Nvidia nForce 500
Just like ATI, Nvidia scheduled the launch of the new chips solutions together with the Socket AM2 platform announcement. The new chipsets also got new names and started Nvidia nForce 5XX series giving you to understand that these solutions are different from the previous-generation ones in terms of supported features.
Nvidia nForce 500 series includes four different products targeted at different price groups. All of them are put together from the same building blocks: MCP chip (Media and Communications Processor) and SPP chip (System Performance Processor). MCP is actually none other but a fully-fledged single-chip core logic set (the corresponding product is called nForce 570). SPP adds the support of additional PCI Express x16 bus for SLI configurations. This way Nvidia can create completely different functional solutions using one or both chips. The chipset with the richest features set is Nvidia nForce 590 SLI, which we are going to review in our today?s article.
Nvidia nForce 590 SLI is a dual-chip solution with the SPP chip inserted between the CPU and the MCP connected via the HyperTransport bus. As a result, nForce 590 supports two PCI Express x16 busses and thus can be used as a basis for SLI platforms. However unlike ATI CrossFire Xpress 3200, the two PCI Express x16 busses of the Nvidia nForce 590 are implemented in two different controllers connected with the HyperTransport bus.
The support of additional graphics bus is the only role of the SPP chip. All other functions are implemented in the MCP chip that can also be used as a chipset controller without any additional companion-chips if the platform doesn?t have to support a pair of PCI Express x16 graphics interfaces.
Besides the support of PCI Express x16 graphics bus and PCI Express x1 bus for additional equipment, MCP also offers a complete set of features typical of every chipset South Bridge. I have to stress that Nvidia chipsets have always been known for extremely rich set of features, and our today?s hero is no exception either. Unlike the previous generation nForce 4, the MCP of nForce 500 series acquired a second gigabit controller, the long-awaited High Definition Audio (Azalia) support and more Serial ATA II ports. Moreover, redesigned software (including new drivers, of course) allowed Nvidia engineers to claim the support of additional technologies. And thanks to the aggressive effort of the company marketing department these technologies are very often regarded as revolutionary innovations, even though they are sometimes not.
Take for instance the built-in network controller that has become dual-port in the current MCP implementation. Besides the 1Gbit/s bandwidth provided by each network port of the pair, the driver allows combining the potential of the two ports into a single connection to double its data transfer rate and increase reliability. Nvidia marketing people named this feature DualNet .
Moreover, the network controller built into the new Nvidia chipset (its driver, to be more exact) supports another technology called FirstPacket . It allows assigning high priority to network packets generated by certain applications. It serves to reduce the network delays during online gaming with nForce500 based platforms as well as to ensure flawless VoIP operation.
