Chaintech CT-7AIV2 Socket-A KT133 microATX

AnandTech Motherboard Rating

Performance

The Chaintech CT-7AIV2 performance is slightly above average.  In 3D situations performance drops mainly because of the on-board video.  But beside that, the board performs well.

Price

Being a micro-ATX board, the MSRP of CT-7AIV2 is around US$110, which is a very good price for a KT133 motherboard with this kind of stability and performance.

Stability

CT-7AIV2 is a rock solid board.  It turned out to be one of the most stable KT133 motherboards we have reviewed.  Even under slightly overclocked situations, the board is very stable.  Keep in mind that the CPU, the VIA 8363 North Bridge, and the NVidia TNT2 M64 chips are closely packed together, producing extreme heat.  Thanks to the twelve high quality capacitors to provide solid performance under the tremendous amount of heat.

Quality

Chaintech motherboards always use high quality components and CT-7AIV2 is no exception.  We can see that from the choice of capacitors, on-board sound and video.

Features

From a micro-ATX point of view, the CT-7AIV2 provides a fair number of features for users.  Flexibility can be a problem, such as the fact that users can only use the on-board video, and there can only be 1GB of RAM.

Layout

The layout is fine in general.  However, the CPU socket is too close to the edge, and the power supply connector might potentially cause the power cables to block airflow.  Also, the extra 2 USB connectors are placed too far from the front panel.

Availability

When come to availability, Chaintech really loses some points.  They are only available on a handful of online stores.  They are used in some OEM systems, but definitely not easy for users to find Chaintech motherboards easily.

Documentation & Software Bundle

There is no manual included.  It is available on the CD, but it does not contain much information on how to install the board, drivers and software.  Drivers and programs are all on the CD, together with the AIRBAG package that contains 4 applications for the user.