Tuesday, March 12, 2002

Introduction

Soltek, a manufacturer that we've long appreciated for its quick time-to-market and diverse product-line, recently sent us a sample of their SiS 645-based SL-85DRS2 motherboard. The SL-85DRS2 has several points of interest. The chief among them is its chipset - the A2 stepping of the SiS 645 - which is reputed to be faster than its predecessor. The SL-85DRS2 has support for DDR333 memory and it is including a thermal-sensor connector accompanied by a thermal sensor as part of the hardware bundle. Asides from that though, the SL-85DRS2 features a very traditional design, with sober construction taking priority over whiz-bang functionality.

Let's say we take a closer look.

Configuration

Soltek has often included a wide variety of Overclocking functions as part of its motherboards. The SL-85DRS2, however, seems to be a notable exception to that rule. By all appearances, it looks like its the SiS 645 chipset that isn't too generous in this department - not a single SiS 645 board we've reviewed to date has been particularly tweaker-friendly.

For its part, the SL-85DRS2 does include some tweaking features, These include an array of Dip switches (labeled SW3) which can be used to set the FSB frequency to any of the values listed in the table above, and the option of setting the clock multiplier value to between 8X and 23X via the "Frequency/Voltage Control" menu within the BIOS.

The BIOS system, though, does not allow the FSB to be set to anything other than 100MHz or 133MHz. Its also worth noting that the very same function also affects the memory bus frequency; its by adjusting it than the memory system can be set to 100MHz, 133MHz, or 166MHz, thus enabling support for PC2700 memory. In short though, if you wish to use an intermediate frequency setting, its necessary to use Dips SW3, which can be used to set a frequency of 105MHz, 108MHz, or 112MHz.

Unfortunately, the troubles don't end their. First, the aforementioned Dip switches have been very badly placed between the AGP port and the ATX connector. This makes them inaccessible once everything is installed, which is a pain to say the least. Its also impossible to Overclock the system with DDR333 memory installed, because its mere presence causes the Dip-available FSB frequencies to be limited to 100MHz or 133MHz. For that matter, the 133MHz setting is completely useless at this time, unless you happen to have a multiplier-unlocked P4 - Intel has yet to offer a P4 designed for 133MHz FSB.
On the upside, the "Advanced Chipset Features" menu does offer a number of options for altering various memory timing settings, but in the end, what we have on our hands is another SiS 645 board with very limited Overclocking potential.

Next: Technical details