The ABIT IC7-MAX3 Done Right by Sudhian Media.

Taipei, Taiwan, R.O.C., September 12th, 2003 - Sudhian Media recently looked at the ABIT IC7-MAX3 and loved. Read the details:

"Ever since ABIT launched its MAX line, the manufacturer has focused on providing absolutely cutting-edge features on a legacy free platform. Although the original AT7 MAX flopped due to its lack of PS/2 ports (it turns out that most people still use a PS/2 keyboard), the MAX2 series (based on the KT400 and i845 chipsets) did much better. Now we have the IC7 MAX3, a board based on ABIT's extremely popular IC7 design.

OTES-ing a Motherboard:
The CPU socket (and the area around it) is easily the hottest spot on a typical motherboard. Not only are the CPU and northbridge both significant sources of heat, but the MOSFETs and a great deal of support circuitry have significant thermal signatures of their own. Even for a customer who isn't overclocking, this equipment can generate a significant amount of thermal energy and, in badly cramped conditions, could even lock or destabilize the machine.

ABIT's OTES (Outside Thermal Exhaust System) first appeared last year on a line of GeForce4 Ti 4200 cards the manufacturer released. Though the cards were bulky and required an additional PCI slot to function, their fabulous overclocking performance made them an extremely popular enthusiast choice. ABIT followed them up with an OTES-based 5900, but the MAX3 is the first time we've seen the idea applied to a motherboard.

...the OTES system wraps snugly around the top of the motherboard, covering the MOSFETS, transistors, and capacitors in this area. The heat being generated is routed through the shrouded area and expelled via a small fan in the backplate, where the PS/2 ports would normally be located. ABIT has carefully designed the OTES system to fit into an existing case without requiring any modification (save the use of a specific backplate.

The OTES system is almost completely inaudible (unless you've got your head next to it) seems to do an excellent job. Although we lack the equipment to independently measure their claimed temperature drop of up to 30% (best case), the back of the board was noticeably cooler during operation. Even for a user that isn't interested in overclocking, this could prove crucial in effectively cooling a case in hot weather or an un-air-conditioned building.

Distinguishing Features:
OTES System: This is the no-brainer of the features discussion since it happens to be the board's major feature. We've already discussed this, so let's move on.

Since all of the distinguishing features we discussed in our IC7-G review apply to the MAX3 IC7, we'll reprint them here:

All Rubycon Capacitors: Several months ago ABIT (as well as other motherboard manufacturers) found themselves with a serious problem on their hands as a faulty batch of capacitors from a major supply company were blowing out much too early (and too often) causing a surge in RMA's. ABIT was one of the few manufacturers that readily admitted being effected by this problem (points for honesty) and, once the situation was dealt with, announced that henceforth they'd be switching to Rubycon capacitors exclusively. This isn't just a PR stunt, as Rubycon is known as an excellent capacitor manufacturer who was unaffected by the failures that plagued other companies. This is a move ABIT made to improve board reliability, and so far it seems to be paying off.

RMA Support: This is more a feature of the company than the board, but warranty's and ease-of-replacement are often prime concerns of buyers. ABIT's warranty system allows you to request an RMA via an automated system, which then sends you the necessary shipping information. Not only does ABIT process your RMA directly (nice) but it also guarantees a return within 10 days (nicer). This is an excellent system with a clear focus on customer care that many other companies (IT-related or not) lack, and it speaks volumes about ABIT's commitment to its customers. No one we've yet spoken to has had a problem getting their board replaced.

Multiple SATA Controllers: When Intel announced that the 875 would be the first chipset to offer integrated SATA support in the southbridge as well as the first RAID-capable integrated SATA controller it was impressive, but ABIT evidently decided to do Intel one better. The MAX3 offers two separate SATA controllers—one integrated into the 875 chipset, one stand-alone Silicon Image solution (similar to what's found on many other Intel and AMD-supporting boards). While both controllers allow for RAID 0 or 1 configurations they cannot cross-talk—it's not possible to use both to build a 6-way RAID 0 array across both SATA ports. Since the MAX3 does support 4 SATA ports on the Silicon Image controller, it should be possible to build a 4-way RAID array on the drive. This is, to the best of our knowledge, the first board to feature a 4-way RAID array using SATA ports.

High Degree of Overclocking Support: ABIT has continued their trend of providing high-end overclocking solutions with the IC7-G. The board allows for multiple types of voltage modification (CPU, DDR, and AGP) and numerous users have reported excellent overclocking results. The IC7-G allows users to manually lock the AGP and PCI buses, estimates the new CPU clock before restarting the system, and even allows for multiplier adjustment, though precious few users are going to have unlocked CPU's.

High-end Integrated Audio System: As integrated audio systems go ABIT's is very good, supporting six-channel output, offering separate subwoofer and center channel plugs. Optical in / out plugs are also included. Integrated audio generally gets a bye from higher-end users, but this might be an excellent place to save a few bucks and still own an acceptable sound solution.

AGP Pro Support: There aren't many users out there that require AGP Pro compliant motherboards, but if you're one of the few, the MAX3 is one of a handful of Canterwood boards that support it.

Game Accelerator Technology: We initially thought this was a technology that was only showing up on ABIT's 865 boards, but ABIT has confirmed to us that MAX3 boards will ship with GAT capability. We weren't able to move past the "Turbo" setting, but that may have been our RAM. At this point, GAT appears to achieve its performance benefit through adjusting the northbridge latency and memory timings, though this may vary at different settings. The board ships with GAT set to "AUTO" which also happens to mean "Disabled."

Performance, Stability, and Overclocking:
Performance from the MAX3 was typical of what we'd expect from a Canterwood board- i.e., very good. Stability is another area where this board excelled, even when overclocked. Moving to a 250 MHz FSB was as simple as setting the option and saving it in BIOS—nothing else was needed. While we were unable to move much beyond 250 MHz, it may be our CPU holding us back. Our P4 3.2 GHz doesn't have a great deal of headroom (even when running in a Vapochill system its proven unable to touch 4 GHz), and we lowered its multiplier. ABIT's SoftMenu has a number of tweaking and timing options for people wanting to squeeze every last bit of performance out of their system. Stability was also excellent--we ran this board through the ringer with a full 1 gig of DDR RAM and tight timings, and never had a single crash.

Even for ABIT, this board stands out as a good overclocker, with enough options and voltages to keep the hardcore enthusiast / tweaker happy. We've rarely had a board overclock so effortlessly and certainly board temperatures remained low (as best we could measure). CPU voltages are adjustable from 1.5v to 1.9v in .025 steps and DDR voltage can be run up to 3.2V - or, "Insta-fry-the-memory setting." AGP voltage adjustment is also available, up to 1.65v. It seems a bit silly to provide RAM voltages so far out of spec (3.2V punched through 2.5V RAM will cook it pretty damn quickly, heatsinks or no), but those of you who don't mind six month product lifetimes can cook away.

With high performance, high stability, and a solid feature set there's very little not to like about this board. ABIT has a very strong product tier right now between the IS7, the IC7, and the MAX3. These boards range in price from just $97 for the IS7-E up to $225 for MAX3, but offer a smooth ramp between features, performance, and price.

In our Canterwood round-up last month we gave the "Best Enthusiast Board" award to ABIT's IC7-G, but in our opinion the IC7 MAX3 is an even stronger candidate for that position and should definitely be at the top of your list when looking for an overclocking or enthusiast-oriented board. If, on the other hand, $225 is just too rich for you when it comes to motherboard expenses, the IC7-G is still a great option and significantly cheaper. Either way, you win."

To watch the full review go here: http://www.sudhian.com/showdocs.cfm?aid=428



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