ABIT IT7-MAX2 v2.0 i845PE

Conclusion

The IT7-MAX2 v2.0 performs just as one would expect it to do so. Given that it officially supports PC2700 memory, performance is on par with the SiS648 chipset once RAM is run at the same timings. The test motherboard and a previously tested SiS648-bsaed motherboard exhibited disarmingly similar performances throughout our benchmarks.

From a features point of view, ABIT do not disappoint. Taking the original IT7-MAX as a template, the MAX2 v2 offers everything it did (10 USB2.0 ports, 3 Firewire ports, decent on-board sound, decent LAN, 4-channel RAID, and a robust BIOS), and adds support for S-ATA drives via 2 on-board ports. Thankfully, to maximise the potential of the S-ATA ports, ABIT have bundled their in-house adapter that allows standard IDE drives to be connected to Serial ATA ports. It's dubbed Serillel, an amalgamation of both formats. I'd have liked it if ABIT had bundled another adapter so you could use both S-ATA ports.

The BIOS, whilst eminently tweakable, now leaves a little to be desired. I really can't see why ABIT have limited the available Vcore to 0.2v above default voltages. With previously conservative manufacturers now specifying 1.8v+ Vcore, the 1.7v on offer from ABIT is something of a disappointment, especially as Vcore tends to undervolt to around 1.63v under Windows' load. I'd also have liked a little more memory voltage for ad-hoc benchmarking.

The other notable feature of this chipset is its support for the upcoming HyperThreading-enabled P4s. The MAX2 v2 has that area covered. It's an extremely stable motherboard much in the mould of recent ABIT motherboards. Adding extra RAM modules and filling 3 of the PCI slots didn't phase it at all. Overclocking, too, was a success with the locked AGP/PCI busses option proving invaluable. I was able to run at 175FSB with the CPU and not the chipset being the limited factor.

All these features and attributes come at a price. Expect to see it at all good vendors for around the £140 mark. Can this motherboard be recommended without reservation ?. The answer is no. The initial IT7-MAX, released in May, offers many of the features that this motherboard does. The recently-released IT7-MAX2 is also very, very similar, differing by the lack of PC2700 and HT support. However, both the MAX and MAX2 can be run in DDR356 mode with a BIOS trick.

Another very impressive motherboard from the ABIT stable that should be on your prospective shopping list if you're looking for a cutting-edge P4 board. If you own a decent i845E / SiS648 motherboard, though, I cannot really see the benefits of changing over unless HyperThreading truly excels. With dual-DDR looming in the distance, the i845PE appears to be something of a stopgap for now.

Pros