VIA's P4X333 - If they only had a License

Final Words

Provided that there are no issues with USB2 and AGP 8X, we can honestly say that VIA has produced the best DDR chipset for the Pentium 4. The performance of VIA's DDR333 memory controller is noticeably better than any other DDR solution on the market today, even VIA's own KT333. The unfortunate reality is that the P4X333 won't get the respect that it deserves with companies like ABIT, ASUS, MSI and Gigabyte unwilling to take a chance on facing Intel's wrath. All it would take is one major manufacturer to step forward and embrace the chipset and the rest would undoubtedly follow.

If the P4X333 isn't enough to break the ice of fear then VIA's P4X600, with its dual-channel memory controller may be what it takes. Although it's not clear how the costs of implementing dual 64-bit memory channels on a motherboard will change retail prices (we'd expect a noticeable increase) it would be very hard to resist a mainstream high-performance chipset that offered dual channel DDR support.

In the end, Intel has been quite effective in stopping VIA's entry into the Pentium 4 chipset market. With the P4X266/A it wasn't so much of a loss but with the P4X333 we're honestly being kept from a solid performing chipset with good features. Let's hope that solid board designs from companies like Shuttle and Soyo will keep the P4X333 from becoming an example of where engineering accomplishment doesn't result in market success.