When will the IC7-MAX4 be available?

[Guest]

Archived from groups: alt.comp.periphs.mainboard.abit (More info?)

Before we build a new system, we are currently waiting for ABIT to introduce
a PCI Express motherboard and for ATI to introduce a PCI Express,
multimedia, AiW graphics card. Does anyone know of ABIT's PCI Express
plans? Will ABIT introduce a IC7-Max4 this summer, which has PCI Express?

We also need more information on the differences between ABIT's AI7, VT7,
IC7-Max3. The differences that we seem to see are as follows:

AI7: 2 SATA channels, NB PT880
VT7: 2 SATA channels, NB 865PE, uGuru
IC7-Max3: 6 SATA channels, NB 875P

ABIT's AI7 and VT7 are newer boards, but they have fewer SATA channels than
the IC7-Max3. Why is this? Which board is ABIT's premier Pentium board?
Why offer new motherboards that have fewer SATA channels?

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: alt.comp.periphs.mainboard.abit (More info?)

Why offer new motherboards that have fewer SATA channels?

Different strokes for different folks.

 

[TomG]

Archived from groups: alt.comp.periphs.mainboard.abit (More info?)

"New Question" <nq@nq.com> wrote in message
news:M4Xkc.104574$UC4.5085@bignews2.bellsouth.net...
> Before we build a new system, we are currently waiting for ABIT to
introduce
> a PCI Express motherboard and for ATI to introduce a PCI Express,
> multimedia, AiW graphics card. Does anyone know of ABIT's PCI Express
> plans? Will ABIT introduce a IC7-Max4 this summer, which has PCI Express?
>

no clue as to Abit's plans but if I were them, I would not release a new
version of an existing board with such dramatic changes as the PCI Express
and the different chipset that is bound to be driving it. just personal
opinion...

> We also need more information on the differences between ABIT's AI7, VT7,
> IC7-Max3. The differences that we seem to see are as follows:
>
> AI7: 2 SATA channels, NB PT880
> VT7: 2 SATA channels, NB 865PE, uGuru
> IC7-Max3: 6 SATA channels, NB 875P
>
> ABIT's AI7 and VT7 are newer boards, but they have fewer SATA channels
than
> the IC7-Max3. Why is this? Which board is ABIT's premier Pentium board?
> Why offer new motherboards that have fewer SATA channels?
>

The MAX3 takes full advantage of the SI SATA controller and the 4 SATA
channels it has in this case and adds in the Intel ICH5R controller for 2
SATA channels as well. I would consider the 875 chipset as the stronger of
the two between it and the 865 given that the 875 has PAT (Performance
Acceleration Tech.) built in. can't speak to the PT880...


--

Thomas Geery
Network+ certified

ftp://geerynet.d2g.com
ftp://68.98.180.8 Abit Mirror <----- Cable modem IP
This IP is dynamic so it *could* change!...
over 130,000 FTP users served!
^^^^^^^

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: alt.comp.periphs.mainboard.abit (More info?)

"New Question" <nq@nq.com> wrote in message...
> Does anyone know of ABIT's PCI Express plans?

Largely the same as the other board manufacturers, they're all waiting for
the chipsets to be validated before boards can be brought to market.

> Will ABIT introduce a IC7-Max4 this summer, which has PCI
> Express?

Abit will introduce PCI-E products as soon as commercial realities dictate.
Whether it'll be called an IC7 or something else, is anyone's guess.
Likelihood is that it'll be called something else as it won't be using the
875P chipset.

> We also need more information on the differences between ABIT's
> AI7, VT7, IC7-Max3.

No you don't. Just look at the website, compare the feature set offered by
each board and decide which one best fits your needs.

> The differences that we seem to see are as follows:
>
> AI7: 2 SATA channels, NB PT880
> VT7: 2 SATA channels, NB 865PE, uGuru

You've transposed those two. AI7 has Intel chipset and uGuru, VT7 has PT880.

> ABIT's AI7 and VT7 are newer boards, but they have fewer SATA
> channels than the IC7-Max3. Why is this?

Er, because Abit sells a variety of products to a variety of potential
customers at a variety of pricepoints. It goes without saying that there
will be a considerable variation in feature sets across the range. As to why
the "newer" boards have fewer SATA channels than the IC7-Max3, Abit's design
and marketing departments obviously decided that, in the course of offering
a cheaper board than the IC-7 series, and in the context of current customer
demand, they could afford to omit the additional SATA controllers.

> Which board is ABIT's premier Pentium board?

I doubt Abit thinks in such terms. The IC7-Max3 is currently about the most
expensive desktop P4 board in their pricelist, but does that mean it's the
best selling one? Probably not. The IC7 series are certainly the flagship of
the current P4 line, but the whole point of offering a range of products is
that you can appeal to the widest possible range of customers.

> Why offer new motherboards that have fewer SATA channels?

See above. If you were buying a car you wouldn't expect every new Ford to
cost 90,000 bucks and come with a seven litre engine would you? Exactly the
same principle applies here. It's all very well releasing products aimed at
the prestige end of the market, but you also have to cater for the guy who
only needs (and wants to pay for) a Sport Compact.
--


Richard Hopkins
Cardiff, Wales, United Kingdom
(replace .nospam with .com in reply address)

The UK's leading technology reseller www.dabs.com
Get the most out of your digital photos www.dabsxpose.com

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: alt.comp.periphs.mainboard.abit (More info?)

"Richard Hopkins" <richh@dsl.nospam.co.uk> wrote in message...
>> Will ABIT introduce a IC7-Max4 this summer, which has PCI
>> Express?
>
> Abit will introduce PCI-E products as soon as commercial realities
> dictate. Whether it'll be called an IC7 or something else, is anyone's
> guess. Likelihood is that it'll be called something else as it won't be
> using the 875P chipset.

Abit's new PCI Express, Intel platform products definitely won't follow the
"IC7" nomenclature. The 925X "Alderwood" chipset hi spec DDR2/PCI-E board is
called the AA7G-Max. So now you know.
--


Richard Hopkins
Cardiff, Wales, United Kingdom
(replace .nospam with .com in reply address)

The UK's leading technology reseller www.dabs.com
Get the most out of your digital photos www.dabsxpose.com