AOpen AX63 Pro Apollo Pro 133 Slot-1 ATX

AOpen is not one to skimp on overclocking options and has continued to use the popular jumperless CPU configuration allowing BIOS switching of clock/FSB frequency, CPU multiplier and voltage. AOpen also included two 6-pin jumper blocks that are adjacent to the last DIMM slot, which must be changed in certain overclocking situations; for example, when overclocking a 66MHz FSB clock CPU to 100MHz or higher. There are three ranges other than the auto jumper settings: 66-83MHz, 90-124MHz, and 124-155MHz. If you are trying to overclock a Pentium II 400 to higher than 124MHz, you would need to change the jumpers to the highest category. So, in order to get all FSB speeds, it is necessary to switch these jumpers. When you unpack the board, the FSB selection, by default, is set to auto. The rest of the jumpers are the same as on the AOpen AX63 on the board -- the standard CMOS reset and another jumper for disabling keyboard power on.

There are multiple FSBs to be chosen; a total of 32 reported by AOpen. Here are the FSBs which we found in the bios: 66 / 66.8 / 68 / 75 / 78 / 81 / 83 / 83.3 / 90 / 95 / 100 / 105 / 110 / 112 / 113.5 / 115 / 118.5 / 120 / 122 / 124 / 126 / 133.3 / 135 / 137 / 138.5 / 140 / 142 / 144 / 150 / 155. In order to get see all available FSB speeds, it is necessary to switch the option in the BIOS for spread spectrum (under the Chipset menu and below voltage settings). The most advantageous reason for the 32 different speeds is that they allow fine tweaking for overclocking fans. If your CPU won't quite boot at 120 MHz, it still might at 118.5 MHz. Since the Apollo Pro 133 offers a 1/2 AGP multiplier, bus speeds in the 133 MHz range are safe, unlike a BX board.

Fortunately AOpen has created another workhorse. In comparison to the AX63, the Pro 133 is a much more stable board - more along the lines of AOpen's BX boards. When overclocked, the motherboard remained very stable, as a good AOpen should.

The BIOS is Award 4.60 PGMA based and is full of overclocking options. Thanks to the Apollo Pro 133 chipset, the AOpen AX63 Pro BIOS can set the memory speed at either the FSB speed, FSB +33 MHz or FSB -33MHz. When running the chip at 66 MHz, the -33 MHz setting cannot be used. Similarly, when running the FSB at 133 MHz, running the memory at 166 MHz is not feasible. The only other change from the standard Award fare is that AOpen has also included a "Turbo Default" setting, which is a quick way to optimize the BIOS.

AOpen has also stayed on top of the new features of power management. Both wake on LAN and wake on modem ring headers are options available in the BIOS to allow the system to be powered on remotely by the presence of network activity or by an incoming call. Also, the computer can be ready before you even get into work since the BIOS can be set to turn on the system at a specific time. When the system suspends, the BIOS allows the option of suspending the CPU fan to quiet things down a bit when the system enters suspend mode. Added power management is available via ACPI support built into the BIOS, as long as the OS is ACPI compliant like Windows 98 or Windows 2000. If you are not fond of your case's power button, the system can be configured to power on via hot key or mouse click.

Finally, the AOpen AX63 Pro supports the ability to configure how the system will respond after a power outage when AC power is restored. After power returns, the system can either remain off (default), turn on, or resume the last power state that the computer was in before the outage. This feature is often overlooked after the market included ATX and soft power, but is critical for any users where their system must be on as close to 24/7 as possible. This feature also has a more practical use for the everyday consumer because it allows for users to shut the system on and off from a surge protector.