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GermanBE6-II vs P3B-F vs CT-6ATA2
Evgenie Rudometov, Victor Rudometov.
authors@rudometov.com
Article is grounded on substances of books "Motherboards and chip sets" SPb.: Peter, 2000, 256 with. (A Series "PC Anatomy") and "Motherboards and chip sets" Izd. 2, dop. — SPb.: Peter, 2001, 352 with. (A Series "PC Anatomy")
Buying new or carrying out upgrade of existing computers, it is necessary to solve the uneasy task of a choice of optimal accessories from which one of the major are the motherboards defining substantially functionality of the computer. And performance of this challenge, as a rule, is carried out in the conditions of the limited financial resources, and is frequent and at a trustworthy information lack...
Productivity and functionality of the computer depend on all collection of used accessories. There is no doubt, as the processor is very important, both a hard disk, and the videoadapter. These accessories are widely presented in the modern computer market. As they say, is from what to select. To know that. And an eternal question: what of these units are optimal on the functionality taking into account their price? And to solve the given most complicated task of a choice it is necessary taking into account a wide spectrum of offered arrangements at the limited financial resources in the conditions of the aggressive advertising which are underlining advantages and holding back limitations and the more so, about lacks of offered computer units.
Recognising all importance of the enumerated accessories, apparently, to start the analysis and a choice of units all the same follows from the motherboard which basis is the chip set. These units pawn a basis of the future computer and its functionality.
The purpose of given article is attempt of matching of metrics of productivity of three popular motherboards: Abit BE6-II, ASUS P3B-F, Chaintech CT-6ATA2. The given motherboards are released by the known manufacturers which products are characterised by high parametres and have proved as reliable and stable arrangements. The specified motherboards are widely offered in the modern market of accessories by many large and small computer corporations.
It is necessary to mark, that cards Abit BE6-II and ASUS P3B-F are created on the basis of a high-powered and very popular chip set i440BX AGPset (82443BX+82371EB), created by Intel corporation, and motherboard Chaintech CT-6ATA2 — on chip set VIA Apollo Pro133 (VT82C693A+VT82C686A) VIA Technologies corporations.
Unfortunately the chip set i440BX does not support frequency of the bus of the processor of 133 MHz, at least, officially as in this case frequency of bus AGP exceeds standard 66 value MHz. It is linked by that frequency of bus AGP is defined by frequency of the bus of the processor (FSB) and installed through coefficients AGP. However the problem consists that the chip set i440BX carries out support only values 1 and 2/3 and does not support the value 1/2 necessary at usage frequency of 133 MHz. Besides, this chip set does not support modern mode Ultra DMA/66. This mode provides more a high speed of data transfer with disk drives in comparison with traditional mode Ultra DMA/33. However, manufacturers of motherboards quite often solve a problem of absence of the resources of support of mode Ultra DMA/66 built in a chip set by means of usage of the separate controller giving given possibility. Such way is realised, for example, in the architecture of motherboard Abit BE6-II by means of application of special chip High Point HPT366. Besides, some corporations-manufacturers release the expansion cards providing functions of controller Ultra DMA/66. On this path ASUSTeK corporation has gone. And such solution can be selected in case of motherboard ASUS P3B-F usage.
From the marked problems the motherboards which basis is chip set VIA Apollo Pro133 are free. This chip set carries out support and frequency buses of the processor of 133 MHz, and correct installation frequency buses AGP through support of coefficients AGP which values can be 1, 2/3, 1/2, and asynchronous operation of the bus of memory, and mode Ultra DMA/66 through the hardware built in a chip set, etc . For an example of such card motherboard Chaintech CT-6ATA2 selected for testing which at all advantages is characterised by rather low price can be.
As the tool of calculation of metrics of productivity well-known and standard test Winbench99 v1.1, become by a standard resource of an estimation of possibilities of computer systems has been used.
Key parametres of motherboards
Motherboard Abit BE6-II.
Processors: Intel of Pentium III 450-800 MHz, Pentium II 233-450 MHz, Celeron 266-533 MHz. Frequency of the bus of the processor (FSB): 66/75/83 MHz, from 83 to 200 MHz frequency of the bus of the processor can be selected from a band any with step 1 MHz. The choice frequency FSB is necessary for carrying out taking into account supported coefficients: for PCI — 1, 1/2, 1/3, 1/4; for AGP — 1, 2/3.
Chip set:
Intel 440BX AGPset: 82443BX and 82371EB. A chip 82443BX — Host Bridge/Controller PCI AGP (PAC) in 492-pin Ball Grid Array (BGA) — North Bridge (Northern bridge). A chip 82371AB/EB — PCI-TO-ISA/IDE Xcelerator (PIIX4/PIIX4Е) in 324-pin Ball Grid Array (BGA) — South Bridge (the Southern bridge).
Dynamic storage:
To 768 Mb PC100 or PC133 SDRAM in 3 DIMM (168 p, 3,3 ), support ECC is carried out.
BIOS:
Award Plug and Play BIOS version 6.0 with support of protection against viruses (Write-Protect Anti-Virus function by AWARD BIOS).
Input/output resources (I/O):
1. 2 controllers of hard disks integrated into a chip set — to 4 arrangements Ultra DMA/33.
2. 2 controllers of the hard disks which are realised by means of chip High Point HPT366 and carrying out support Ultra DMA 66 — to 4 arrangements Ultra DMA/33 or Ultra DMA/66. It allows to use together with the resources integrated into a chip set to 8 arrangements IDE, for example, such as hard disks, CD ROM, DVD ROM, ZIP, LS-120 etc .
3. 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.
Other parametres:
1. Support of the Expanded pattern (Advanced Configuration) and the interface on power management (ACPI).
2. Support AGP 1X/2X 66/133 MHz.
3. Slots: 1 AGP, 5 PCI, 1 ISA.
4. Hardware monitoring.
5. Support of parametre setup of the computer through BIOS SOFT MENU III or crosspieces on the motherboard.
6. Wake on LAN/Wake on Ring header
7. The external thermometer (enters into a package).
8. Forms the factor: ATX (305x200 mm).
Motherboard ASUS P3B-F
Processors: Intel of Pentium II/III 233-450 + MHz and Celeron. Frequency of the system bus: 66/75/83 and to 200 MHz with step 1 MHz.
Chip set:
1. Intel 440BX AGPset: 82443BX and 82371EB.
2. Support of the Expanded pattern (Advanced Configuration) and the interface on power management (ACPI).
3. Support AGP 1X/2X 66/133 MHz.
Dynamic storage: to 1024 Mb PC100 or PC133 SDRAM in 4 DIMM (168 p, 3,3 ), support ECC is carried out.
BIOS: Award Plug and Play BIOS with support of protection against viruses.
Input/output resources (I/O):
1. 2 controllers of hard disks integrated into a chip set — to 4 arrangements Ultra DMA/33.
2. PS/2 plugs for keyboard and mouse hooking up, 1 floppy-port (to 2,88 Mb), 1 parallel port (EPP/ECP), 2 serial ports, 2 USB, IrDA TX/RX
Other parametres:
1. There are three variants of a pattern the cards providing different quantity of AGP/PCI/ISA slots: 1/6/0, 1/6/1, 1/5/2.
2. Hardware monitoring.
3. Support of parametre setup of a pattern of the computer is carried out through BIOS SETUP or crosspieces on the motherboard
4. Wake on LAN/Wake on Ring header.
5. Forms the factor: ATX (304x192 mm).
Motherboard Chaintech CT-6ATA2
Processors: Intel of Pentium III/II to 733 MHz, Celeron to 466 MHz. Frequency of the system bus: 66/75/83/100 MHz and to 152 MHz with step 1 MHz.
Chip set:
VIA Apollo Pro133, presented by chips: VT82C693A (North Bridge), VT82C686A (Super South).
Dynamic storage: to 384 Mb PC100 or PC133 SDRAM in 3 DIMM (168 p, 3,3 ), support ECC.
BIOS:
Award BIOS with support Plug and Play (v1.0a), APM (v1.2), DMI (v2.0), Trend ChipAwayVirus.
Input/output resources (I/O):
1. The controller of hard disks - to 4 arrangements Ultra DMA/33 or Ultra DMA/66.
2. PS/2 plugs for keyboard and mouse hooking up, 1 floppy-port (to 2,88 Mb), 1 parallel port (SPP/EPP/ECP), 2 serial ports, 2 USB, IrDA TX/RX.
Audio:
The resources of support of functions of a sound built in a chip set according to AC ’ 97.
Other parametres:
1. Support AGP 1X/2X 66/133 MHz.
2. Slots: 1 AGP, 4 PCI, 2 ISA.
3. Hardware monitoring.
4. Support of parametre setup of the processor through BIOS SETUP (processing technique SeePU) or crosspieces on the motherboard.
5. Wake on LAN/Wake on Ring header.
6. Support AMR (there is AMR slot).
7. Forms the factor: ATX.
Testing
System pattern:
Hard disk: Quantum Fireball CX6 (6 Gbytes).
Audio: Creative Sound Blaster AudioPCI 128.
CD-ROM: ASUS CD-S400/A.
The working memory: 32 Mb.
The videoadapter: Asus V3800 with a video memory of 16 Mb.
OS: Windows 95 with the installed drivers of the controller of hard disks Ultra DMA/33.
Motherboards: Asus P3B-F and Abit BE6-II.
The processor: Intel of Pentium II 400 (512 Kbytes of cache memory L2).
Testing was led at usage frequency buses of the processor of 100 MHz.
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