Socket-A VIA KT133 Motherboard Roundup - November 2000

Microstar K7T Pro

Microstar K7T Pro
Click to Enlarge
CPU Interface	Socket-A
Chipset	VIA KT133
Form Factor	ATX
Bus Speeds	100 / 101 / 102 / 103 / 105 / 107 / 109 / 110 / 111 / 113 / 115 / 117 / 120 / 125 / 130 / 133 / 135 / 137 / 139 / 140 / 143 / 145 / 148 / 150 / 155 / 167
Voltages Supported	Auto Detect / 1.500 - 1.800V (0.025V increment)
Memory Slots	3 168-pin DIMM Slots
Expansion Slots	1 AGP Slot 6 PCI Slots (4 Full Length) 1 CNR Slot (Shared)
On-board Audio	VIA VT1611A AC97 CODEC
BIOS	Award Modular BIOS 6.00PG

The K7T Pro, during our roundup in August, was not rated the best board mainly due to the fact that that it does not have any multiplier ratio settings. However, we did notice its decent performance, and most importantly, its exceptional stability. It turned out the K7T Pro is the most stable KT133 motherboards we have came across. That reason alone is why they appear in four of our nine AnandTech servers.

Judging by today's standard, the board is really nothing special at all. The North Bridge is simply a rotated VIA 8363 chip, and the south bridge is the standard VIA 686A. The presence of 6 PCI expansion slots is one somewhat appealing feature.

The stability of the K7T Pro is one aspect of the board that cannot be neglected. Even though it has been out for more than three months, no other KT133 board, except its successor the K7T Pro2, is as stable as the K7T Pro.

Therefore, for users who don't really want to overclock, and simply want to have a system that is rock solid, the Microstar K7T Pro is definitely the board of choice.