out with their nForce boards.
nVidia's entry to the motherboard industry was not what they expected it to be. The KT266A release also added to its demise. With their nForce board performing below par compared to the new chipset from VIA at the time, the nForce was forgotten altogether. NOW, nVidia is back! Having learned from their previous mistake which they were entitled to, considering it was their very first try, they are back with a new chipset. nVidia is once again knocking on the enthusiast motherboard market with their new nForce 2 chipset.
Again we have heard a lot about the nForce 2 since early this year. It was further confirmed when a lot of board manufacturers paraded their nforce2 based boards during Computex last June. But again, no one released a retail board for months. It was becoming like the same old story for nVidia. The nForce2 hype died down for a few months. It was not until October of this year that the nForce2 once again surfaced to coincide with the release of AMD's Athlon XP 2800+,with support for 166mhz front side bus, that the nForce2 became the talk of the town once more.
So today, here we are once again to prove if the nForce2 has what it takes to attract the enthusiast market into using the boards based on the nForce2 chipset from nVidia. Presenting us once again with new technologies like onboard GF4 MX graphics, dual channel DDR400 memory interface, Serial ATA, AGP 8X and many more, the nForce2 is again set to capture everyone's need for the ultimate AMD board this year. Introducing, Chaintech's nForce 2 motherboard offering, the ZENITH 7NJS nForce 2!!!
Chaintech 7NJS ZENITH nForce2 Motherboard
ZENITH- Highest point in the sky directly overhead.
Chaintech has lately been producing top quality high end motherboards for the enthusiast market. The latest release of their APOGEE line of AMD motherboards has made the Chaintech name synonymous to quality, stability and performance. Their KT333 APOGEE offering, the 7VJL, made headlines around the whole as being one of the fastest KT333 ever. Packed with all the goodies that comes with its stability and performance, it was the fastest KT333 board that one can really afford. What I really liked about Chaintech is the fact that unlike companies we know, they don't boost their prices just because they already got a name that can command and justify such act.
APOGEE was the very first series of motherboards manufactured by CHAINTECH that's focused on bringing end users the best cost/performance high end motherboards. Starting from customer-oriented thinking, they designed APOGEE the way that most users wanted: Stability, Compatibility, Feature-Rich and Affordability.
The APOGEE was a learning stage for a newcomer like them to the "enthusiast" market. From both media reviewers and actual end users, they gathered information tailored to what a "performance" board should be. In result, ZENITH was born to deliver another pinnacle for Chaintech's motherboard industry.
Today we would be looking at their nForce2 offering, the 7NJS. This they dubbed the "ZENITH". Having landed their feet in the high end motherboard market, Chaintech decided that its about time that someone comes out with an nForce 2 board that will immedietely be available for purcahse and not just for show. Knowing Chaintech, once they say they can get it out of the market, they can!
So without further ado, let us take you to our first nForce2 experience with Chaintech as the driver. Can they deliver what we have been expecting for a long time from nVidia? Can Chaintech continue the magic they did from their APOGEE with ZENITH? Will the nForce 2 with all its new technology finally capture our hearts? Or is it just gonna be the same old story once more? Well, we will find out soon.