CHAINTECH - Chaintech Zenith ZNF3-150 Motherboard Review

As the Athlon 64 becomes more affordable, now is the perfect time to check out Chaintech’s Socket 754 Zenith ZNF3-150. Like Chaintech’s early Zenith boards, the ZNF3-150 is loaded with integrated peripherals, bundled extras, and a decent array of overclocking options. However, this latest Zenith is quite a bit cheaper than Chaintech’s previous high-end offerings, making the ZNF3-150 especially tempting for anyone looking for an AMD64 bargain. Has Chaintech kept the peripheral and bundle gravy train flowing, despite the ZNF3-150’s more affordable price tag? Can the board’s nForce3 chipset, with a little help from NVIDIA’s latest Forceware drivers, keep up with VIA’s K8T800 chipset? Read on; you might be surprised.

. . . At the end of the day, what impresses me most about the ZNF3-150 is the fact that the performance, peripherals, and bundle are all available for such an affordable price. The ZNF3-150 can be found on Pricewatch for as low as $160—a bargain considering everything that comes in the box. Sure, cheaper Athlon 64 boards are available, but they can’t compete with the ZNF3-150’s opulent array of integrated peripherals and assorted bundled extras. Anyone looking for a loaded Socket 754 board to pair with a shiny new Athlon 64 should definitely have a ZNF3-150 on their short list.

Chaintech’s Zenith ZNF3-150 motherboard @ The Tech Report