Benchmarks IV
X² is another close-run thing. The Intel-based boards show remarkable similarity, and the VIA K8T800 always does unexpectedly well here. Far better than the otherwise comparable nForce3 150.
A custom bot match from the retail game, run at 800x600, puts a severe load on the subsystem. That explains why the AI7 is that little bit slower than the comparison Canterwood and far slower than the A64-driven KV8-MAX3.
The AI7 manages to keep it touch with a class-leading Canterwood. That's all it can do. It has no control over how a rival platform will benchmark. The newer A14 BIOS allows for PAT-like memory optimisations, something that our original test with the A12 BIOS did not. One can't discern the performance difference between the two ABIT Intel-based motherboards from a purely visual perspective. The AI7 is cheaper and almost as fast as the IC7. It, again, makes one wonder why the i875P is favoured. Let's pull it to a close now.
