Overclocker Cafe - KT400 Mainboard Roundup

VIA KT400 Based Mainboard Roundup

EPoX 8K9A

External access to four USB 2.0 ports is a big plus. I personally, use a number of USB devices and having access without the attaching a USB port bracket is very nice.

BIOS

The Award BIOS is the heart of the EPoX unit. EPoX didn't let much get by them in the way of adjustable features for tweaking your backsides off. CPU multipliers are available from 6 to 15 while FSB speeds range from 100 all the way up to 255MHz. CPU voltage adjustments range from 1.4v to 1.85 volts in 0.025 increments and 1.85v to 2.0 volts in 0.05 increments.

Pretty much all aspects of your memory are accessible for tweaking. DIMM voltage adjustments are allowed by adding +0.0v up to +0.70 volts in 0.10v increments. The lower right pic is a snap shot of the PC health status screen.

Overview

The EPoX 8K9A offers the same options as the rest of the players here today. So if you want Serial ATA 150 or RAID you can get it. Unfortunately, on board LAN is not an option you can get with the 8K9A. The flip side of the 8K9A we have, is that the other boards in the roundup can't be purchased in a stripped down form. It is no mere coincidence that the 8K9A has a street price of $80 which is 25% cheaper than the next most inexpensive player here. Something to think about.