CHAINTECH - Chaintech 7NJS Review @ xbitlabs.com

Chaintech’s nForce2 SPP-based Zenith 7NJS (SPP/MCP-T) goes under the microscope over at x-bit labs where once again, the ‘CMedia over SoundStorm‘ audio topic is raised: why use an external C-Media 8738MX controller chip instead of the nForce2 APU (Audio Processing Unit) already present in the MCP-T? X-BL reason that, “the cause of these strange manipulations with the audio part of the mainboard lies in Chaintech’s unwillingness to increase the cost of its product through licensing fees that would be inevitable if the company used the APU“.

NVIDIA gave the answer to that back in December here: “…there is NO fee and NO extra hoops to jump through other than to send us boards to test on so that we can have Dolby verify that all of the signals are present and accounted for. We have not ever asked any of the partners to pay to use the SoundStorm name, but we do require they pass testing that NVIDIA and Dolby perform. For them to say that there is a cost is just incorrect.”

Why am I so bothered, especially when most Chaintech nForcers say they’re perfectly happy with the CMedia audio output of their 7NJS boards anyway? Because I’m drawn to everything it has to offer, but like many others still clinging to their old boards (nF1 in my case), I’ve been holding off in the hope that Chaintech surprise us all with a revision complete with fully featured nForce2 audio (and a SoundStorm Audio Bay to replace the CMedia Box would be sweet!). Only it’ll be a nasty surprise for me if they do, because I’ll be buying a 7NJS some time next week, neutered audio or not… in which case I’ll be doubly miffed if a revision does appear…  So, where were we? Oh yeah, x-bit labs review, here’s a clip:

“On the whole, Chaintech’s attempt to enter the high-end mainboard market should be considered successful. Chaintech 7NJS mainboard will definitely find its way to the customer. A lot of auxiliary equipment, stylish exterior, numerous features - all these things can entice a user who’s seeking a high-end mainboard for his Socket A platform. And still we might wish that Chaintech worked a bit harder on polishing its products off, rather than concerning themselves with outer looks and box contents…”Chaintech 7NJS Mainboard on NVIDIA nForce2 Chipset @ xbitlabs.com

source: Amdmb.com