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ABIT IC7-MAX3

The IC7-MAX3 is ABIT’s attempt to perfect an already superior board, the IC7-G, through the optimizations and the addition of its much touted OTES technology.

Introduction

ABIT is the de facto standard among the enthusiast crowd. ABIT strives to meld the latest technology into their boards through both their innovative BIOS implementations and their motherboard design. This has become true especially of late, with ABIT’s introduction of its OTES-based cooling solution and their dominance in the Intel-based motherboard arena. ABIT’s latest masterpiece is sure not to disappoint, unless you cannot get one that is.

The IC7-MAX3 is ABIT’s flagship motherboard, based around the i875P chipset and coupled with the ICH5R Southbridge chipset. The Intel i875P chipset offers support for Intel’s performance line of 800 MHz FSB processors with Hyper-Threading technology. The chipset also supports DDR RAM up to and including the PC3200 specification, with the option of operating in Dual Channel mode. As a member of the MAX line of motherboards, the IC7-MAX3 is a feature complete, somewhat legacy free solution with its lack of serial or parallel ports on board. The board offers the following integrated features: 2 ATA-100 IDE ports; 2 SATA-150 ports with built-in RAID0 and RAID1 support through the ICH5R chipset; 4 SATA-150 ports with built-in RAID0, RAID1, and RAID0+1 support through the Silicon Image RAID controller; ICH5R based Intel CSA Gigabit Ethernet; 8 total USB 2.0 capable ports; 6 channel audio with support for S/PDIF digital input/output; and PS/2 port support.

Main Specifications Overview:

Detailed Mainboard Specification List:

Board Layout

ABIT again delivers a clean package with a packaging system inside like their last IC board to keep everything included orgainized. The add-ons ABIT chose to include with this gem of a motherboard definitely do not disappoint. In the box, you have your standard complement of manuals and installation CDs/disks, as well as a rounded ATA 133 IDE cable, a rounded floppy cable, 4 SATA cables, 2 SATA Y power cables (2 SATA drives can be powered from a single Molex plug), a bracket containing 2 USB 2.0 ports and 2 IEEE 1394 ports, and the rear panel shield. In addition, ABIT includes a "Secure IDE" device, which enables you to lock down a selected IDE device with a physical key mechanism. The Secure IDE device itself supports 40 bit DES style hardware encryption.

One thing is certain with this board, ABIT put their best motherboard designers on this one. The motherboard layout is perfect, especially with the cool looking OTES cooling system encasing the board’s power circuitry. According to the label, the motherboard in question is a revision 1 board. Take notice that all the capacitors used on the IC7-MAX3 are manufactured by the noted Japanese semiconductor manufacturer Rubycon.

The CPU socket area is clear on all sides from obstacles that would inhibit CPU HSF installation or removal. The OTES mechanism to the right of the socket appears to be close enough to inhibit the socket mechanism, but that is merely an optical illusion. In reality, it poses no hindrance to the CPU HSF cage mechanism whatsoever. The OTES cooling solution spans a good part of the right side of the motherboard and wraps around the CPU socket area between the CPU socket and the upper DIMM slots. The air intake for OTES is along the right side of the CPU HSF cage, making it a very nice secondary pathway for CPU heat exhaustion directly to the outside of the case. To the left of the CPU socket is the Northbridge HSF unit. This unit is an actively cooled, massive piece of aluminum that’s guaranteed to keep your chipset cool under most conditions. The HSF unit itself is held on by two crossing wire mechanisms that hook to loops on top of the motherboard. This design allows for removal of the unit without requiring motherboard removal from the case. Above the Northbridge is the monitored NBFAN1 header for the Northbridge fan connection. Between the CPU socket and the rear panel block are the USB-PWR1, USB-PWR2, and PS2-PWR1 jumpers which enable system wakeup based on activity on the rear panel USB port or the PS/2 connections. The monitored SYSFAN1 header is located between the OTES output fan and the PS2-PWR1 jumper. This fan header is used to power and monitor the status of the OTES cooling system.

The IC7-MAX’s 4 DIMM slots are located beneath the Northbridge chipset and the CPU socket, laid out in a 2 sets of 2 slot type configuration. Each slot within a set is color-coded with its sibling in the other set, making it very easy to install for Dual Channel memory mode. To the right of the upper set of DIMM slots are the ATX12V and CPUFAN1 headers. The ATX12V connector is well-placed in this location, in that it does not interfere with DIMM insertion or removal, and it is out of the way of the CPU. Beneath the lower set of DIMM slots are the ATX connector, the floppy port, the CMOS battery, and the unmonitored AUXFAN1 header. The ATX connector and floppy ports are perfectly placed for optimal cable routing and air flow purposes.

Between PCI slots 1 and 2 and the lower edge of the board is the ICH5R Southbridge chipset. Its associated SATA-150 ports are located below and to its left, while its IDE ports are located along the bottom edge of the board. Notice that ABIT chose to rotate the IDE connectors 90 degrees so that the cable, when engaged, is parallel to the plane of the board. This makes for easier and nicer looking cable routing when using those two ports. To the right of the ICH5R based SATA-150 ports is the CMOS reset jumper. The jumper is very easily accessed even with cables mounted to both SATA-150 and IDE ports. Between the ICH5R chipset and PCI slots 2 and 3 are the board's two USB 2.0 capable headers, with the two IEEE 1394 headers to their left. The Silicon Image RAID controller is located to the left of the ICH5R chipset, with its four associated SATA ports arrayed along the lower left edge of the board. Between the Silicon Image controller and the ICH5R chipset is the board’s SMB1 header. Just above the leftmost IDE port are the board's two status LEDs: VCC and 5VSB. The green 5VSB LED illuminates when an active power source is connected to the board, while the red VCC LED illuminates when the board is powered on. The front panel header and the unmonitored AUXFAN2 header are located just above the SATA3 port along the edge of the board.

The IC7-MAX3 has a total of 5 PCI slots and a single AGP slot. The CD-IN header is located between and above PCI slots 1 and 2, with the front panel audio header and the AUX-IN port to its left (above and between PCI slots 2 and 3). 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 on this board is unique, due to the location of the OTES exhaust fan on the left side of the panel. Believe you me, this fan moves some serious air, and better yet, it's whisper quiet. In addition to the OTES fan, the rear panel contains the following ports: a PS/2 keyboard and mouse port, S/PDIF optical input and output ports, 5 audio ports, 4 USB 2.0 capable ports, 1 IEEE 1394 capable port, and an Intel CSA Gigabit Ethernet LAN port.