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Motherboard Jetway testing 994AS-L

Evgenie Rudometov, Victor Rudometov.
authors@rudometov.com

The motherboard is one of the most important units substantially defining functionality and productivity of the modern computer.

Considering diversity of offered variants, a wide spectrum of possible computer tasks, and takzhechrezvychajno a fast obsolescence of units and a problem of the subsequent upgrade, the task of an optimal choice of accessories becomes especially difficult. One of ways of solution of the given task is the all-round analysis of possibilities and careful testing of suitable samples from preliminary selected group of computer units.

In earlier published articles some main problems and tendencies of development of modern chip sets and motherboards have been considered. Strengthening of positions of the small, dynamically developing corporations which products in many cases make a worthy competition of similar production of the eminent and deserved computer corporations which reachings are widely presented in the domestic market was thus marked. Thus products of young corporations are quite often characterised not only rather low prices, but also rather quite good parametres doing them attractive to usage as a part of modern computers.

In previous article some variants of motherboards from wide gamma of products of Jetway corporation which production, considering the concluded contracts, applies have been in detail described to occupy a place of honour among the accessories calculated for usage in arrangements, intended for the mass user.

Declared technical parametres and functionality of the resulted cards allow to consider the given possibility seriously. Especially if also productivity of the systems created on the basis of these units, appears at worthy level — level corresponding, at least, to products of the given price category.

Before the resulted cards of Jetway corporation the substance presented more low received in the course of careful testing of specified products also will be devoted an estimation of productivity.

Before to pass to the received results, it is necessary to remind a number of known positions and some technical details of products and the units participating in testing.

It is obvious, that the computer power analysis should be led on the basis of usage of the widespread and standard tests estimating both technical possibilities of separate components, and all system of the computer taking into account software influence, including the operating system and widespread program applications. Such approach, as a rule, allows to minimise the negative consequences linked quite often with the subjective approach to an estimation of analysable means.

It is necessary to take also into consideration, that the received numerical estimations, as a rule, are clear only to a narrow circle of experts. However their analysis is facilitated, if in the course of testing as the measurement standard other similar products use. Usually they are constructed on the basis of the same units or, at least, the units possessing in similar parametres. It is better, if standard products concern group of widespread products of known corporations. Then, comparing the numerical estimations received in results of testing, as a rule, become clear to a wide range of users, and not just separate experts.

Considering possibilities of motherboards, it is necessary to remind, that their architecture and functionality basically are defined by type of the applied chip sets which are a basis of construction of modern cards. As a rule, the existing chip sets used as a part of motherboards, are presented by two chips — North Bridge (Northern bridge) and South Bridge (the Southern bridge). Thus for effective operation of the central processor unit, dynamic storage and the videoadapter chip North Bridge, and for communication facilities with peripheral devices which ROM, the keyboard and the mouse, the built in resources of sound functions, the modem, a local area network etc. concern hard and floppy disks, CD and DVD responds ., — South Bridge. Quite often this chip contains controls for computer functional modes, for example, modes energopotreblenija.

The chips which are a part of chip sets, through the motherboard architecture substantially define functionality and productivity of all system of the computer. Well, and it is finite, it is impossible to forget about such important parametres of motherboards, as quantity of DIMM slots defining number of units and sizes of dynamic storage, supported modes AGP and protocols of operation of disk drives, quantity of PCI slots and ISA, ports USB etc . Besides, great value such possibilities as play the built in audiofunctions and hardware monitoring, controls for power supply etc .

Key parametres of tested motherboards

Motherboard Jetway 994AS-L.

Processors:

Intel Celeron, Pentium II/III with Slot 1 plugs or Socket 370 (on the card there are both types), including processors with kernel Coppermine. Frequency of bus FSB of 66/100/133 MHz, overclocking — 66, 75, 83, 95, 100, 112, 117, 124, 133, 140 MHz.

Chip set:

VIA Apollo Pro133A (VT82C694X+VT82C596B). Chip North Bridge — VT82C694X, chip South Bridge — VT82C596B.

Dynamic storage:

To 1,5 Gbytes in 3 DIMM (168 p, 3,3 ) or EDO (66 MHz), or PC66/100/133 SDRAM.

BIOS:

Award Plug and Play BIOS.

Input/output resources (I/O):

Two integrated ports of hard disks — to 4 arrangements Ultra DMA/66/33. PS/2 plugs for keyboard and mouse hooking up, 1 floppy-port for hooking up of floppy disks in size to 2,88 Mb, 1 parallel port (EPP/ECP), 2 serial ports, 2 ports USB, IrDA TX/RX. Optional 1 Game/MIDI port, a linear input terminal/output an input terminal.

Other parametres:

Support AGP 1X/2X/4X.

The built in resources of audiofunctions presented by the optional fourline sound chip (HSP56 CMI8738/PCI HRTF Audio Com).

The optional integrated hardware monitoring.

Slots: 1 AGP, 4 PCI, 1 ISA.

Forms the factor: ATX (305x190 mm).

Motherboard Chaintech CT-6AJA4

Processors:

Intel of Pentium II/III and Celeron with Socket 370 plug , including processors with kernel Coppermine. Frequency of the system bus: 66/100/133 MHz, overclocking — to 150 MHz with step 1 MHz.

Chip set:

VIA Apollo Pro133A (VT82C694X+VT82C686A). Chip North Bridge — VT82C694X, chip South Bridge — VT82C686A.

Dynamic storage:

To 768 Mb PC100/133 SDRAM in 3 DIMM (168 p, 3,3 ), support ECC is carried out.

BIOS:

Award Plug and Play BIOS.

Input/output resources (I/O):

Two integrated ports of hard disks — to 4 arrangements Ultra DMA/33/66. PS/2 plugs for keyboard and mouse hooking up, 1 floppy-port for hooking up of floppy disks in size to 2,88 Mb, 1 parallel port (EPP/ECP), 2 serial ports, 2 ports USB, IrDA TX/RX. One port Game/MIDI, a linear input terminal/output an input terminal.

Other parametres:

Support AGP 1X/2X/4X.

The built in resources of audiofunctions AC ’ 97, usage of the optional fourline sound chip (HSP56 CMI8738/PCI HRTF Audio Com) is possible.

The integrated hardware monitoring.

Slots: 1 AGP, 5 PCI, 1 ISA, 1 AMR.

Forms the factor: ATX (305x210 mm).

MS-6309 motherboard MicroStar

Processors:

Intel of Pentium II/III and Celeron with Socket 370 plug ), including processors with kernel Coppermine. Frequency of the system bus: 66/100/133 MHz, overclocking — 66.8, 79, 85, 87.5, 90, 92.5, 100, 110, 115, 120, 124, 129, 133, 138 MHz.

Chip set:

VIA Apollo Pro133A (VT82C694X+VT82C686A). Chip North Bridge — VT82C694X, chip South Bridge — VT82C686A.

Dynamic storage:

To 1,5 Gbytes PC66/100/133 SDRAM in 3 DIMM (168 p, 3,3 ), support ECC is carried out.

BIOS:

AMI Plug and Play BIOS.

Input/output resources (I/O):

Two integrated ports of hard disks — to 4 arrangements Ultra DMA/33/66. PS/2 plugs for keyboard and mouse hooking up, 1 floppy-port for hooking up of floppy disks in size to 2,88 Mb, 1 parallel port (EPP/ECP), 2 serial ports, 2 ports USB, IrDA TX/RX. One port Game/MIDI, a linear input terminal/output an input terminal.

Other parametres:

Support AGP 1X/2X/4X.

The built in resources of audiofunctions AC ’ 97, usage of the optional sound chip (Creative CT5880) is possible.

The integrated hardware monitoring.

Slots: 1 AGP, 5 PCI, 1 ISA, 1 AMR.

Forms the factor: ATX (305x192 mm).

Testing

System pattern:

The processor: Intel of Pentium III 700 (in konstruktive FC-PGA for Socket 370, kernel Coppermine, cache memory L2 — 256 Kbytes, working on internal frequency of the processor, 1,65 In, in box, pack date 04/27/00, S-Spec SL45Y, made in Philippines).

The working memory: 64 Mb PC133.

The videoadapter: Eagle TNT2Ultra with a video memory of 32 Mb.

Hard disk: Western Digital WD Expert 313500 Model AC313500-00DW (13 Gbytes, 7200 about/c, 2 Mb of the cache memory, UltraDMA/33/66).

CD ROM: ASUS CD-S400/A (40x).

OS: Windows 98.

Motherboards: Jetway 994AS-L, Chaintech CT-6AJA4, MS-6309I.

Testing was led at usage of frequency of the bus of processor FSB of 100 MHz.

As the exerciser the popular package of tests WinBench 99 v1.1, namely CPUmark99 and FPU WinMark was applied   . In addition to these programs the package of tests 3D WinBench 2000, namely 3D WinBench 2000 Processor Test, the test 3Dmark2000 used    .

Results testiroanija

The card

CPUMark 99

FPU WinMark

3Dmark2000

3D WinBench 2000 Processor Test

Jetway 994AS-L

60,8

3730

2905

1,31

Chaintech CT-6AJA4

60,1

3720

2909

1,13

Microstar MS-6309

60,3

3710

2902

1,28

As follows from the resulted technical parametres of used motherboards, all of them support audiofunctions. It is reached or by means of special resources AC ’ 97, built in in South Bridge as it is realised in chip VT82C686A, or by means of the external special audiochip (Audio CODEC), for example, HSP56 CMI8738/PCI HRTF Audio Com. The last solution is used in motherboard Jetway 994AS-L.

Quality of a sound was estimated by a method of an expert estimation with usage of the specialised software delivered on CD-ROM, applied on motherboard Jetway 994AS-L.

The estimation was led on the basis of listening of the high-quality tracks characterised by a high dynamic range in which quality the products concerning as to modern fate - used, bit, popmuzyke, and to classical, symphonic. On the basis of listening output has been drawn on excellence of the used audioresources realised on the basis of specialised chip HSP56 CMI8738/PCI HRTF Audio Com.

It is necessary to mark, that quality of a fourline sound (the dynamic range, level of deformations, noise etc. was estimated .) was essentially above, than at usage of standard audioresources AC ’ 97, built in chip VT82C686A. This chip often uses in rather inexpensive systems oriented to multimedia tasks, as South Bridge as a part of chip set VIA Apollo Pro133A.

Unfortunately, for the short period of acquaintance to the given card it is impossible to analyze properly its stability and dependability of operation in systems of a various complete set. It as it has been marked in previous article, it is possible to estimate only after long time of its intensive maintenance.

The resulted technical parametres, functions and numerical estimations of results of testing visually show potential possibilities of motherboard Jetway 994AS-L. As to productivity of other cards Jetway from resulted before variants results of their testing will be resulted in one of following articles.

Authors express gratitude to the corporation Aerton who has given the documentation and accessories for testing of motherboards Jetway.

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