Thanks to everyone for their advice, but I just woke up.  %-|

I hadn't been paying attention to what was going on in the Socket 7 world,
but I did some research and now I get it (almost too well).

Basically, Intel has been trying to pull a "Microsoft" with Socket 7.

They had things right with the 430HX, but decided to cripple the 430TX and
Socket 7 by not supporting AGP, ECC, more than 64MB of cacheable RAM,
etc., so as to kill the "clones" with the Pentium II (Slot 1) and the
440LX, 440BX, etc., chipsets.

Well, this is unacceptable. I don't think it's fair for Intel to dictate
to me and my customers what features we can get with Socket 7.

The 430TX chipset doesn't seem as good as all of the hype that surrounds
it, but that's just my opinion.  %-|

I've decided to go with a VIA Apollo chipset board, either a VP3 or an
MVP3, each of which support all the things under Socket 7 that Intel
arrogantly has decided you only get to have with Slot 1.

Has anyone else here reached the same conclusion, and are you currently
using a Socket 7 AGP board with an Apollo chipset?

Personally, I don't see the chipsets from ALi or SiS being in the same
league with those from VIA, but let me know if you have a different
experience or opinion.

Lastly, does anyone on the list have any experience with the FIC VA-503,
which is the board I am currently considering?

Thank you.

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