Under Pressure: VIA KT400 For AMD Athlon

The thing about life cycles is that they keep getting shorter. While the world's population ages, the mobo population comes and goes in ever diminishing circles. Blame it on the chipsets. So, here we are again. DDR400, which was hardly presentable a few weeks ago, is becoming a reality. Fast memory modules are no longer the privilege of a few select companies. For the reticent observer, developments such as the following could even seem scary: after KT133 came KT133A; KT266 ensued and was followed by KT266A. It was only recently that KT333 was introduced - and according to the rumors, there should be KT333A, as well. And so fashion, once again well in control, unveils KT400 for this Fall's line-up on the runway. Above all, this season's KT400 newcomer is supposed to be able to do everything better, and thereby convince the majority of the Socket A supporters. So let's raise the curtains on "DDR400 for AMD" with our first look.

VIA KT400 in action: the start screen of the QDI Kudoz 7X with DDR400 memory and AMD Athlon XP 2000+. It's still fresh from the oven: the latest BIOS version is from August 6, 2002.

The deed has been done: the QDI Kudoz 7x gives us a taste of what VIA expects from its KT400. In the meantime, VIA has even held back its own reference board, working hard to give it that final polish. QDI has been lucky - the first sample board with the VIA KT400 already shows good test results. What's most interesting for the end user, though, are the new features, as well as the performance when compared to the latest KT333 chipset. Here, we'll give you an overview and show you the first photos of the VIA KT400. However, the official launch date of the chipset has not yet been determined. How much more exclusive a first look can you get: Review a product that isn't officially launched.

Three generations introduced within a short period of time: the VIA KT400 with its Southbridge (left), the latest KT333 (center), and the older KT266A.