Testing AT7-MAX2 of Abit corporation

Motherboards are among the most important components of the modern computer. Functionality of all system substantially depends on an optimal choice of this component, including its productivity.

The architecture of modern motherboards is grounded on application of the newest electron technologies. Thus implementation of these processing techniques is carried out through used chips, design and production of these cards. Technical parametres and operation of the future computers depend on these units and quality of manufacture of cards, eventually.

Many computer corporations are engaged in development and release of motherboards. The number of manufacturers makes already some tens. Some of them are well familiar to domestic users. Their production thanks to a functional saturation, stability and dependability of operation has won due popularity among domestic users.

One of such known manufacturers is Abit corporation, aspiring to insert in the products the most advanced technological and architectural operating time. By the way, it is one of few corporations openly supporting modes of dispersal of accessories and giving rather durable guarantee on production. This corporation releases a wide spectrum of the motherboards oriented as on processors of Intel, and AMD.

As an example of the modern high-powered cards developed under processors AMD Athlon XP and AMD Duron it is possible to result rather new motherboard ABIT AT7-MAX2 created on the basis of chip set VIA Apollo KT400.

Chip set VIA Apollo KT400 which is a basis of motherboard ABIT AT7-MAX2, is developed on a basis before the released set of specialised logic VIA Apollo KT333. Chip set VIA Apollo KT400 is oriented to systems with processors AMD Athlon XP, AMD Duron with Socket A plugs (Socket 462) and with clock rate 100, 133 and 166 MHz of bus FSB of type DDR with data transfer on lobbies and back edges of clock pulses (DDR — Double Data Rate).

Here it is necessary to remind, that bus FSB of type DDR at clock rate of 100 MHz carries out data transfer with the doubled frequency, that is 200 MHz that capacity to 1,6 Gbytes/with provides peak . At clock rate of 133 MHz data transfer is carried out with frequency of 266 MHz. In this mode peak capacity reaches values of 2,1 Gbytes/with. Clock frequency of 166 MHz provides data transfer with frequency of 333 MHz that allows to reach peak capacity of 2,7 Gbytes/with.

Traditionally the chip set consists of two components named North Bridge and South Bridge, jointed by the special local bus which has received the name 8X V-Link. This bus works on frequency of 66 MHz and provides a transfer rate to 533 Mb per second (Quad data pump per CLK). The bus is bidirectional: on 266 Mb per second in each direction of transmission of digital signals.

The component of chip set North Bridge presented by chip VIA VT8377, contains resources of interfaces of operation with the processor, AGP videoadapter, dynamic storage and South Bridge.

Built in in VIA VT8377 controller FSB of type DDR supports the bus with clock rate of 100/133/166 MHz.

The built in controller of memory provides support: memories DDR SDRAM (Double Data Rate SDRAM — SDRAM with data transfer on lobbies and back edges of clock pulses of the bus of memory), DDR200/266/333, a maximum memory size — to 4 Gbytes. The maximum transfer rate makes 1,6/2,1/2,7 Gbytes/with at DDR200/266/333. By the way, the chip set, unlike VIA Apollo KT333, supports and DDR400, the truth, informally, as till now the appropriate organisations which are carrying out development of specifications, have not accepted standard DDR400.

The built in controller of a drawing supports one arrangement AGP with support of modes AGP 2X/4X/8X.

Handle of peripheral devices is carried out by the second component of a chip set — South Bridge, received name VT8235. This chip enters into a base set of chip set VIA Apollo KT400.

The built in resources of a base set support: two channels IDE with support ATA 33/66/100/133 (to 4 arrangements IDE), three controllers USB 2.0 (6 ports), 5 PCI, LPC Super I/O (Low Pin Count), AC ' 97 with support of 6 audiochannels (Surround Sound AC-97 Audio), MC ' 97, VIA 10/100 Ethernet MAC, ACR, ACPI, APM, and also other resources and functions.

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