Focus On Memory Flexibility: Athlon64 Boards

We had just completed our first comparative test of Athlon64 motherboards when two latecomers arrived. This event coincided with our discovering that the tested boards had problems operating two DIMMs - reason enough to subject all the candidates to another test, this time with the focus on memory compatibility. Our suspicions that this project would rear less-than-stellar results were subsequently confirmed.

The latecomers were the Abit KV8-MAX3 and the Soyos CK8 Dragon Plus. They fit well into the test field in terms of performance, but could not be more different. Abit is aimed at demanding users and enthusiasts, whereas Soyo has opted for a simple motherboard with up-to-date components.

In addition to presenting these two boards, we wanted to examine the memory compatibility and flexibility of the available Athlon64 boards. To do this, we used a pair of DIMMs from Corsair, Infineon and TakeMS respectively. As per the manufacturer's instructions, these are designed for operation at their minimal timings.