Hi folks,I've been searching around for AMD CPU combos that will take my 8X AGP card. My choices have narrowed down to the Nvidia based ASUS A7N8X board (of which there are -X, -VM and Deluxe variants)along with a relatively small OEM processor (2200+), or an Abit KD7 (VIA KT400A chipset) with a larger retail processor (2400-2600+). Is the Nvidia 2 chip really that much better than the VIA KT400A chip? If so, how does it compare to the newer VIA KT600 chip? There are KT600 boards out there selling for less than the A7N8X...I was also wondering what the difference is between a "Barton" and a "Thoroughbred" core. I would also like to know which sound chip is better, a Cmedia or Realtek. Finally how do you plug analog CH pedals into the newer boards that don't seem to have gameports.Sorry for the trouble,Mauricio

Hi Mauricio,I can't answer all your questions but I can provide some information. I just upgraded my computer with an ASUS A7N8X motherboard along with an AMD 2500+ which I overclocked to a 2800+. I really like this motherboard for the price. The motherboard/CPU combo is very stable and the Nforce2 drivers appear to be very speedy.I went from a MSI K7T turbo2 (VIA chipset) motherboard and AMD 1.33 and the difference is hugh.Take care,

Thanks Tommy, I'll keep an eye on the A7N8X then.

"Is the Nvidia 2 chip really that much better than the VIA KT400A chip?"Yes. The Nvidia has proven itself to be much more stable and faster than the comparable VIA chipset."If so, how does it compare to the newer VIA KT600 chip?"Can't answer this one... never owned a KT600 board."There are KT600 boards out there selling for less than the A7N8X..."And that may say all that needs to be said."I was also wondering what the difference is between a "Barton" and a "Thoroughbred" core."The Barton has more L2 cache (512 vs 256) than the Tbred. The Bartons are the preferred choice between the two CPU's."I would also like to know which sound chip is better, a Cmedia or Realtek."Another subjective observation here, but I think the Realtek is preferred."Finally how do you plug analog CH pedals into the newer boards that don't seem to have gameports."Some use a GP to USB converter. Another option is to install a soundcard into one of the board's PCI slots.A great combo right now is the A7N8X coupled with the Barton 2500 CPU. Many folks have theirs overclocked as high as 2.4Ghz! (stock for the 2500 is 1.83Ghz). The 2500 can be purchased for less than $100US and is a real barn burner. Great CPU.I personally won't touch a VIA board now. I've owned two A7N8X boards in the past year, and I like the product alot. Stable, fast, easy to overclock, and pracically dummy proof (if you mess up the BIOS all that's needed is to remove the battery, short the board using a simple jumper pin next to the battery holder, and you're back in business with the original BIOS and settings).If you buy a A7N8X make sure it's a Rev. 2.0, and that it is a 400Mhz FSB. The original boards were 333Mhz FSB, and limited the user's choice to slower memory (few folks had any luck getting the original boards up to 200 FSB even while using faster memory).Hope this helps,Specs:AMD 3000 XP Barton 400FSB @ 2.4GhzThermalright SLK947-U w/ 92mm fan (55CFM at 35db)ASUS A7N8X Rev 2.0 1004 Uber BIOS1Gb Corsair XMS 3200 6,3,3,2 2.7vATI 9700 Pro 350/330 Omega 2.4.96bMaxtor 40Gb 7200 ATA133Sony 52x24x52 CD-RWIomega 100Mb ZipLian-Li w/ Antec 430w TruepowerWin XP Home SP1

Hi there,"Finally how do you plug analog CH pedals into the newer boards that don't seem to have gameports."The A7N8X does have gameports, if you buy the retail product. The connectors are separate and normally not included with the OEM version.Cheers,Gosta.http://hifi.avsim.net/activesky/images/wxrebeta.jpg