ATI vs NVIDIA Socket AM2 chipsets compared

AMD'S LATEST ATHLON 64 processors use a new socket and DDR2 memory, essentially requiring a motherboard upgrade. It just wouldn't do to plug a cutting-edge processor into a motherboard with an older chipset, though. Perhaps that's why ATI and NVIDIA are rolling out new core logic to accompany AMD's Socket AM2. In the green corner, NVIDIA is launching a top-to-bottom line of nForce 500 series chipsets, including the high-end nForce 590 SLI. ATI, on the other hand, is finally taking the wraps off its long-awaited SB600 south bridge. That chip is paired with the established CrossFire Xpress 3200 north bridge for high-end multi-GPU platforms.