Final thoughts
Final thoughtsNVIDIA's recent launch of IGP-support K8-class chipsets has been a good move. Talking specifically about the better-equipped GeForce 6150 northbridge and nForce4 430 southbridge combination, NVIDIA's filled the gap that existed in its K8 lineup. The enthusiast gamer can always opt for nForce4 SLI, and the buyer on a budget has a choice of cheaper nForce4 boards to choose from. However, with the introduction of an all-in-one chipset that offers multimedia capabilities and 3D performance in equal measure, we can forsee a number of system integrators jumping on the bandwagon and producing low-cost PCs.
Foxconn, a name that you'll be hearing a lot from in the next few months, has been one of the very first motherboard manufacturers to get NVIDIA's C51, the codename for the K8 IGP version, out of the door. The Foxconn C51GK8MA, priced at around £65 in the retail channel, offers the ideal combination of GeForce 6150 IGP and nForce4 430 southbridge in a microATX-sized form-factor. Board layout and BIOS options were both surprisingly good, and the latter was a real bonus for a form-factor that usually is bereft of any tweaking ability whatsoever.
Once tuned, the C51GK8MA benchmarked in much the same fashion as any decent K8-series motherboard, and its results are generally match the best-in-class performance. 3D performance from the DX9 and Shader Model 3.0-supporting GeForce 6150 was nothing to write home about, although, it must be said, that architecting a really useful 3D accelerator, something along the lines of a GeForce 6600 GT, directly on to a motherboard simply isn't practical. The non-3D attributes of the GeForce 6150 will undoubtely make it appeal to folks interesting in home-theater PCs, and the C51GK8MA's form factor simply begs for it to be put inside a stylish case.
In summary, then, NVIDIA's plugged the gap that existed in its current chipset lineup by introducing a few new SKUs that feature integrated graphics. The launch is just an evolution of a proven chipset design. If you've got an Athlon 64 or Sempron processor and are looking to use it in an HTPC environment, you could do a lot worse than consider the Foxconn C51GK8MA.
