Rate of development of computer processing techniques continues vozrostat, strengthening and without that sharp struggle in the market koplektujushchih. Thus contrary to all efforts of the leader of the computer industry — Intel corporations, position of competitors in the market not only does not weaken, but also on some positions continues to become stronger. And it despite recent release of the successful processors and, generally speaking, rather quite good integrated chip sets i810 and i810E. However, so it is difficult to give an appreciation to chip sets i820, shaken position in the computer market not only the creator, but also of some the friendly corporations, counted only on products of the leader. It it is impossible to tell about those corporations that did not begin to trust blindly to authorities, and have considered and used all best reachings widely presented in the modern computer market.

Yes, add a headache to heads of the corporation of Intel perspective products AMD and VIA. It is impossible to ignore and successes of ALi corporations and SiS. As a result of the price fall — on affliction to divisions of marketing and sale of computer corporations, and on pleasure to potential and real users.

But implementators of Intel, apparently, do not despond, do outputs and release more and more perfect products. And here with an enviable regularity there are new models of Pentium III with kernel Coppermine. Submitting to the common tendency of development of the functionality linked to implantation of high-speed disk drives and network processing techniques, the improved variant of a chip set i820 — i820E, and, apparently, the world is released , at last, has waited the receiver glorified i440BX. For this role users, but not implementators, designate advanced design of the corporation of Intel — a chip set i815 and its improved, more powerful version i815E.

However other participants of computer race will not stand aside also. ALi corporation is gathered to increase the share in the market of accessories. SiS corporation continues production of the chip sets, regularly offering the newest products presented by integrated chip sets. VIA corporation — VIA Technologes, increasing industrial potential, continues to fix the success in the market of chip sets. Moreover, some representatives of this corporation assert, that in the near future its share in this sector of the market will exceed 50 %.

Whether it will be possible to competitors of the corporation of Intel to realise the arrogant schedules, will show time. And in the meantime, corporations-manufacturers of the motherboards which have convinced of advantages neintelovskih of chip sets, continue release of the products on the basis of the best representatives of the given computer units. And a vivid example to that an abundance of models of motherboards on chip sets of VIA corporation which using difficulties of Intel, has captured a considerable share of the market of these units.

As a basis of motherboards the greatest distribution was received by such chip sets as VIA Apollo Pro Plus, VIA Apollo Pro133 and VIA Apollo Pro133A which advantages have been in detail considered in one of previous articles. Key parametres are typical for modern chip sets.

Chip set VIA Apollo Pro Plus is calculated for operation with frequency of the bus of the processor of 66 and 100 MHz at internal frequency of 450 MHz and above. It supports the bus of memory of 64 bits, parity check and ECC, memory FP DRAM, EDO DRAM, SDRAM — to 1 Gbytes, 8 memory banks at possibility of sharing of various types of memory. Support is besides, carried out: UltraDMA/33 and UltraDMA/66 IDE, USB v.1.0, AGP 1.0 with 1х/2х, PCI 2.1 (to 5 PCI), ISA, ACPI etc .

The base package consists of two chips fulfilled in tanks of standard BGA: VT82C693 — North Bridge, VT82C596A — South Bridge.

Chip set VIA Apollo Pro133 is calculated for operation with frequency of the bus of the processor 66, 100 and 133 MHz. It supports the asynchronous bus of memory of 64 bits, parity check and ECC, memory FP DRAM, EDO DRAM, SDRAM, VCM SDRAM — to 1,5 Gbytes in 8 memory banks, UltraDMA/33 and UltraDMA/66 IDE, 4 USB, AGP 1.0 with 1х/2х, PCI 2.1 (to 5 PCI), ACPI etc . In the architecture of this chip set support of the new frequency divider for bus AGP — 1/2 is realised , that allows to instal standard frequency of 66 MHz for bus AGP even at usage of frequency of the bus of the processor of 133 MHz.

Base chip set VIA Apollo Pro133, as well as the majority of traditional chip sets, consists of two chips fulfilled in tanks of standard BGA: VT82C693A — North Bridge, VT82C686A—South Bridge.

As chip South Bridge in both packages can be used or that are accepted as base, or the improved variant of chip VT82C596A — VT82C596B, or miikroshema South Bridge for multimedia applications — VT82C686A. Last allows to realise the majority of functions of audio and the modem at the expense of the built in resources of a chip set at the minimum additional expenses, the truth, at the expense of some degradation (to 10 %).

It is necessary to add, that there is an improved variant of chip set VIA Apollo Pro133 — VIA Apollo Pro133A. More perfect variant of chip North Bridge — VT82C694X In this case uses , allowing to realise AGP 4X.

Usage of the specified chips in various combinations allows to realise system of different function and different functionality.

To high parametres of the specified chip sets it is necessary to add and that artificial deficiency in accessories that the corporation of Intel which have limited release of chip sets i440BX and i440ZX has created, trying to impose to branch i820 and memory Rambus. Also there is nothing surprising that practically all manufacturers of motherboards have released the products created on the basis of enumerated sets VIA, differing not only width of functionality, but also concerning the low price.

In struggle for the market of motherboards have switched on as the known manufacturers which products are well presented in the Russian market, and those corporations, whose production only starts the climbing on popularity top. Thus the Russian rating not always mirrors added rasklad in the international computer market. It is possible to be convinced of it, parsing the information in the Internet. The last international exhibitions of accessories testify to it also, for example, that, that has taken place recently on Taiwan where production of corporations has unexpectedly powerfully sounded, rather little-known in Russia. For example, Jetway corporation production. Apparently, cards Jetway will be offered in the near future actively in the domestic market. Considering the big purchases of production of this corporation, carried out by domestic computer corporations, represents the big interest the information on new motherboards. As there was a real possibility ottestirovat some of the samples, given to one of known computer corporations of St.-Petersburg. From all variety of cards Jetway three variants of motherboards have been given: 993BS, 993AN, 994AS-L.

The architecture, functionality and productivity of the given motherboards also became a subject of the given consideration.

The processor

•   100 MHz, overclocking — 66/75/83/95/100/112/117/124/133 MHz are supported Slot 1 or Socket 370 processors of Intel Celeron, Pentium II/III with frequency of the system bus 66,   

Chip set

• VIA Apollo Pro Plus (VT82C693 + VT82C596B)

System memory

• 2 168-contact 3.3В DIMM slot, supporting to 1,0 Gbytes or EDO (66 MGTS), or PC66/100 SDRAM

AGP

• AGP slot supporting 1x/2x mode

Slots

• 3 PCI, 1 ISA

The integrated IDE-controller

• 2 channels UltraDMA/66/33 Bus Master IDE with support to 4 ATAPI-arrangements

Built in Audio

• The optional 4-channel sound chip (HSP56 CMI8738/PCI HRTF Audio Com) c 24 bits SPDIF IN and SPDIF OUT (44,1 and 48 KGts), HRTF 3D, etc .

Input\output ports

• 2 ports USB
• 2 floppy 5,25 "or 3,5" (1,44/2,88 Mb)  
• 2 consecutive and 1 parallel port with EPP and ECP
• PS/2-ports for keyboard and mouse hooking up
• Optional 1 Game/MIDI port, a linear input terminal/output an input terminal

Power supplies plugs — AT/ATX

The size

• BAT a form factor, 22x25 sm

The processor

•   100 and 133 MHz, overclocking — 66/75/83/95/100/112/117/124/133/150 MHz are supported Slot 1 or Socket 370 processors of Intel Celeron, Pentium II/III with frequency of the system bus 66,   

Chip set

• VIA Apollo Pro133 (VT82C693A + VT82C596B)

System memory

• 3 168-contact 3.3В DIMM slot, supporting to 1,5 Gbytes or EDO (66 MGTS), or PC66/100/133 SDRAM

AGP

• AGP slot supporting 1x/2x mode

Slots

• 4 PCI, 1 ISA

The integrated IDE-controller

• 2 channels UltraDMA/66/33 Bus Master IDE (with support to 4 ATAPI-arrangements,

Built in Audio

• The optional 4-channel sound chip (HSP56 CMI8738/PCI HRTF Audio Com) c 24 bits SPDIF IN and SPDIF OUT (44,1 and 48 KGts), HRTF 3D, etc .

The input\output ports painted according to specification PC99

• 2 ports USB
• 2 floppy 5,25 "or 3,5" (1,44/2,88 Mb)  
• 2 consecutive and 1 parallel port with EPP and ECP
• PS/2-ports for keyboard and mouse hooking up
• Optional 1 Game/MIDI port, a linear input terminal/output an input terminal

Miscellaneous

• The optional integrated hardware monitoring

The size

• ATX a form factor, 19x30,5 sm

The processor

•   100 and 133 MHz, overclocking — 66/75/83/95/100/112/117/124/133/140 MHz are supported Slot 1 or Socket 370 processors of Intel Celeron, Pentium II/III with frequency of the system bus 66,   

Chip set

• VIA Apollo Pro133A (VT82C694X + VT82C596B)

System memory

• 3 168-contact 3.3В DIMM slot, supporting to 1,5 Gbytes or EDO (66 MGTS), or PC66/100/133 SDRAM

AGP

• AGP slot supporting 1x/2x mode

Slots

• 4 PCI, 1 ISA

The integrated IDE-controller

• 2 channels UltraDMA/66/33 Bus Master IDE (with support to 4 ATAPI-arrangements,

Built in Audio

• The optional 4-channel sound chip (HSP56 CMI8738/PCI HRTF Audio Com) c 24 bits SPDIF IN and SPDIF OUT (44,1 and 48 KGts), HRTF 3D, etc .

The input\output ports painted according to specification PC99

• 2 ports USB
• 2 floppy 5,25 "or 3,5" (1,44/2,88 Mb)  
• 2 consecutive and 1 parallel port with EPP and ECP
• PS/2-ports for keyboard and mouse hooking up
• Optional 1 Game/MIDI port, a linear input terminal/output an input terminal

Miscellaneous

• The optional integrated hardware monitoring

The size

• ATX a form factor, 19x30,5 sm

The architecture and functionality of the resulted motherboards basically are defined by type of applied chips North Bridge (VT82C693, VT82C693A, VT82C694X), a part used chip sets, and also quantity of DIMM slots defining number of units and sizes of dynamic storage, quantity of PCI slots, optional resources of audio and hardware monitoring.

The type of a form factor and presence of optional resources have found the reflexion in the name of cards: A — form factor ATX, B — form factor BAT (Baby AT), S — presence of audioresources (HSP56 CMI8738/PCI HRTF Audio Com), L — presence of resources of hardware monitoring.

Simultaneous presence on cards of processor Slot 1 plugs and Socket 370 facilitates a choice of processors and the subsequent upgrade, especially if to consider, that maintenance of the given cards is carried out in step-by-step replacement from the market of products of standard Slot 1. Certainly, in such cases it is possible to calculate for appropriate processor adapters, however their price averages from $6 to $15 depending on their construction. Considering rather low prices of the specified motherboards, presence of Slot 1 plugs and Socket 370 is pleasant addition to a set of existing functionality of these products accepting, by the way, usage of processors of Pentium III both with kernel Katmai, and with kernel Coppermine.

However it is impossible to tell, what the resulted motherboards do not have any lacks (and for whom they are not present?). In ATX-variants layout of the plug of the floppy-drive concerning AGP slot demands special attention at computer assemblage as carelessly made cable can create difficulties for operation of a cooler of the powerful videoadapter. Besides, the considerable part of users would welcome more detailed descriptions of motherboards and their customisations. Afflicts, that on applied CD ROMs with drivers, program codes BIOS and customisation instructions, there are no files in the standard pdf which maintenance would duplicate the documentation on a paper.

Possibly, in the course of a continuous duty it would be possible to formulate additional wishes to a construction, functionality and a complete set of motherboards, but about it it is necessary to talk after any time, having stored a certain statistical substance.

In summary it is necessary to remind once again, that a correct and optimal choice of the motherboard with an appropriate chip set — pledge of high efficiency of the computer, its reliable and a stable operation, and also frictionless upgrade.

And as to an estimation of productivity of the considered motherboards this separate subject and an appropriate substance it will be presented in subsequent articles.