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Date |
: Jun 24th, 2002 |
| Category |
: Motherboards |
| Manufacturer |
: EPoX |
| Author |
: Jin-Wei Tioh |
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The VT8367 North Bridge constitutes the core of the VIA KT333 chipset, providing all the major features of the chipset; DDR333, 100/133MHz FSB, as well as AGP 2x/4x support. 166MHz support is unofficial but perfectly feasible due to the presence of a 1/5 PCI divider. EPoX opted for a non-stylized, silver passive chipset cooler. Although some might voice concerns regarding the lack of an active cooling solution, it didn't hinder us from ramping up the FSB on the 8K3A+. More on this later.
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As with most motherboards on the market, the 8K3A+ sports 3 DIMM slots for a maximum memory capacity of 3GB. At any FSB range, you have the option of running your RAM at either 133MHz or 166MHz. Beyond 166MHz, the RAM operates synchronously with the FSB. This is something to keep in mind while attempting to overclock beyond 166MHz.
The 8K3A+ comes equipped with an universal AGP slot with an added a locking mechanism at the end of slot which helps secure the AGP card in place. It is basically a small plastic clip, working similarly to that of a DIMM slot by clipping onto the small tab on the AGP card. While it would take quite an amount of force to unseat the AGP card (an amount that would likely have damaged other components more severely), it is a small, but welcome feature.
The VIA VT8233A South Bridge is basically an updated version of the VT8233 from the KT266A chipset. It boasts ATA-133 and 6 USB ports, on par with all other chipsets. Some interesting features include support for 6-channel AC'97 sound, and the VT8233A's integrated 10/100 BaseT Ethernet and 1/10 Home PNA controller. About the only things lacking in this South Bridge are USB 2.0 and FireWire support, which is VIA's rather than EPoX's fault.
For expansion slots, EPoX elected to implement the power-user oriented 1/6/0/0 (AGP/PCI/ISA/AMR) configuration, something we have only seen previously on the DFI AK76-SN. This is probably one of the features that sets the 8K3A+ apart from other KT333 motherboards. As mentioned earlier, the 2nd to 4th PCI slots are incapable of accommodating full-length cards.
The 8K3A+ features an impressive number of capacitors; at least a dozen 2200uF and an assortment of smaller capacitors. 6 voltage regulators (3 visible, 3 on the flip side) sit adjacent to the CPU socket.
In the overclocking department, the 8K3A+'s FSB is fully adjustable in 1MHz increments via the BIOS. The FSB clock generator used is capable of an astounding 255MHz, but in practice, it would probably be limited by the 1/5 PCI divider after 166MHz. CPU core voltage is fully jumperless, allowing adjustments from 1.1V to 1.85V in 0.025V increments, and from 1.85V to an extremely high 2.2V in 0.050V increments. CPU multiplier selection is also fully jumperless. I/O and DIMM voltage adjustments are present, with VDIMM from 2.5V to 3.2V in 0.1V increments. The CPU fan header held up well when paired with a black-label Delta fan. All in all, EPoX has one heck of an overclocker in the 8K3A+, some would say an overclocker's dream.
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