why dont motherboard users use the features in some chipsets?

[amanz19905]

I have been looking at amd motherboards and like the features offered by Nvidia's Nforce3 ultra chipsets such as built in 8 chanel audio that dosent use codec, built in gigabit that actually can use one gigabit if needed, built in firewall, raid, up to 4 sata ports (onboard?) and it has 3 ata133 interfaces, and of course firewire and usb2.0 all of which is handled by the chipset. Yet Gigabyte, the only maker of motherboards using the Nforce3ultra fails to use most of the chipsets abilities with the exception of the normal unctions of a chipset! instead of using this great chipset they use a:
Silicon Image sil3512 controller
T.I. IEEE1394b controller
ICS 1883 LAN PHY chip
Marvell 8001 Gigabit Ethernet controller
and worst of all instead of usingf the 8 chanel audio the chipset provides they use Realtek ALC850 Audio AC'97 Codec

 

[Praetor]

- Well since they dont use the nVidia chipset they naturally wouldnt have the only onboard sound worth having, the SoundStorm.

- The biggest reason probably has to do with pricing but i dunno what those boards sell for

- To my knowledge not a single (or very few) people will ever come near 1Gbit ethernet transfers simply because very few configurations allow for sustained 125Mbyte/sec transfers so thats not actually a major concern. Furthermore, lots of people feel Gigabit ethernet is stretching the capacity/reliability of copper too much

- "Audio that doesnt use a codec" .... well one of the only forms (if not the only one) would be PCM ... which is horribly space-inefficient which is why MP3 and other audio formats were invented

up to 4 sata ports (onboard?)

- If i'm not mistaken you can continue to add SATA drives as long as you have enough power for them.

built in firewall

- Unless the board comes with say, 4 LAN jacks this is acutally quite useless
- Now if you're talking about hardcore firewall/IDS systems then the mobos that have those (a) would be much bigger (b) cost at least 10x more and (c) be unable to recieve effective marketing

 

[4W4K3]

the EPOX 8RDA3+ comes with 2 LAN ports...but obviously no firewall. that would be a bit strange..a built in firewall...i think it's easier to get a hardware/and or software firewall installed than to mess with a built in one lol.

 

[Praetor]

i think it's easier to get a hardware/and or software firewall installed than to mess with a built in one lol.

I have heard of the mobo or two with a firewall capability (although that might have been fancy marketing for "two onboard LAN jacks" .... it was an Intel board so I didnt pay attn too much