VIA MVP4 Chipset

The raw performance across the video bus illustrates the advantages having an integrated video core provides the end user with, unfortunately the relatively weak core performance of the Trident accelerator will keep the high bus performance from truly being noticed.  For everyone else but gamers, the MVP4 is an incredible strong solution, especially when considering its price to performance ratio.  Do remember that the MVP4 system is being compared to a much more expensive TNT based MVP3 system, a world of difference if you're constructing a low-cost PC.

Where to expect MVP4 based motherboards

You can pretty much expect most MVP4 boards to be offered in the most cost effective manner, meaning that 9 out of every 10 MVP4 boards will be built on a Micro ATX PCB, once again in an attempt to keep costs low.  Motherboard manufacturers such as FIC already have MVP4 designs in the works, and in combination with the soon to come K6-2 price cuts and the release of AMD's K6-3, the MVP4 should make for an interesting low-cost/high-performance alternative to Intel's already dominant Celeron-BX/ZX knockout.  1999 has started out, as we could all pretty much predict back in 1998, as a year of competition, and what we're seeing is that competition unfold before our eyes.  If anything, the market is being pushed towards more cost effective solutions, while refraining from sacrificing performance.  Has VIA accomplished that with the MVP4?  Absolutely, however will the product be a success?  That's up to the market to decide.