VIA KT333 Put To The Test: 18 Motherboards Compared – THG.RU

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18 Motherboards Compared” –>

Test Marathon: 18 Motherboards With The VIA KT333 Chipset

After KT266A came KT333 – it took almost six months to get to this step. Even though talk of the KT400 was already in the air at the recent CeBIT 2002, the KT333 made it to the market first. And this is exactly the moment at which a transformation will take place in the market; boards with the VIA Kt266A chipset, somewhat outdated now, were recently considered to be a last cry, but the chipset’s successor, the VIA KT333, carries on in its place. One thing is for sure: demanding users will want to make the switch. After all, in addition to an increased memory clock of 166 MHz, other interesting new features that the KT266A did not provide are now offered. However, users who keep a cool head will probably wait a bit until the next generation or two is available. If you want to wait for the KT400, you’ll have to be patient, because DDR400 modules will come in a new mechanical design, named DDR II/400, and they aren’t expected to be available before 2003.

The VIA KT333 supports DDR333 with a 166 MHz memory clock.

In the last six months, most of the AMD systems were sold with a motherboard that was equipped with the VIA KT266A chipset. Among all the chipsets that were available for the Athlon platform, the KT266A was the one that offered the best performance by far as well as extended functionality. Particularly when used with fast DDR166 memory (CL2), such a PC system can certainly compete with the somewhat more expensive competition from Intel, based on the Pentium 4.

New: the Southbridge of the VIA KT333 offers Ultra-DMA/133 support.

The problem: memory performance continues to be the aspect that drives development efforts for motherboards. In our recent article Unstoppable: DDR400 vs. Rambus we showed how memory affects the overall performance. With increasing processor speeds, the limited bandwidth of RAM puts a brake on the system. This is true for both the Intel Pentium 4 as well as the AMD Athlon XP/MP.

A marathon test: in a two-week long test, we evaluated a total of 18 of the latest motherboards with the VIA KT333 chipset. It didn’t always run smoothly, and it’s only through direct contact with the manufacturers that we were able to achieve the desired results. Often, the test runs were made with various BIOS versions and modified settings – we bring you detailed information and the practical aspects of each board, pluks 21 different benchmark tests with an integrated performance comparison to VIA KT333, KT266A and KT133A.

Dilemma of the VIA KT333: Still No USB 2.0 Support

To get to the point: all 18 motherboards in the test bed were indeed equipped with the VIA KT333 chipset, but the USB 2.0 function has not yet been integrated in the Southbridge of the chipset. In practical terms, this means that pins of the Northbridge and the Southbridge of its predecessor, VIA KT266A, are compatible to the KT333, so a new board layout is not required. However, in order to enable USB 2.0 functionality, an additional chip must be placed on the board, since the latest VIA Southbridge, the VT8233A, does not offer this feature yet. In any case, this modification involves a completely new motherboard design. Numerous manufacturers represented in this comparison have adapted the design in order to make room for the USB 2.0 chips or other features such as RAID, network, FireWire or sound functionality.

Comparison: VIA KT333 vs. KT266A

Essentially, VIA had just made the big step from KT266 to KT266A: through the introduction and optimization of the memory interface, this chipset gained significantly in performance. This fact was proved in our previous test DDR333 For Athlon: VIA KT333 vs. KT266A. For the VIA KT333, this means that only the memory clock was increased from 133 MHz to 166 MHz for DDR333. An Ultra DMA/133 feature was added, for which Maxtor is the only one to offer hard disks that correspond to this transfer protocol. Currently, there are disks with a data capacity of 160 GB and an ATA/133 interface. The mechanics are the same, so the well-known Ultra DMA 66 cable with 80 pins (an increased number of grounded pins) can continue to be used.

The table above lists all of the chipsets that are currently available for the AMD platform (Socket 462) with DDR SDRAM support. Older chipsets with SDRAM support (such as the VIA KT133A) are not included here, because boards with these chips haven’t been produced for a while now, or are no longer available on the market.

VIA KT333: Architecture

Comparison: 18 Boards with the VIA KT333 Chipset

In this latest test scenario, there are numerous new features pertaining to the process as well as the individual criteria. As opposed to previous tests using 256 MB RAM, we used 512 MB for this round. In the following section, we’ll take a detailed look at the newest test criteria, which will also play a central role in future comparisons.

A Considerable Memory Upgrade: 1536 MB Required!

Test setup: each motherboard is tested fully equipped – with all three DIMMs. The RAM: 1536 MB.

The latest motherboards are equipped with at least two DIMM slots. In addition, the maximum limit of the chipset is at least 2 GB. Because of this, we introduced a test in which each motherboard is equipped to the hilt. Here, we used double-sided modules with 512 MB each (DDR333, CL2, 166 MHz, maximum timing), so that the motherboards were fitted with 1536 MB. This procedure wasn’t successful with all of the boards.

GeForce 4 Compatibility: Not Unimportant

GeForce 4 Ti 4600 didn’t fit in the slot on some of the boards. The IDE interface hampers a snug fit.

Compatibility to the latest available graphics cards turned out to be an interesting topic. We decided to use a GeForce 4 Ti4600 graphics card from MSI. Two factors were decisive: on the one hand, there was the mechanical compatibility, which not all of the 18 test candidates were able to offer, and on the other hand, there was the electrical operation with the motherboard. The latter is important because the GeForce 4 Ti4600 uses up a relatively large amount of power, thus putting a heavy load on the voltage regulator.

Test basis: GeForce 4 Ti 4600 from MSI.

Retail packaging of the MSI card.

Booting Via USB: The State of the Technology

With the continuing spread of USB devices, such as CD burners, printers, scanners, keyboards and mice, the ability to boot from such a device begins to play an important role. Eventually, serial port devices (PS/2) will no longer be used. So a new criterion here is the BIOS support of USB keyboards.

An Exercise in Patience: The Boot Process

A new criterion is the time it takes from boot until the system starts. A few of the candidates took at least 17 seconds (FIC AN17), while the fastest of the bunch took less than 2 seconds for startup (Gigabyte GA-7VRXP).

The AMD Thermal Protection Deficiency: THG Sets the Trend

Outmoded technology: measuring the CPU die temperature underneath the processor. A better method: evaluating the signal of the thermal diode.

Protection from thermal death, provided by Soltek.

Less than half a year ago, Tom’s Hardware Guide pointed out the lack of thermal protection with the video clip Горячо! Как современные процессоры защищены от перегрева? and only now are there the first signs of improvement. Following the video, AMD got down to the problem of thermal protection and came up with a simple switch mechanism. This IC logic is to be integrated on all motherboards starting June 10, 2002 – as long as the individual motherboard manufacturers want to get direct support from AMD, that is. Otherwise, AMD is giving no guarantees for overclocked CPUs that have died a thermal death. Among the latest test candidates, there are two motherboards that are equipped with overload protection (for Palomino and Thoroughbred cores). We were pleasantly surprised by Soltek and Asus boards, both of which switched off immediately when the CPU cooler was removed during operation.

Features Table

Features Table, Continued

Features Table, Continued

Features Table, Continued

An Overview of All Boards

Abit AT7: Bold Features

Abit AT7.

Retail package for the Abit AT7.

The overclocking king of recent times has delivered the board with the most features in the test. Included with the motherboard are three Ultra DMA/133 cables designed in black. Noteworthy are the eight USB ports, consisting of four USB 2.0 ports and four USB 1.1 ports. The user manual gives you quite a bit of information on installing the board, as well as basic information about BIOS and the bundled software. Abit is the only contestant in the comparison to provide cable holders for installation in the PC case.

Items included with in the Abit AT7 package.

The interfaces of the Abit AT7.

Some basic aspects of the motherboard: the Abit AT7 is the only one here to do away with the traditional parallel and serial ports (COM). Peripheral devices such as the mouse and the keyboard can only be connected via the USB interface. One of the highlights is the Highpoint controller HPT374 integrated on the board, which provides eight extra IDE interfaces. This enables you to connect a total of 12 IDE drives. The four DIMM slots allow up to 4096 MB of RAM, at least in theory. However, the fourth DIMM slot functions as a shuttle, so that in most cases, only one single-sided memory module is recognized. The extensive features also include on-board components such as AC’97 sound (ALC650 – six-channel sound) with optical input, network functionality (Realtek 8100B) and three FireWire interfaces (TI TSB43AB23). Abit uses the well-known Softmenu III, which lets you modify settings for the memory clock, CPU voltage and FSB clock. The AT7 is also the only one in the test that allows you to change the chipset voltage (3.5 Volt or 3.65 Volt). The large number of integrated features also has its disadvantages, though; because a lot of room is required for all of these features, there are only three PCI slots. Regarding AMD thermal protection, the board does not read the thermal diode, so no protection is provided. A positive aspect is that the BIOS boots in two seconds. In all 20 of the benchmark tests, this mainboard lands in the middle of the rankings.

The large Highpoint controller creates many IDE interfaces.

The Softmenu III from Abit AT7.

Abit AT7 with BIOS functions.

Acorp 7KT333: A Classic OEM Product

Acorp 7KT333.

The packaging of the Acorp 7KT333 with a practical tote design.

In the package, the manufacturer includes a special panel that can be built into a 5.25″ drive bay. This panel contains USB ports, audio I/O, a COM port and diagnostic LEDs via Port 80. A unique point is a separate board with a BIOS chip, which lets you rescue a board in the aftermath of a failed Flash process. Other features include six PCI slots and AC’97 on-board sound. The VIA Northbridge is equipped with a passive, particularly flat heatsink, which is a bit questionable because during operation, temperatures went up to 70 degrees Celsius. Users should be warned: operation could certainly lead to burning. The testing engineers attest to the board’s use as an OEM product because it lacks interesting features, as well as overclocking capability. With regard to performance, the Acorp board is among the lower ranks, a fact that the spiffy packaging design cannot change.

Included with the Acorp 7KT333: a front panel that has various interfaces and fits into a 5.25″ drive bay.

Plug-in BIOs for a failed Flash procedure.

A view of the boot process of the Acorp 7KT333.

A view of the BIOS menu of the Acorp 7KT333.

Asus A7V333: Thermal Protection and Jumper Overkill

The Asus A7V333.

The Asus A7V333’s retail package.

Still a market leader in the motherboard sector, Asus sent its A7V333 to the test. In the package are various slot panels with FireWire, USB and game ports. The user guide offers an overview of all the board functions as well as jumper and BIOS settings. With over 36 jumpers, the well-designed motherboard is not exactly one of the most user-friendly candidates. The 30 mm high passive Northbridge cooler provides sufficient cooling. Some of the positive features are integrated functions such as FireWire (TI TSB43AB21, IEEE1394), the Promise RAID controller (PDC20276), and the six-channel PCI sound (C3DX CMI3738). Along with the Soltek SL-75DRV5, the Asus A7V333 has perfect thermal protection: it’s even possible to remove the cooler during operation without causing the AMD Athlon XP to burn up. What wasn’t so positive is that Asus still tries to push its way to the top of the benchmark tests by cranking up the FSB clock up to 135 MHz, instead of leaving it at 133 MHz according to specification.

A view of the interfaces on the Asus A7V333.

Chips for sound and USB on the Asus A7V333.

In order to make this a fair comparison, Asus gave us an adapted BIOS (version 6b Beta 004), which decreases the FSB clock to its proper 133.33 MHz. The boards that are available in retail stores with the BIOS versions available on the Internet only run at 135 MHz. The manufacturer doesn’t give another thought to this, though, and so it offers a full guarantee “for factory overclocking.” With regard to overall performance, this board takes fourth place, but note that this is using the standard clock speed. As usual, the Asus board is a bit more expensive (about $175), even though its features are quite sparse compared to its rivals.

Items included with the Asus A7V333.

Aopen AK77-333: Not Feature-Rich

The Aopen AK77-333.

Packaging for the Aopen AK77-333.

The items included with the Aopen board are easily listed: a USB bracket (two ports), a black IDE cable, a user guide and bundled software. Noteworthy is the Dual BIOS function of the AK77-333, which prevents a total crash with a failed Flash process. This board is factory-equipped with an integrated AC’97 sound chip that supports six audio channels. Because the Northbridge of the VIA KT333 gets pretty hot when running at a clock speed of 133 MHz, Aopen gave this chip an active cooler. The sparseness of features becomes particularly evident with the IDE interfaces, where its rivals usually offer four interfaces. Also, Aopen only gives you one additional cable, even though the board contains eight USB ports, so as a result, the user can only hook up four USB devices. To integrate further components, you have to shell out some more cash.

Items included with the Aopen AK77-333.

Considering this fact, the price of about $134 is anything but justified. A USB adapter (dual-channel) alone costs about $25 at the store, for instance. The BIOS also has some inadequacies: the CPU and system temperatures were always about 30 degrees Celsius. An exact reading was not possible. The FSB is factory-clocked to 134 MHz – and it cannot be manually adjusted to 133 MHz. The benchmark results show that Aopen mingles with the masses, without showing any extreme weaknesses.

Dual BIOS function with the Aopen AK77-333.

A view of the BIOS menu with Aopen AK77-333.

Biostar M7VIF: Ready for Revisions

Biostar M7VIF.

Packaging for the Biostar M7VIF.

At first glance, you notice the temperature sensor depicted in the Quick Guide. This makes it clear that the motherboard is not equipped with active thermal protection for AMD. The temperature of the CPU die is measured by way of a thermistor (PTC) underneath the processor. The temperature sensor on this board is also not beyond reproach: BIOS shows a CPU temperature of 15 degrees Celsius, even when the processor works with a heavy load. As for the Northbridge of the VIA chipset, this only has a passive cooler, so the chip gets very warm. Noteworthy are the four DIMM slots, although the last slot only functions as a shuttle. Friends of overclocking have no way of modifying the multiplier settings, which are automatically made by the system. The benchmark tests show that the board ends up in the lower range of the candidates.

Items included with the Biostar M7VIF.

Chaintech 7VJA4: Still in the Testing Stages

The Chaintech 7VJA4.

Retail package of the Chaintech 7VJA4.

Since the Chaintech board we got was a beta sample, there were no accessories included in the package. The list of features can be summed up in a few words: the motherboard is equipped with a PCI sound chip (C3DX CMI 8738 6-channel audio). The ACR and CNR slots are a clear giveaway that the board is meant for OEM channels. On the retail market, there are no components for these two interfaces. An odd thing about this board is that even a GeForce 4 of the very same Chaintech brand cannot be installed on it. The reason for this is that the IDE interfaces make a snug fit for the graphics card in the AGP slot very difficult. The question in our minds was whether or not the Chaintech engineers had designed the board using graphics cards from its competitors, instead. The motherboard goes without an active Northbridge cooler, so here again the chip heats up considerably. The motherboard and the memory modules combined proved to have some deficiencies: DDR333 memory in CL2-2-2 mode runs only in the third DIMM slot, which hints at signal problems in the grounding. Otherwise, the Chaintech board des not boot at all. All in all, this motherboard does not give a very convincing performance – the benchmarks show that it offers below-average performance, so it ends up among the lowest of the ranks. It also ends up performing slower than our reference board with the VIA KT266A chipset.

An outmoded BIOS chip on the Chaintech 7VJA4.

Epox EP-8K3A+: The Quickest, Plus Crashes

The Epox EP-8K3A+.

The packaging of the Epox EP-8K3A+.

A striking characteristic of the Epox is its incredible speed in the benchmark tests: in all of the disciplines, it always places among the top – first place on average. Overclocking pals have been provided for – the CPU core voltage offers up to 2.2 Volt. Furthermore, the RAM can be adjusted to 3.2 Volt max. During the boot process, the system status is indicated via Port 80 – Epox is the only one with this tool. A faulty aspect from previous Epox boards has now been ironed out: if a system start is unstable, the system now reboots immediately using the standard settings. However, the usual aggressive overclocking is no longer possible. What’s lacking here is active overload protection, especially considering that high CPU voltages are possible. The operation limits are quickly reached – during the test, a crash occurred due to insufficient cooling of the Northbridge, for which only a flat passive cooler is provided. Here, it becomes evident that Epox does not want to turn away from the awkward topic of overclocking. The board is equipped with a RAID controller from Highpoint HPT372, which extends the IDE interfaces to cover four additional devices. There are limitations with the USB ports, however; here, you can only connect a maximum of four devices. At a price of about $150, this is a reasonable purchase.

Items included with the Epox EP-8K3A+.

Well-equipped: the Epox EP-8K3A+ has a Port 80 status indicator, as well as a RAID controller.

Enmic 8TTX2+: Fast and Stable

The Enmic 8TTX2+.

Packaging of the Enmic 8TTX2+.

The Enmic comes with an IDE cable, a user guide and a USB bracket. Basically, the board layout is identical to that of the Epox, so there’s no need to go through the details again. There is one difference from the Epox board, however: for the entirety of the test, it did not crash at all, even though Enmic uses the very same passive heatsink for the Northbridge. Positive features for the end user are the six PCI slots and the exclusion of OEM interfaces such as the ACR or CNR slots. In terms of performance, the Enmic board is far ahead, ranking about the same as the fast Epox. The bottom line is this is a stable and reasonably-priced board, which is available in two variations at the retail stores. The version with the RAID controller costs approximately $150, while the smaller variant has a price tag of about $135.

Port 80 and the RAID controller with the Enmic 8TTX2+.

Items included with the Enmic 8TTX2+.

FIC AN17: Past Its Prime?

The FIC AN17.

Packaging of the FIC AN17.

Included in the FIC package are two IDE cables, one floppy cable, a user manual, a driver CD and a USB port bracket. The boot process takes quite a while until the system is up and running – 17 seconds total. The reason for this is the integrated RAID controller, which searches the IDE channels for disk drives and cannot be deactivated. A few details are worthy of criticism: the mini-sized passive cooler results in the temperature increasing up to 70 degrees Celsius. The temperature of the CPU die is still measured, quite inaccurately, by the thermistor beneath the processor. When it comes to overclocking, FIC is quite restrictive: the clock multiplier is automatically set by BIOS, and the maximum CPU core voltage is 1.85 Volt. In the performance evaluations, the FIC board often lands just short of last place, thus achieving lower performance levels than our reference board with the KT266A chipset. Compared to the motherboards of previous years, the AN17 shows that the manufacturer has fallen behind somewhat.

Items included with the FIC AN17.

Unnecessary: the AMR slot on the FIC AN17.

Gigabyte GA-7VRXP: One of the Best

Test winner: Gigabyte GA-7VRXP.

Items included with the Gigabyte GA-7VRXP.

Without a doubt, the Gigabyte is one of the truly model candidates of this test comparison. As opposed to its archrival Asus, this motherboard proves itself through its extensive functionality, better features, higher performance and reasonable price. Included in the package are two USB panels for a total of six USB ports, four of which follow the 2.0 standard. Furthermore, the manufacturer throws in three color-coded IDE cables, as well as a floppy cable. Even a bracket for the ATX interfaces and a sticker diagramming the components are included. Integrated on the board are functions such as PCI sound (Creative CT5880), networking (Realtek RT8100BL), a Promise RAID controller (PDC 20276) and the well-known dual BIOS. Overclocking freaks can increase the CPU core voltage to 1.925 Volt and the AGP to 1.8 Volt. Even though the board is equipped with a passive heatsink for the Northbridge, no irregularities occurred during the test. With respect to performance, the Gigabyte lands third on average. A small bone to pick is that there’s no overload protection for the AMD Athlon XP yet. Considering its reasonable price of about $160, the Gigabyte is a real alternative to the established competition.

A solid six USB ports are included with the Gigabyte GA-7VRXP.

Network and sound chips on the Gigabyte GA-7VRXP.

Dual BIOS function of the Gigabyte GA-7VRXP.

Passively cooled Northbridge on the VIA KT333 chipset.

View of the IDE interfaces on the Gigabyte GA-7VRXP.

Jetway V333K: A Typical OEM Board

The Jetway V333K.

Retail packaging of the Jetway V333K.

The rather sparse selection of accessories included with the Jetway consists of IDE cables, a user manual and a driver CD. Problems occurred with the GeForce 4 graphics card: the IDE interface prevents proper installation of the card. Devices can only be hooked up via the special cables provided. This motherboard is less suited for overclocking enthusiasts, since the maximum CPU core voltage offered here is 1.85 Volt. The boot process took about five seconds, which is relatively long compared to the two seconds achieved by the competition. Jetway leaves out modern features such as USB 2.0, FireWire and RAID, since an additional chip is required. Ultimately, the Jetway is appropriate for the OEM market.

USB ports on the Jetway V333K: not fully equipped.

Outmoded: a reading of the CPU die temperature via NTC with the Jetway V333K.

MSI KT3 Ultra-ARU: Strong on Features, Weak on Performance

The MSI KT3 Ultra-ARU.

Retail package of the MSI KT3 Ultra-ARU.

The MSI is the first one to catch your eye in terms of features: the package includes three slot brackets with interfaces for USB 2.0, six-channel sound with digital-out and a Doctor LED display. A total of eight USB ports are available. With a Promise RAID controller (PDC 20276), eight IDE devices can be used. The Northbridge cooler is exemplary in that it uses a fan to help keep temperatures down. The “Life Bios” function is quite interesting – updates are automatically made via Internet. Overclocking pals have to manually modify the motherboard, since the CPU core voltage is factory-set to 1.85 Volt. By comparison, the clock multiplier can be adjusted as desired, provided that the AMD Athlon has been unlocked. Less impressive is the fact that memory and AGP voltages can be modified. A few words about performance results: even when used with fast DDR333 modules (CL2), the board only reached the level of our reference board with the KT266A chipset. Nevertheless, with a price tag of $107 (minimum features), it is one of the least expensive offerings in this comparison.

Items included with the MSI KT3 Ultra-ARU.

USB 2.0, thanks to the NEC controller of the MSI KT3 Ultra-ARU.

Unnecessary: the CNR-slot of the MSI KT3 Ultra-ARU.

QDI KuDoz 7E/333-A: A Step Up to the Middle Class

The QDI KuDoz 7E/333-A.

Retail package of the QDI KuDoz 7E/333-A.

Even though the packaging of a board doesn’t really play an important role in this context, QDI takes a special position. For the first time, a manufacturer offers tasteful retail packaging that is not chock-full of superfluous elements. QDI’s message here: we want to take on the end user market by storm! The KuDoz 7E is striking for its good quality, something which is only typical of boards from Siemens. Furthermore, QDI is able to make do with few SMD components, while some of its competitors have to resort to corrective parts. There were no problems during the test – the board ran smoothly. A unique feature with this board is the overclocking tool, which lets you increase the FSB clock via Windows. For those of you who use SmartCard readers, this board is for you – or in any case, this board has an interface for this function. Another interesting feature is a tool that lets you create and display your own startup screens. Overload protection for the AMD Athlon XP is not provided – the temperature readings are made through the usual PTC resistance. In the benchmark results, the QDI ends up in the middle. To sum up, we’ve determined that QDI has improved considerably, compared to previous tests.

Items included with the QDI KuDoz 7E/333-A.

An interface for a SmartCard reader on the QDI KuDoz 7E/333-A.

A view of the BIOS with the QDI KuDoz 7E/333-A.

A useful function for updating the BIOS for the QDI KuDoz 7E/333-A.

Shuttle AK35 GTR V2.2: More Performance Offered

Items included with the Shuttle AK35 GTR V2.2.

Retail packaging of the Shuttle AK35 GTR V2.2.

The Shuttle AK35 GTR V2.2 is by far the most inexpensive candidate of this comparison, especially considering that the fully featured version with a RAID controller only costs about $125. The package includes a USB bracket for two additional ports, IDE and floppy cables, a user guide and a slot bracket for subwoofers. Worth noting are the six PCI slots, the PCI sound (C3DX CMI 8738) with six-channel technology, a Highpoint controller (HPT 372) for additional IDE interfaces and four DIMM slots (the last of which functions as a shuttle). In terms of performance, this modest board lands just slightly behind the Asus A7V333 to claim fifth place on average.

Soltek SL-75DRV5: Stable, with Thermal Protection

The Soltek SL-75DRV5.

Packaging of the Soltek SL-75DRV5.

Soltek frequently sends its motherboards to the Munich lab. Apart from the Asus A7V333, the SL-75DRV5 is the only other board in this test that has effective thermal protection for AMD processors. Soltek evaluates the data from the thermal diode and, in the case of overheating, it immediately switches off the power. In addition to the USB 2.0 functionality, the Northbridge fan is noteworthy. The boot process breaks the record, taking less than two seconds to start up. The board is also exemplary in that it is the only one out of all the test candidates that includes an external temperature sensor in the package. This can be placed on the individual components. Less interesting for the end user is the CNR slot, for there are no peripherals available. The performance scores attest to the fact that Soltek has fallen slightly behind, compared to its competitors and compared to the last KT266A test Mega Test: 14 Boards with KT266A and nForce 420D.

Items included with the Soltek SL-75DRV5.

Thermal protection for AMD CPUs: this function can be activated with the Soltek SL-75DRV5.

Soyo SY-KT333 Dragon Ultra: Absolutely Over the Top

The Soyo SY-KT333 Dragon Ultra.

Retail packaging of the Soyo SY-KT333 Dragon Ultra.

Nobody can keep up with them: in the package, Soyo provides a 162-page user manual. And moreover, they use functional and environmentally-friendly packaging, which looks snazzy to boot. Included with the board are three IDE cables and one floppy cable. Those who buy this package also get an ATX bracket, a generous software bundle, a driver CD, two retention brackets to install in the PC case, a slot bracket for analog and digital (optical) audio interfaces and a USB front mount panel plus a tray for mounting, which offers four additional USB ports. The incredible thing is that Soyo even throws a tube of thermal paste into the package! The actual board has a six-channel sound chip (C3DX CMI 8738), network functionality (Realtek 8100B) and a RAID controller (Highpoint HPT 372). They’ve provided an active cooler for the Northbridge, which is exemplary, since it helps to prevent problems during operation. With regard to overclocking, users will have to make do with limited features: the CPU core voltage can be set to 1.85 Volt max, the memory handles up to 2.8 Volt and the AGP can be adjusted to 1.8 Volt. In performance, this motherboard lands in the middle. Our conclusion: the features and accessories are unbeatable, but this does have its price – the asking price for this maxi-pack is $199.

Items included with the Soyo SY-KT333 Dragon Ultra.

Special interface panel for the Soyo SY-KT333 Dragon Ultra.

Panel of the Soyo SY-KT333 Dragon Ultra.

USB 2.0 with the Soyo SY-KT333 Dragon Ultra.

Lucky Star K7VA333: Not Quite Mature

The Lucky Star K7VA333.

Packaging of the Lucky Star K7VA333.

In the package, Lucky Star limits the items to a cable, a USB bracket and a user manual. However, the board has to do without USB 2.0, since the design comes from the KT266A and no additional USB has been integrated. A positive aspect is the fact that there are six PCI slots. There were a number of problems during the test: for one thing, DDR333 did not run at 1T DRAM command rate (max. timing), and for another thing, the system occasionally crashed because of the passive Northbridge cooler. The Lucky Star ran stably only after an active cooler was used. There’s only one reason to buy this board: inexpensive prices for OEM customers.

Outmoded BIOS chip on the Lucky Star K7VA333.

View of the DIMMs on the Lucky Star K7VA333.

Fastfame 6VQK: Latecomer

This board from newcomer Fastfame arrived at our labs after we had completed the tests, so we’ll only talk about it in terms of functionality. Also, this is only a sample product, which you can easily tell by the numerous instances of corrective soldering. A noteworthy feature is the integrated network functionality (Realtek 8100B). No other board in this test is equipped with components as old as this: the Southbridge VIA VT8233 does without Ultra DMA/133. There’s no USB 2.0 support either. Oddly enough, the manufacturer equips the memory clock chip with a heatsink. Also, the USB ports can only be used via a special cable. The large number of SMD components leads us to suspect that Fastfame hasn’t really found a final layout yet. So there’s hope for a more up-to-date product in the future.

Ultra-DMA/133: Currently Supported Only By Maxtor

Various modes can be set on boards with the KT333 chipset – even RAID is possible, if an additional controller is installed.

The new Southbridge VT8233A (distinguishable by the “A”) has, among others, an Ultra DMA/133 IDE controller integrated. This means that a maximum data transfer rate of 133 MB/s is technically possible, minus a data overhead of about 10%. The latest 7200 rpm hard drives just barely achieve a data rate of about 50 MB/s, so with ATA/133, there are sufficient reserves to keep up-to-date for the next two years. However, there is a limitation: modern hard drives are equipped with a data cache of up to 8 MB, so the physical limit of 133 MB/s is quickly reached. From this, we can determine that Ultra DMA/133 hard disks make sense only starting from a specific minimum size for the internal cache (approx. 4 MB), as well as high read and write speeds with an ATA/133 interface. In the context of traditional CD ROMs, DVD drives and CD-RW drives, the Ultra-DMA/133 interface is superfluous. After all, the fastest 16x DVD drives have a maximum data throughput of 15 MB/s. Important note: compared to Ultra-DMA/100, both the interfaces and the cable connections remain identical.

Test Setup and Details

Benchmarks Under Windows 2000

We wanted to avoid the automatic resource management feature integrated in Windows XP, so as in the past, we opted to use Windows 2000 to test this group of chipsets. The only reason for choosing Windows 2000 over Windows XP is that the newer version of Windows optimizes how background applications run. This new feature would have prevented us from obtaining accurate benchmarking results.

We performed a total of 21 different benchmark tests in order to obtain the most complete, well-balanced view of how the new VIA KT333 chipset performs. You can get a clear overall picture from the benchmark results for a total of 3 different platforms, all of which are for AMD CPUs. We ran four different Quake 3 tests to determine OpenGL performance. The different MPEG-encoding benchmarks provide a comprehensive testing environment – the Lame MP3 Encoder was used to encode a 178 MB WAV file into MPEG-1 Layer 3 format. Still a classic, our MPEG-4 test converts a file from a commercial DVD-ROM into MPEG-4 format using Xmpeg 4.5 and the DivX 5.01 codec. We also created an MPEG-2 film using the video-editing software “Pinnacle Studio 7.” A regular in our list of benchmarks is determining rendering performance using Newtek’s Lightwave (version 7b). We also ran the new WinACE 2.11 to test how well the CPU performs when archiving files, a common application in the computing world. The Sysmark 2002 benchmark was used to determine office performance. The SPECviewperf benchmark offered a comprehensive 3D benchmark suite. PC Mark 2002 was used to measure CPU and multimedia performance.

CPU Clock Speeds: Comparison of 18 Boards

OpenGL Performance: Quake 3 Arena

In the four Quake 3 Arena time-demo runs, the leading position alternates between Aopen, Epox and Gigabyte. The performance of the VIA KT133A reference board is relatively weak by comparison – the reason for this lies with the conventional SDRAM (PC-133).

DirectX 8 Games: 3D Mark 2001

3D Mark 2000 determines DirectX 8’s Direct3D performance. The results show Gigabyte in lead position.

MP3 Audio Encoding: Lame MP3

The Lame MP3 encoder was used to convert a 178 MB sound file from a WAV format to MPEG-1 Layer 3 format. The chart clearly shows that the outmoded VIA KT133A chipset lands squarely at last place. The leader of the pack is the Epox board, wih Aopen following closely on its heels.

MPEG-4 Video Encoding: Xmpeg 4.5 and Divx 5.01

The Epox board leads at MPEG-4 encoding. The outdated VIA KT133A brings up the rear.

SiSoft Sandra 2002 Benchmarks: CPU and Multimedia

In the SiSoft Sandra Pro Benchmark 2002, all motherboards with VIA KT333 reach a high level of performance. Still, the results should be taken with a grain of salt.

CPU and Multimedia Performance: PC Mark 2002

In the memory test, Gigabyte took first place, while in the CPU test, Enmic managed to place ahead of Gigabyte.

3D Rendering Performance: SPECviewperf

The results of the SPECviewperf couldn’t be clearer: in these tests, the candidates are all pretty close. The VIA KT133A chipset gives up a weak performance, attaining only about half the performance level in the DX-06 test.

Archiving: WinACE 2.11

Archiving is a very practical application. WinACE 2.11 was used under Windows 2000 to archive a 178 MB WAV file while the clock was running. Here, Enmic and Epox take the top ranks, followed by Gigabyte. Asus takes fourth place.

3D Rendering: Cinema 4D XL 7

Again, in the Cinema 4D benchmark, the Gigabyte leaves the competition in the dust.

Conclusion

Out of a total of 18 test candidates, the Gigabyte GA-7VRXP made the best impression: in all of the benchmark disciplines, this motherboard with the KT333 chipset ranks among the top performers. The only other boards to offer stiff competition were the Epox EP-8K3A+ and the Enmic 8TTX2+, both of which managed to achieve slightly better results in some of the tests. Nevertheless, the Gigabyte’s rich features and special overclocking functions are convincing. Networking, sound, a RAID controller and a USB 2.0 chip are included in the list of features.

Note: AMD won’t be requiring thermal protection for Athlon CPUs until June 10, so we’ve not included this new feature here.

The Gigabyte board does not yet have any protection against thermal death. The manufacturer continues to leave out unnecessary OEM interfaces such as ACR, AMR and CNR, which is of no use to the end user anyway. The wealth of materials and accessories included in the package completes our positive impression of this board, and so the Gigabyte GA-7VRXP wins the Tom’s Hardware Guide Award for 2002.

We were somewhat disappointed by the Asus A7V333, because the manufacturer still delivers the board with an FSB that has been factory-overclocked to 135 MHz. There’s essentially nothing to speak against this strategy, but a test comparison must be made based on identical conditions. Therefore, Asus gave us a modified BIOS, which uses a specification clock of 133.33 MHz. All other candidates use the standard clock speed. Apart from the FSB trick, the A7V333 is certainly a solid board with good performance and numerous features.

From a global point of view, we can conclude the following for the KT333 chipset: it’s not worth it to switch directly from KT266A to KT333. Currently, the DDR333 modules available on the market are frequently meant for CL2.5 mode, so there’s no performance gain compared to a KT266A system with DDR266 and CL2. It only makes sense to switch to the VIA Apollo KT333 if you use an appropriate motherboard (e.g., Epox, Enmic or Gigabyte) along with fast DDR333 memory (CL2). Some of the KT266A already have some additional features such as USB 2.0, RAID and FireWire. The only thing remaining is the Ultra DMA/133 function, which is used only by Maxtor hard drives at the moment.

The winner of the KT333 comparison: the Gigabyte GA-7VRXP.