Two DDR chipsets for Socket A processors have been already launched into the today’s market. However, you shouldn’t forget that there were promised three sets of core logic to appear. The third chipset for AMD Athlon/Duron CPUs supporting PC1600/PC2100 DDR SDRAM was expected from VIA, although there hasn’t been any info about it disclosed recently. Nevertheless, our sources told us that the first mainboards based on the new VIA Apollo KT266 chipset should be introduced by EPoX, which has very successfully cooperated with VIA recently. Take for instance, VIA KT133A based product from EPoX, which turned out the first product on this chipset to appear in retail. The EPoX mainboard we are talking about today, based on VIA Apollo KT266 chipset, will be called 8KHA and will feature the following specs:

• Socket A for AMD Athlon/Duron CPUs with 200/266MHz FSB;
• VIA KT266 (VT8366+VT8233) chipset;
• 3 DDR DIMM slots supporting PC2100/PC1600 DDR SDRAM (up to 1.5GB);
• 6 PCI, 1 AGP, 1LMR (Fast Ethernet, HSP Modem Controllers from VT8233);
• 2 ATA/100 IDE-channels;
• AC97, 6 USB (2 optional), 1P, 2S, PS/2 keyboard/mouse, Audio I/O, Game;
• ATX Form Factor;
• STR (Suspend to RAM);
• Allows changing CPU Vcore and Vio in BIOS Setup;
• Allows setting the CPU clock frequency multiplier and FSB frequency via BIOS Setup;
• Integrated P80P Debug (POST) controller with a two-digit indicator.

Well, these specs give us every right to call the upcoming EPoX EP-8KHA mainboard not only one of the first real products based on VIA Apollo KT266 chipset, but also one of the best products of the kind.