Abit KT7 RAID VIA KT133
Tuesday, January 09, 2001
Introduction
Abit never does things halfway. First, they invented the much celebrated Soft Menu system which is currently in its 3rd version. Now, with the KT7, they've integrated an optional RAID controller - much like the GA-7ZXR from Gigabyte. Thus what we have before us is the KT7 RAID: a little bundle of circuits and components with support for 8 drives - 4 of which can operate under ATA100 mode by way of a Highpoint HPT370 RAID controller. All this functionality and more is the promise the KT7 RAID makes to it adopters, and it certainly seems impressive at first blush. But, can Abit pull it off again?
Well, let's say we take a look and find out.
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Abit KT7 RAID Hardware Setup
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CPU
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AMD Athlon Duron & T-Bird Socket A
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Chipset
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VIA KT133 - VT8363/VT82C686A
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Form factor
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ATX - 30.5cm X 23cm
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Expansion
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6 PCI - 1 ISA - 0 AMR - 1 AGP
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Memory
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1.5Gb 168-pin SDRAM PC100 - PC133 - VCM
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FSB
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100Mhz, 101Mhz, 102Mhz, 103Mhz, 105Mhz, 107 , 110Mhz, 112Mhz, 115Mhz, 117Mhz, 120Mhz, 122Mhz, 124Mhz, 127Mhz, 133Mhz, 136Mhz, 140Mhz, 145Mhz, 150Mhz, 155Mhz, and the ability to augment any of these frequencies by
1MHz to 28MHz in steps of 1MHz.
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Vcore adj.
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Ajustable de 1.1vdc ˆ 8.50vdc en pas de 0.025vdc
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Vio adj.
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Ajustable de 3.2vdc ˆ 3.8vdc en pas de 0.10vdc
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Audio chipset
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NA
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Features
The first and foremost characteristic of every Abit board is of course the BIOS, and the Soft Menu system in particular, for it's the Soft Menu that allows users to access all the essential, processor-related tweaks.
The KT7 RAID is no exception to these rules: it has enough features incorporated into its BIOS that it's virtually bursting at the seams.
As you might expect then, it's quite possible to change the CPU's clock multiplier - from between 5X and 12.5X in fact - presuming that you've installed a CPU without a multiplier lock, of course. The FSB frequency is equally malleable, and can be set to operate at anything from 100MHz and 183MHz in steps of 1MHz. Next, we find options for adjusting the Vcore and Vio voltages, and - finally - the all-important ability to set the memory bus to operate at the same frequency as the FSB, or at FSB speed plus that of the PCI bus. As a bonus, Abit has also included the ability to tweak certain CPU parameters like the CPU Drive Strength setting. While this setting is usually set to a value of 2, Abit recommend to use a value of 3 when Overclocking is applied to the CPU. A value of 3 will in no way decrease the CPU performance but enhance its overall stability, according to Abit. A CPU drive strength of 2 is recommended when the CPU is not Overclocked.
Note that the options pertaining to memory timing are accessed through the "Chipset Features Setup" menu, as is the case with most motherboards.
Technical details
Plenty of space has been left around the CPU socket, which should allow for the comfortable installation of most heatsinks.
The memory slots are placed so close to the AGP port that the retention clips for memory slot 1 swings very close to the graphics card and almost touch it.
Thirteen 2200Mfd, and eight 1000Mfd capacitors have been placed around the CPU socket.
The CPU locking lever is made of metal, so there's no real chance of it breaking.
Four fan connectors are available.
Hardware monitoring is controlled by the chipset.
Manual assignment of IRQs is available.
Two thermistors have been included, which measure the temperature of the CPU, and the ambient temperature within the casing.
A fan has been placed on top of the Northbridge chip.
Holding the "Insert" key during start-up will roll-back the BIOS to the last batch of valid settings.
Next: Additional features.
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