Athlon KX133 Motherboard Roundup - A Nail-Biting Affair

Epox EP-7KXA

The very well readable labels on the connectors are a positive accent. Front Side Bus and memory clock as well as CPU core voltage are set in the BIOS. In addition, DIP switches may be used for adjustments.

The package includes a cable for two additional USB connections, saving the user some costs. The structure of the handbook is rather average, but it contains all important information for the installation and about the connectors on the board. Very commendable are the good and readable labels on all slots and connectors. Quite a few other manufacturers should follow this example. The EP-7KXA does not have a heat sink for the north bridge, and as expected the chip heats up more. The FSB clock may be set with DIP switches or in a BIOS menu. Overclocking friends find clock rates beyond 133 MHz. Boards with revision 0.3 have quite a few problems, which we encountered in a previous test. They are not available anymore. We tested revision 0.4 that is a lot more stable. Nevertheless, the numbering chosen by Epox seems slightly confusing. Many users might think they still obtained a beta board.