ABIT KR7A-RAID + Athlon XP: explosive combination
Tests and yield
Since it is habitual, here we have the list of used material:
- Microprocessors: Athlon XP 1600 + (1,4 GHz), Athlon to 1,2 GHz (bus 266 MHz), Pentium 4 to 1,7 GHz
- Basic badges: ABIT KR7A-RAID (chipset ROUTE KT266A), DFI AK76-SN (AMD 760), DFI NT70-SA (Intel 850)
- Memory: 256 MB DDR-SDRAM PC266 (Crucial), 256 MB RDRAM PC800 (Samsung)
(1 GB DDR-SDRAM PC266 Crucial to verify the stability with 4 modules) - Graphic card: GeForce2 MX400 (200/183 MHz)
- Others: Windows 98, drivers NVIDIA Detonator 4.12.1.631
The Athlon to 1,2 "old" GHz (with a few months? does anybody understand it?) it has been used by the badge DFI with AMD 760, probably the chipset of better yield up to the appearance of the ROUTE KT266A that there uses the ABIT KR7A-RAID.
Logically, the first thing was to verify the correct functioning of the system with the parameters "for defect" in the BIOS; here we have SiSoft Sandra 2001te showing the SPECTACULAR memory band, thanks to the chipset KT266A:
Since we see, there takes advantage more of the third part of 2,1 maximum GB/s that theoretically there offers the DDR-SDRAM, an excellent result (a Pentium 4 with chipset 850 has a theoretical maximum of 3,2 GB/s, eye). Logically, the final yield in practice does not multiply for the same factor, but undoubtedly it is evident:
5839 points in 3DMark2000 with "simple" one GeForce2 MX400 is not any prank, we make sure it to him. And if not, that the Pentium 4 they say it to to 1,7 GHz... This badge will not put bottle necks to his graphic card, for powerful that this is.
Overclocking: excellent, clear
...Hyperspace, mister Sulu. We cannot evaluate a badge ABIT and the system does not prove his capacity for "overclockear" beyond his limits, up to coming where no motherboard has ever come.
The first thing is to emphasize the enormous number of options in the BIOS to fit the memory; only modifying someone, happening for example of "CAS=2,5" to "CAS=2" and "Interleave=4 way", we obtain 7 more % of band of memory, without touching at least the mike or the buses of the system:
In the "classic" aspect of the overclocking, SoftMenu III of the BIOS not only avoids us to have to use jumpers to form the system, but also to we allow to control the voltages of the nucleus of the CPU, of I/O and of memory, to stabilize these elements, as well as to choose the bus between 100 and 200 MHz (speed of bus that will take advantage doubly in every sign, so that in practice we will be between 200 and 400 MHz).
Moreover, the system comes already with a minimum "overclocking from factory" in the voltages I/O and of memory, what explains partly the excellent stability even with 4 busy memory grooves. And we must not worry for it, really it is too small how to damage nothing.
The size of his bridges L1 and the fact that they are broken by means of a laser it does the Athlon XP slightly difficult to unblock with the trick of the pencil, unless there gets ready of a pencil repairer of circuits (of silver ink or similar). For it, we use only the overclocking of the bus of the system, which has the advantage of being easier and overclockear also the buses AGP and PCI, raising the yield of other elements.
Raising the bus of our Athlon XP 1600 + (1400 MHz) of 266 nominal MHz (133 "physical" MHz x 2) up to 294 MHz (147 MHz x 2), we achieve a 1547 MHz speed (comparatively, an Athlon XP 1800 + works to "only 1533 MHz), with entire stability and an increase of really clear yield:
And this is only the beginning: if it is got fond to the overclocking and gets ready of time, a microprocessor unblocked (an Athlon not XP or a Duron serve perfectly) and good refrigeration, MARVELS can be obtained. The limit will not be this motherboard, undoubtedly.
Conclusion
The article has been a little long, so we end with briefness: undoubtedly, the best motherboard for Athlon that exists at present for the demanding users.
And it is for everything: the only characteristics, very good stability, overwhelming capacities of expansion and an excellent yield. Since it is logical, all this is not by no means free and not everybody needs SO MUCH, but if he wants the best thing of the best thing, very probably the ABIT KR7A-RAID is for what he was looking. Or the KR7A, if he needs neither RAID nor support ATA/133.
... I forgot: the impressive manual of the badge is only in English, but multitude of illustrations has been improved even more, with hundreds of explanations, and even photos; Norton AntiVirus includes the utilities CDROM in his version 2002, as well as the Intervideo WinDVD; and, in addition to the cables for discs, we find that of 2 connectors optional USB. There are only details, but the reputation of the big marks is done of small details... and ABIT thinks about how to be a BIG mark.
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Pulsate in the picture desplegable or in "Returning" |