Abit WX6: i810 with quality
i810: risky balance services / prices
The following thing a detailed description of the chipset does not try to be i810, for it the corresponding paragraph exists already inside the last report on basic badges; nevertheless, it is worth refreshing little memory on the characteristics of this new chipset.
Technically, we are before the version i810-DC100 of the chipset, what means that it incorporates 4 MB of "cache memory of video", a detail that scarcely it will affect to the yield (whenever we install more than 32 MB of RAM) but that it indicates that ABIT has not curtailed quality in the manufacture of this product.
The chipset offers native support for the new one UltraDMA66, what will favor the correct use of the modern hard disks, of price almost identical to the previous ones UltraDMA33 but slightly top yield. Also, on having been supported by the proper chipset, it will be almost impossible that we find problems of compatibility; and a chipset of the "official" company of the PCs (Intel, of course), hardly we will have problems to the being with the support software in the future ("Windows 2000" be read).
Finally, we have the checker integrated to the chipset, based on the chip i752 of Intel. This checker offers a very outstanding yield in 2D (Windows, office computerization...), although it is not at a height of the last cards batch 3D.
Come to this point, we must bear in mind that the chipset i810, and therefore the basic badges based on the same one, is not by no means destined for the market of high scale, but rather for the ofimático and servant, the segment of called market of the "Economic PC".
In fact, it is a question of using every product for the function to which it is destined, and as there is said usually "of not to asking him for pears to the elm tree". A badge i810 will not offer us the biggest yield of the market, but with his built-in checkers of video and sound hardly it will overcome 20.000 pts, which there is the minimal price of a graphic card of high scale a type TNT2 or Voodoo3, to what it would be necessary to add the cost of the motherboard. On us it depends to evaluate the advantages and the disadvantages, of which major undoubtedly it is the inability to update the graphic card.
Tests and yield
Very well, dejémonos of theories and let's go to the practice. For the tests we have used:
- Basic badges ABIT WX6 and ABIT BP6
- Microprocessor Celeron PPGA 400
- 64 MB of memory DIMM PC100
- Hard disk UltraDMA66 Quantum Fireball CR of 8,4 GB
- Graphic card Intel i740 8 MB SGRAM - Drivers v. 2.1.
The idea has been to compare the WX6 with a badge BX provided with not very powerful graphic card like her i740, or what is the same: to compare two configurations representative of the average - low segment (probably the one that more money gives to the PCs manufacturers).
The results are the following ones:
Turned out to 400 Mhz |
||
WX6 (chipset i810) |
BP6 (chipset BX) |
|
| W. Business 99 (office computerization) | 18,8 |
18,9 |
| Speedy (graphs 2D) | 337 |
349 |
Turned out to 450 Mhz (overclocking) |
||
| Program | WX6 (chipset i810) |
BP6 (chipset BX) |
| W. Business 99 (office computerization) | 20 |
20,15 |
| Speedy (graphs 2D) | 375 |
394 |
Since we see, quite similar; in applications ofimáticas practically identical, a change of the yield of less than 1 % does not mean absolutely anything, and less when the motherboard changes. In the aspect purely graphic yes light differences seem to exist in favor of the solution with badge BX, but not over 5 %.
As for the overclocking, no problem has existed in going on from the bus for defect (66 MHz) to a 75 MHz bus, and the yield increase is considerable, especially in the graphic part, where we obtain 12 more % of yield. The most interesting thing is that the stability with the 75 MHz overclocking was entire, enclosed better than in the model BP6, as it corresponds to the ABIT experience in this field. And field exists more to exploit: 83 MHz, to raise the voltage of the mike...
The tests confirm to us for what we were waiting: the WX6 is a badge with a yield ofimático and in 2D more that acceptable and, if we are going to use it fundamentally in these fields, economically it turns out to be a solution more logical than a badge BX (let's not forget that also a sound checker includes, more or less the equivalent to a SoundBlaster 64 PCI). Also, his capacity for the overclocking is more that acceptable and to we allow to obtain a good free MHz fistful.
Conclusion
The first thing that I want is to make clear that we cannot compare this motherboard to his sisters BE6, BF6 or BP6. The WX6 plays in another league and chases different targets. If we want a high quality motherboard, full of characteristics novel and faced towards the overclocking, probably we need an ABIT motherboard... but not necessary the WX6.
The WX6 has characteristics never seen in other basic badges, but as all the badges with chipset i810 he lacks the possibility of updating the video checker, and this point must center our decision. If we want to mount a team of the highest graphic potency 3D, undoubtedly it is not our motherboard; but if we look for a team for use ofimático or domestic, with a very reasonable price, capacities for overclocking and big quality, the WX6 turns out to be a perfect election, much better than other badges i810 more limited (included, in my opinion, the CA810 of Intel).
On the other hand, his big components integration turns out to be ideal for those who want to update an old team or to whom they have never installed a motherboard. With others 10.000-12.000 pts we obtain a Celeron 400 ó 433 (that almost sure we will be able to make work to 450 ó 488 MHz) and we already have the finished team. And if we install a modem AMR, possibly quite cheap (the only one that I have seen was costing less than 3.000 pts), or a soft-modem PCI, we even will have access to Internet to an almost ridiculous price.
As for the expansion capacity, it is only relatively limited, since we have 5 grooves PCI and they all are available, in addition to numerous voltages and multipliers available for future Celeron... and there is always the overclocking, skylight.
The moral of this history might be that the video potency in 3D and very important things are his possible update... as for whom. In these changes times, with the very same Slot1 exposed to the disappearance and without anybody who knows what memory the computers will use of in 6 months, it turns out to be sometimes preferable to be left of predictions and to buy for the today, which is when we are going to enjoy the computer. Hornbeam diem...
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Pulsate in the picture desplegable or in "Returning" |