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ABIT KV7

ABIT’s VIA KT600 based solution. Read on to find out just how well it stands up to the likes of the competition, including the speed-crowned nForce2 chipset and if it is worthy of your box.

Introduction

ABIT is an industry-leading motherboard manufacturer due to their unyielding commitment to quality and performance. Their motherboards are one of the the first choices of the enthusiast crowd due to the great lengths that ABIT goes to ensure the ability to tweak every last ounce of performance from the system. Lately, there has been a lot of innovation in the Intel camp, with little new or innovative solutions coming from the AMD side. ABIT chose to lead the charge from the AMD camp with their latest motherboard creation.

The KV7 is ABIT’s latest entry into the AMD arena based on the VIA KT600 chipset. The VIA KT600 chipset offers support for all AMD processors including their line of 400 MHz FSB processors. The chipset also offers support for DDR RAM spec’d up to PC3200 but operating in Single Channel mode. The KV7 itself is a feature-complete solution, including the following integrated components: 2 ATA-133 ports; 2 SATA-150 ports; 4 built in USB 2.0 capable ports and 8 total with 2 headers supporting 2 ports each; integrated 10/100 Ethernet; 6 channel audio featuring an S/PDIF output port; and serial, parallel, and PS/2 port support.

Main Specifications Overview:

Detailed Mainboard Specification List:

Board Layout

One thing for sure about this board; it is small, almost mini-ATX sized. ABIT decided on using a smaller length PCB as measured from the front edge of the board to the rear edge of the board, while maintaining the standard width from side to side. Given the self-imposed space constraints, ABIT did a masterful job of component placement on the board, with no crowding in evidence. The two areas of concern with the board layout were the placement of the floppy connector along the outer edge of PCI slot 5 and the placement of the ATX power connector just above the Northbridge HSF. The board tested was a pre-production sample, version 0.2. However, the layout is identical to production boards. Take note that ABIT chose to use capacitors manufactured by the well-known Japanese semiconductor manufacturer Rubycon.

The CPU socket area itself is free and clear of obstructions on all sides for installation of the biggest HSF units available. Also, ABIT chose to include the 4 mounting holes around the socket as an alternative method of HSF or waterblock mounting. The mounting holes themselves appear to be relatively clear of small chips and resistors in the surrounding area. To the left of the CPU socket is the actively cooled Northbridge chipset. The Northbridge HSF unit is held onto the chipset using two spring-loaded pushpins, requiring motherboard removal from the case to remove the unit from the chipset. Just above the Northbridge is the BIOS monitored NBFAN1 header for the Northbridge HSF unit, the BIOS monitored SYSFAN1 fan header, and the ATX power connector. The placement of this connector so close to the socket allows for optimal trace routing of the critical power lines to the CPU at the cost of a cable routing nightmare around the most critical airflow area in the system. Just above the ATX connector are the USBPWR1 and USBPWR2 jumpers, which control system wakeup based on USB device activity for the 4 rear USB 2.0 ports. Above and to the right of the CPU socket are the PS2PWR1 jumper and the ATX12V connector. The ATX12V connector placement is optimal for power routing to the CPU and is placed so that it minimally impacts air flow around the CPU itself. The PS2PWR1 jumper controls system wakeup based on activity from the PS/2 keyboard or mouse ports.

The board’s 3 DIMM slots are between the CPU socket and the edge of the board. Their placement is ideal in that having either an AGP card or the CPU HSF unit does not impede engagement or removal of memory from any slots whatsoever. Just below DIMM slot 3 along the edge of the board is the CROM1 jumper. This jumper controls the method of determining what controls the timings of the CPU bus – the CPU itself or the motherboard’s internal boot ROM. To the right of the DIMM slots is the BIOS monitored CPUFAN1 header. This header is a bit close to the DIMM slot retention mechanisms, making it a bit tough to interact with the DIMM slots with a fan plugged in to this header.

The Southbridge chipset is located just below PCI slots 2 and 3, with its associated SATA and IDE ports just below it. Notice that the IDE connectors are rotated 90 degrees so that the IDE cables are parallel to the plane of the board when connected, making cable routing a bit easier. The board’s USB 2.0 headers are located just below PCI slots 3 and 4, with the CMOS battery and CMOS reset jumper just below and to the left. The front panel headers and the unmonitored AUXFAN1 and AUXFAN2 headers are located along the lower left edge of the board.

The KV7 has a total of 5 PCI slots and 1 AGP slot. Between PCI slot 5 and the left edge of the board sits the floppy drive connector. The positioning of this connector can make it a bit tricky to connect your floppy drive up in a mid-sized or full sized case, especially when using smaller floppy cables. Just above PCI slot 2 are the CD-IN and AUX-IN connectors as well as the front audio panel header. Note that the rear panel audio ports will not function unless pins 5/6 and 9/10 on the front panel audio header are jumpered.

The rear panel of the KV7 contains your standard complement of ports including PS/2 keyboard and mouse ports, a parallel port, a serial port, 5 audio ports, an S/PDIF optical output port, 4 USB 2.0 capable ports, and a 10/100 Ethernet port.