GeforceFX=surprisingly slow

[Herewegoagain]

And with that damned leafblower roaring and your first PCI slot blocked,

 :roflmao:  :roflmao:  :roflmao:  :roflmao:  :roflmao:

[Herewegoagain]

A typical ATI 9700 vendor response = "upgrade your bios". A mundane end users ("average punter") shouldn't be the ones be handling these issues (i.e. BIOS flashing and 'etc').

Yes, maybe typical, but there was a problem with the bios on a number of 8x capable boards that had to be resolved with a bios update before using 8x cards.  It is very valid, and should not be assumed that it is the Radeon 9700's fault.  Actually I didn't really attribute it as anyone's fault, just a glitch in moving to a new standard.

After seeing the Radeon 9700 Pro in action, I almost had to pick my jaw up off the floor.  Very impressive!
And no leaf blower necessary!

[Herewegoagain]

The cited motherboards was working with the other 8X AGP video cards(non-ATI cards). Thus the issue was with ATI's end.

Ok, but they were based on what?  The Geforce4 series?  If so, it's possible that potential problems were already worked around (just saying it's possible)...  But the question is, would these same boards without the bios update have had similiar problems using the GeforceFX??  It would be an interesting test to try.

[Herewegoagain]

I see you don't have a clue about SIS's Xabre and NV18. Both of these products are 8X AGP capable.

These were cross posts without a refresh, but I'm sure you knew this.  

That is not the issue since those cited motherboards worked with other 8X AGP capable cards.

Ok, let's take a look and see who is at fault, ATI or the reviewers of these cards (note the Xaber update in the Gigabyte bios).  These are the bios versions that were available at the time you claim these cards were reviewed.

[color=CC0000]MSI 648 MAX
BIOS Type  AMI® BIOS  File Size  491KB  
Version  1.1  Update date  2002-9-27  
Update Description -Fixed system unstable when using ATI 9700
-Fixed error message sometimes appear after S3 resume
-Fixed S3 resume failed when USB legacy set as enabled  
Special note  ,  
Download  6585v11.exe [/color]

** Soltek I could only locate the SL-85ERV2 on their site, and they list no bios updates that I could see.


[color=CC0000]Asus P4S8X BIOS 1003A
1003A  2002/08/27
Serial ATA ROM updated 376.bin(016).
Patch ATI AGP 8X.
Support Intel Pentium 4 2.8Ghz CPU.
[/color]

[color=0000CC]Gigabyte GA-7vAXP last 3 bios updates
7vaxp_f7.zip F7
(Oct. 25, 2002) 1. Disable CPU fast command when FSB166Mhz CPU plugged.  
2. Modify top performance setting frequency.
3. Fixed SIS Xabre AGP card STR fail on win98\ME.  
 
7vaxp_f6.zip F6
(Oct. 07, 2002) 1. Fixed system hang under win98 when Creative PCI sound card exist
2. Improve CPU to AGP performance for ATI AGP card.
 
7vaxp_f5.zip F5
(Sep. 05, 2002) 1. Mass production release.
[/color]

[color=CC0000] Via P4PB400
Version (Date) 1.13 (01/03/2003)
File Name (Size) P4PB4113.bin  (257KB)    
Update Description Support high capacity HDD

Version (Date) v1.10 (10/16/2002)
File Name (Size) P4PB4110.bin  (257KB)    
Update Description add LAN Boot and Enhance other functions

Version (Date) 1.05 (08/29/2002 (08/29/2002)
File Name (Size) P4PB4105.bin  (257KB)    
Update Description Enhance Some bootable device

Version (Date) 1.00 (07/22/2002)
File Name (Size) P4PB4100.bin  (257KB)    
Update Description First Release [/color]

So 3 of the 5 boards you listed already had bios updates several months before this site tried to review the card.  Soltek doesn't list ANY type of bios updates, and Via is extremely vague about what the fixed in the update.   Anyone with half a clue about PC products knows to check for bios updates and chipset updates when an entirely new product like this hits before they try to use it.