Elitegroup P6BXT-A+ BX Slot-1 & Socket-370

Today, the major source of debate happens to be over the Socket-370 Celeron processor.  Intel has once again proven the lack of a dire need for the journey over to Slot-1 with the introduction of another socket based CPU interface that is curiously similar to that of the old Socket-7 standard.  Socket-370 is becoming increasingly popular, and by decreasing the supply of Slot-1 Celeron processors, Intel is attempting to steer the entire low-cost market in the direction of Socket-370.  Although the Socket-370 processors aren't any different from their Slot-1 counterparts in terms of performance, they do happen to cost considerably less to manufacture, theoretically causing a drop in the final retail price of the CPUs, unfortunately this isn't the case due to the supply/demand for the chips.  In any case, many users are weary of a commitment to Socket-370 now, as they may want to pursue an upgrade to a Pentium III in the future when prices drop down to a more manageable level, unfortunately with the design of the interface, a Socket-370 motherboard is pretty much limited to Intel's Socket-370 Celeron processors, eliminating a great percentage of the high-end solutions from your future upgrade path.

At the same time, if you're looking to save a few bucks, you definitely don't want to pursue the Slot-1 market now, especially with the incredible cost of the Pentium III not showing any weakening under pressure from the market. 

With Socket-370 you save a little money now, but possibly ruin your upgrade path in the long run.  And with Slot-1 you end up spending more money, but have a more reliable upgrade path for the future.  So which path do you choose?  Using Elitegroup's latest concoction, the BX based P6BXT A+, you may not have to make a choice at all...

New Anand Tech Report Card Rating
80/C