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Original Link: https://www.anandtech.com/show/444
AOpen MX64 VIA Apollo Pro 133A Slot-1 microATX
by Mike Andrawes on January 13, 2000 6:03 PM EST- Posted in
- Motherboards
AOpen has long been the second largest motherboard manufacturer in the world, second only to Intel. They've gotten there by making extremely stable, reliable, and feature filled boards. This is evidenced by the fact that AOpen's last two i440BX boards to come through the AnandTech lab, the AX6BC Pro Gold and AX6BC Pro II Millennium Edition, have received AnandTech's prestigious Editor's Choice Award.
Not only does AOpen make excellent products, but they're also lead this market with innovation. They were one of the first on the market with a Super7 board, the AX59Pro based on the VIA MVP3 chipset. Since then, they've continued to support VIA's chipsets as the Pentium II gained popularity.
Now, we see the rise of the 133 MHz FSB Pentium III "Coppermine" CPU's, and AOpen is there yet again. Intel's intended solution for these CPU's, the i820, had some trouble getting out of the gate and was confronted with extremely high RDRAM prices. That leaves the door wide open for VIA and their Apollo Pro 133A chipset to gain some market share. AOpen, of course, continues their series of boards with VIA chipsets with the MX64, based on that very Apollo Pro 133A.
New Anand Tech Report Card Rating 89/A-
CPU Interface | Slot-1 |
Chipset | VIA Apollo Pro 133A (VIA 694X / VIA 686A) |
L2 Cache | N/A (on-chip) |
Form Factor | microATX |
Bus Speeds | 66
/ 75 / 83 100 / 105 / 110 / 112 / 115 / 120 / 124 133 / 140 / 150 |
Clock Multipliers | 2.0x - 8.0x |
Voltages Supported | Auto Detect |
Memory Slots | 3 168-pin DIMM Slots |
Expansion Slots | 0 AMR Slots 1 AGP Slot 3 PCI Slots (3 Full Length) 0 ISA Slots |
BIOS | Award 4.60PGA |
The Good
We were quite surprised to learn that AOpen's first VIA Apollo Pro 133A board would be designed around the microATX form factor. AOpen already had great success with AX63, based on the the Apollo Pro Plus, and the AX63 Pro, based on the Apollo Pro 133 - both of which are full ATX motherboards. However, this isn't too surprising considering the rise to popularity that "micro towers," which require microATX boards, have seen in the retail market.
Nevertheless, AOpen has blessed the MX64 with virtually the best expansion options possible for a microATX board. A 3/0/1 (PCI/ISA/AGP) slot configuration and 3 DIMM slots cover expansion opportunities. They decided not to take advantage of the AMR capabilities of the VIA 686A south bridge, but did take advantage of its support for an AC97 audio CODEC that provides host based audio.
The AC97 audio will get you by if you just want basic Windows sound feedback, but anyone serious about audio or interested in gaming will definitely want to add a dedicated PCI sound card. Fortunately, the CODEC adds virtually nothing to the cost of the board, and as such will be a standard feature on all MX64's as well as most other upcoming motherboards. The AC97 audio can be disabled by a jumper at the left edge of the board.
The MX64 also features 2 USB ports in the standard location, but also adds a header for 2 more ports, a feature that comes, once again, courtesy of the VIA 686A south bridge. A small cable leads to the 2 ports, which are mounted in a bracket designed to take the place of an expansion slot cover. With a little ingenuity, they could easily be mounted anywhere else in the case, such as on the front panel. Finally, the 686A provides dual channel Ultra ATA 66 support without the need for additional controllers.
As far as layout goes, the MX64 meets all recommendations from the microATX specification. That means the FDD, HDD, and ATX power connectors are all located right at the front of the board to keep things nice and neat inside the case. Seven 1500uF capacitors sit behind the Slot-1 connector, while 3 more are positioned adjacent to the DIMM slots. The 694X North Bridge is covered with the good old green heatsink that we've come to know and love from the i440BX days. This time it's adorned with the AOpen logo and is attached by thermal tape.
AOpen's jumperless CPU configuration is carried over almost directly from the Apollo Pro 133 based AX63Pro. Like that model, the MX64 features the Award 4.60PGA BIOS core, which is a custom AOpen version of the more common 4.51PG. Now that Award has the improved 6.00PG, we'd like to see all manufacturers go ahead and implement it on their boards. FSB settings of 66 / 75 / 83 / 100 / 105 / 110 / 112 / 115 / 120 / 124 / 133 / 140 / 150 are all available in the BIOS, as are clock multiplier settings. While there are 7 FSB speeds between 100 and 124 MHz, we'd like to see more in the 133 - 150 MHz range, especially with the incredible overclocking ability of the Coppermine core.
The non-jumperless part of the setup comes when you want to overclock. Two 6-pin jumper blocks determine what frequency range is available in the BIOS, with the option of Auto, 66-83 MHz, 100-124MHz, and 133-150MHz. The Auto setting of course determines what range of frequencies are available based on the CPU in use and its default speed. The other settings are, of course, intended for overclockers. All AGP and PCI ratios are automatically handled based on the FSB speed range selected via the jumpers or auto detected from the CPU.
Unfortunately, the part that was lost from the AX63Pro is core voltage manipulation in the BIOS. This feature has been a boon to overclockers everywhere where that extra bit of voltage can often mean the difference between 100% stability and complete failure.
Once again, we were able to push our testbed FC-PGA Pentium III 550E to 5.5 x 150 MHz = 825 MHz - faster than any production level Intel CPU at the time of publication. No core voltage adjustments were necessary for our CPU. For full details, read Part 1 and Part 2 of AnandTech's Overclocking the FC-PGA Coppermine article. At overclocked or non-overclocked speeds, the MX64 was rock solid, as we've come to expect from AOpen.
Like other Apollo Pro 133/133A boards, the MX64 supports an "asynchronous" memory clock, meaning that it can run at a different speed than the FSB. Options include FSB clock and FSB clock +/- 33 MHz. When using the 133 MHz bus, FSB + 33 MHz is not available, nor is FSB - 33MHz when using a 66MHz FSB. It should also be noted that the setting labeled +/- 33 MHz is actually adding or subtracting the PCI bus speed. So if you're running a 150 MHz FSB, with the memory clock set for FSB - 33 MHz, you're actually getting 150 - 37.5 = 112.5 MHz (FSB = 150 MHz, PCI clock = 150/4=37.5 MHz). This is also a function of the VIA chipset rather than something unique to AOpen.
The BIOS options may come as a bit of a surprise for those that have never used a VIA based board before, as there are a number of options not found on Intel chipset-based systems. The most obvious is the memory setting mentioned above. As with other VIA Apollo Pro 133A boards, the AOpen offers the ability to enable or disable AGP 4X support from the Chipset Features Setup. Interestingly enough, there was no option for enabling/disabling AGP Fast Writes.
With the Tyan Trinity 400, we ran into some AGP 4X compatibility issues, but things went more smoothly with the AOpen. The NVIDIA GeForce and NVIDIA TNT2 Ultra ran without a hitch in AGP 4X mode. Unfortunately, the ATI Rage Fury MAXX still locked up upon initialization of the Windows GUI when set for AGP 4X operation. Once again, setting the BIOS option to AGP 2X remedied the problem. It's hard to say right now whether this is a hardware issue or something that can be fixed with a BIOS/driver update. However, we'll be sure to keep you updated as we have more time with the boards and find out more information.
One feature that is included, but is still missing on some motherboards, is the ability to configure what the system will do when AC power is restored after a power outage. The system can either remain off, turn on, or resume last power state when power is restored. This is a feature often overlooked since ATX and soft power became available, but is critical for anyone using their system where it must be on 24/7 or as close as possible. It also allows for users to shut the system on and off from a surge protector.
The VIA 686A Super South Bridge provides support for integrated hardware monitoring of 5 positive voltages, 3 temperatures, and 2 fan speeds. AOpen chose to monitor only 4 voltages, including Vcore, +12V, +5V, and +3.3V. Temperature is read from the CPU's on-die thermal diode, the 686A chip itself, and from a thermistor header placed next to the DIMM slots. Unfortunately no such thermistor is included with the board. One fan header is located next to the CPU, while the other is at the front left corner of the board. No hardware monitoring information is shown in the BIOS, but can be read by the included utility or by many of the shareware utilities available on the web.
The Bad
As with VIA chipsets of the past, we did encounter a few problems. First and foremost is a fundamental problem with all VIA chipsets we've encountered - memory performance is subpar compared to the i440BX. The use of Virtual Channel Memory (VCM) is able to narrow the gap, but unfortunately VCM is not widely available at the moment.
Our MX64 sample performed noticably worse across the board compared to our Tyan Trinity 400. In fact we found that they performed similarly if the Tyan's CPU IOQ Depth was set to 1 Level, which introduced a 5-10% performance hit. As such, we surmise that AOpen has chosen the default setting of 1 Level and did not offer an option to change it in the BIOS. We'd really like to see AOpen include this feature in a BIOS update, or at least change the default setting to 4 Level. AOpen also neglected to include an option for Fast Writes in the BIOS and it too appears to be disabled.
While stability in all situations was rock solid, overclocking can be aided greatly by the addition of core voltage manipulation. AOpen's done it before, starting with the AX6BC Pro and followed by the AX63 Pro and AX6BC Pro II, so we know they have the ability. We'd really like to see this become a standard feature from AOpen rather than just a feature reserved for their "Pro" boards. For overclockers working with a Slocket device, this issue can often be resolved through the use of the Slocket's core voltage jumpers.
We'd really like to see AOpen go back to their full manual, rather than the quick install that's included. Unfortunately, this is a trend we see throughout the motherboard market. Fortunately, the quick install does cover pretty much everything you need to get going.
USB Compatibility
-
Number of Front Universal Serial Bus Root Ports: 2
Number of Rear Universal Serial Bus Root Ports: 2
USB IRQ Enable/Disable in BIOS: Yes
USB Keyboard Support in BIOS: Yes
Recommended SDRAM
Recommended SDRAM: 1 x 64MB Mushkin SEC Original PC100 SDRAM; 1 x 64MB Memory-Man SEC Original PC100 SDRAM; 1 x 128MB Mushkin SEC Original PC133 SDRAM
SDRAM Tested: 1 x 128MB Mushkin SEC Original PC133 SDRAM
Manufacturer: The
Memory Man
Purchase Web-Site: http://www.memory-man.com
Manufacturer: Mushkin
Purchase Website: http://www.mushkin.com
The Test
In recent times, choosing a motherboard cannot be completely determined by a Winstone score. Now, many boards come within one Winstone point of each other and therefore the need to benchmark boards against each other falls. Therefore you shouldn't base your decision entirely on the benchmarks you see here, but also on the technical features and advantages of this particular board, seeing as that will probably make the greatest difference in your overall experience.
Click Here to learn about AnandTech's Motherboard Testing Methodology.
Test Configuration |
|
Processor(s): | Intel
Pentium III 550E OEM Intel Pentium III 733EB OEM Provided by Memman |
RAM: | 1
x 128MB Samsung Original PC133 Provided by Mushkin |
Hard Drive(s): | Western Digital Expert 418000 - UltraATA/66 |
Bus Master Drivers: | VIA Bus Master 2.1.44 |
Video Card: | ELSA Erazor X GeForce 32MB AGP |
Video Drivers: | NVIDIA Detonator Reference Drivers 3.65 |
Operation System(s): | Windows 98 SE |
Motherboard Revision: | AOpen MX64 Revision 1.0 |
Windows 98 Performance |
||
Sysmark 2000 | Content
Creation Winstone 2000 |
|
Intel Pentium III 550E (5.5 x 100) | 117 | 23.6 |
Intel Pentium III 733EB (5.5 x 133) | 149 | 28.2 |
The microATX layout is the only thing holding the MX64 back from being our pick for the best VIA Apollo Pro 133A from the first batch to arrive in the AnandTech lab. It follows in the footsteps of other AOpen boards before it with excellent stability and high build quality. Of course, if the MX64 and its microATX layout are sufficient for your expansion needs, there's no reason to pass on it - that microATX may even save you a buck or two.
AnandTech Motherboard Rating |
|
Business | |
Performance | 82% |
Price | 85% |
Ease of Use | 89% |
Overclocked Stability | 92% |
General Stability | 94% |
Quality | 92% |
Documentation | 85% |
Reliability | 90% |
Overall Rating | 89% |
Click Here to learn about AnandTech's Motherboard Testing Methodology.