X-bit labs

Socket754 Platform: 13 Mainboards Roundup

Category: Mainboards

by Ilya Gavrichenkov

[ 11/10/2003 | 09:13 PM ]

We have tested 13 mainboards for Socket754 platform based on NVIDIA nForce3 150 and VIA K8T800 chipsets. In our roundup you will find everything you want to know about their features, performance, stability and overclocking potential. Discover your best Socket754 solution today!

Table of contents:

• Chipsets
  
• Albatron K8X800 ProII (VIA K8T800)
  
• AOpen AK86-L (VIA K8T800)
  
• ASUS K8V Deluxe (VIA K8T800)
  
• BIOSTAR K8NHA Pro (NVIDIA nForce3 150)
  
• BIOSTAR K8VHA Pro (VIA K8T800)
  
• Chaintech ZNF3-150 (NVIDIA nForce3 150)
  
• Gigabyte GA-K8N (NVIDIA nForce3 150)
  
• Gigabyte GA-K8NNXP (NVIDIA nForce3 150)
  
• Gigabyte GA-K8VT800 (VIA K8T800)
  
• Leadtek K8N Pro (NVIDIA nForce3 150)
  
• MSI K8T Neo (VIA K8T800)
  
• Shuttle AN50R (NVIDIA nForce3 150)
  
• Soltek SL-K8AV2-RL (VIA K8T800)
  
• Testing Participants Features Comparative Chart
  
• Testbed and Methods
  
• Performance
  
• Overclocking
  
• Conclusion
  

Seems like only yesterday we welcomed the new processor from AMD, Athlon 64, but today there are already a number of mainboards for the new CPU. It’s natural. While AMD was busy preparing and postponing the launch of the Athlon 64, all but the lazy were designing mainboards for the new platform. As a result, we’ve got quite a weird situation: Athlon 64-supporting mainboards are in abundance, whereas the processor itself is shipping in limited and evidently insufficient quantities.

Anyway, it is still possible to buy an Athlon 64 3200+ today, so the choice of a mainboard is an urgent matter. So, we offer you our comparative roundup of Socket754 mainboards to help you get your bearings in the situation. For a thorough representation, we have thrown into one heap all most popular Athlon 64 mainboards. Here is the list of products to be tested today:

• Albatron K8X800 ProII;
• AOpen AK86-L;
• ASUS K8V Deluxe;
• BIOSTAR K8NHA Pro;
• BIOSTAR K8VHA Pro;
• Chaintech ZNF3-150;
• Gigabyte GA-K8N;
• Gigabyte GA-K8NNXP;
• Gigabyte GA-K8VT800;
• Leadtek K8N Pro;
• MSI K8T Neo;
• Shuttle AN50R;
• Soltek SL-K8AV2-RL.

As you can see, products on both VIA K8T800 and NVIDIA nForce3 150 chipsets are among our testing participants. This seems to be proper, since the chipset for the Athlon 64 CPU plays a much humbler role than before. One of the most important system components, the memory controller, has moved from the chipset into the processor itself. It means that the chipset influences the overall system performance less significantly now. The functionality of a mainboard still largely depends on the chipset, but can be easily enhanced by integrating additional onboard controllers.

So, we think products on both the nForce3 150 and VIA K8T800 fit into the same weight category and should be treated as such.