It's long been known that NVIDIA's nForce3 250Gb chipset for Athlon 64 processors would feature Serial ATA RAID, Gigabit Ethernet, and a hardware firewall, but I can now reveal that these extras will also make their way to the K7 platform in a new nForce2 MCP. Expected in a couple of months, the new MCP's extra storage and networking features should help the nForce2 compete with VIA's KT880 and KT600 chipsets, which share a VT8237 south bridge that offers native support for Serial ATA RAID.
Though enthusiasts may scoff at new chipset developments for the supposedly dead K7 platform, Athlon XPs should continue to deliver great performance at rock bottom prices for some time. It's hard to go wrong with a $75 Athlon XP 2500+, especially if enthusiasts will be able to get their hands on Serial ATA RAID, Gigabit Ethernet, and a hardware firewall in a updated nForce2 MCP.
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