While AM2 doesn’t specifically need a new chipset, its release coincides with the launch of NVIDIA’s new core logic, the Nforce 500 series. There are four versions: the dual 16x SLI graphics Nforce 590; dual 8x SLI graphics 570 SLI; single graphics 570 Ultra; and the entry-level 550. This follows a similar pattern to the Nforce4 series, but there are some new features on offer.
NVIDIA claims the hardware firewall of Nforce4 will be rendered unnecessary by Windows Vista’s improved version, and so decided to drop it. In its place are some new networking technologies to complement the twin Gigabit Ethernet connections from the 590 and both 570 chipsets.
FirstPacket can prioritise certain network traffic, aiming to improve responsiveness for time-sensitive apps like online gaming and VoIP. You tell FirstPacket which application to prioritise and its packets will be sent over those of other time-tolerant apps. However, it can only control outbound traffic, so will only be of benefit if you regularly saturate your broadband link with file sharing or similar.
NVIDIA is keen to push the automatic overclocking abilities of Nforce 590 with LinkBoost and SLI-Ready Memory. The first pushes up the HyperTransport and PCI Express bus frequencies by 25 percent, giving 10GB/s bandwidth instead of 8GB/s. In normal use, though, neither bus is likely to approach saturation.
Confusingly, SLI-Ready Memory has nothing to do with SLI, or even with graphics cards. It’s DDR2 system RAM that has a unique overclocking profile stored on it. With the BIOS set to read this, it should give a safe overclock to near the RAM’s maximum frequency without you needing to do anything. It can even overclock the CPU to match the higher RAM frequencies. Unfortunately, even at the lowest automatic overclock setting, our Foxconn board became unstable.
MediaShield – the Nforce storage controller – is still present and can now support six SATA 2 connections. This gives access to massive RAID5 arrays, or to any combination of conventional three-disk RAID0, 1, 0+1 and three-disk RAID5 arrays. But while MediaShield is missing on the Nforce 550 chipset, it does support a HD audio codec just like the rest. And as we’ve seen in the test , it lacks none of the speed of Nforce4.
| | Chipset | Benchmark score | Slots | RAM Sockets | Audio | I/O Block | Headers | Drive connections | Bundle |
| ABIT | Nvidia Nforce 570 | 1.28 | 2 PCI-E 16x, 2 PCI-E 1x, 2 PCI | 4 | 8-channel High definition | 4 x USB 2, 2 x Gigabit Ethernet, digital S/PDIF | 3 x USB 2, 2 x FireWire, 3 x fan | 6 x SATA2, 1 x PATA, floppy | Cables: SLI connector |
| ASUS | Nvidia Nforce 590 | 1.29 | 2 PCI-E 16x, 1 PCI-E 1x, 1 PCI-E 4x, 2 PCI | 4 | 8-channel High Definition | 4 x USB 2, 2 x Gigabit Ethernet, optical and digital S/PDIF, serial, FireWire, SATA, Wi-Fi | 2 x USB 2, FireWire, 6 x fan, parallel | 7 x SATA2, 1 x PATA, floppy | Backplates: dual USB 2, FireWire. Cables: 6 x SATA data, 3 x Molex- to-dual SATA, ribbon PATA, ribbon floppy. SLI connector, Wi-Fi aerial, dual microphone, heatsink fan, InterVideo WinDVD suite |
| ECS | ATi Xpress 1100 | 1.26 | 1 PCI-E 16x, 1 PCI-E 1x, 2 PCI | 2 | 6-channel AC97 | 4 x USB 2, 1 x Gigabit Ethernet, parallel, serial, D-SUB output | 2 x USB 2, 2 x fan, TV-out, S/PDIF out | 4 x SATA, 1 x PATA, floppy | Cables: SATA data, Molex-to-SATA, ribbon parallel, 1 floppy |
| FOXCON | Nvidia Nforce 590 | 1.28 | 2 PCI-E 16x, 1 PCI-E 1x, 1 PCI-E 4x, 2 PCI | 4 | 8-channel High Definition | 6 x USB 2, 2 x Gigabit Ethernet, digital S/PDIF, FireWire, FireWire 800 | 2 x USB 2, FireWire, parallel, 1 x fan | 6 x SATA2, 2 x PATA | Backplates: parallel. Cables: 4 x USB 2, FireWire and mini-FireWire, 6 x SATA data, 3 x Molex-to-dual SATA power, 2 x rounded PATA, SLI connector |
| GIGABYTE | Nvidia Nforce 570 | 1.29 | 2 PCI-E 16x, 3 PCI-E 1x, 2 PCI | 4 | 8-channel High Definition | 4 x USB 2, FireWire, 1 x Gigabit Ethernet, parallel, serial, optical and digital S/PDIF | 3 x USB 2, 2 x FireWire, 2 x fan | 6 x SATA2, 1 x PATA, floppy | Cables: ribbon PATA, ribbon floppy, 6 x SATA data, SLI connector |
| MSI | Nvidia Nforce 570 | 1.28 | 2 PCI-E 16x, 2 PCI-E 1x, 3 PCI | 4 | 8-channel High Definition | 4 x USB 2, FireWire, 2 x Gigabit Ethernet, parallel, serial, optical and digital S/PDIF | 3 x USB 2, FireWire, infrared, 2 x fan | 6 x SATA2, 1 x PATA, floppy | Backplates: dual USB 2 with POST diagnostic, FireWire and mini-FireWire. Cables: 4 x SATA data, 2 x Molex-to-SATA power, rounded PATA, rounded floppy, SLI connector, SLI connector clamp |