FIC AZ11E Socket-A KT133 (686B) ATX

AnandTech Motherboard Rating

Performance

The second wave of KT133 motherboards is here and performance is rising. The AZ-11E is right in line with other second generation boards, which are all a step ahead of the first generation products.

Price

Estimated to be priced around $120 to $125 US, the AZ11E is priced about the same as competing solutions.

Stability

The AZ11E was very stable - during our 24-hour stability tests, it crashed just 3 times, whereas an average board will crash about 6 to 7 times.

Quality

FIC has never been known for producing the highest quality products. Fortunately, the AZ11 seemed to be turning that trend around, and the AZ11E continues along the same lines. The AZ11E is a high quality board, from the careful layout to the high quality capacitors it's all there.

Features

We'll probably see it with just about all second generation KT133 boards, but multiplier ratio adjustment is the main feature of the board. The use of the VIA 686B South Bridge, as well as all the hardware and software utilities, also helps the board to stand out a bit.

Layout

The layout of the AZ11E isn't the greatest, but it is much better than the old AZ11. We'd prefer that the board be a little smaller, which would reduce the cost and allow it to fit into smaller cases more easily. Also, the placement of the power supply connector may block the airflow

Availability

You should have no problem finding FIC products in most online stores. Even in some local computer stores they are very popular. Further, they can be found in some OEM systems as well.

Documentation & Software Bundle

The manual for AZ11E is slightly above average, though it lacks the details on how to install the board. The software bundle, on the other hand, may come in handy and is better than most software bundles found in other motherboards.