Digital-Daily : Motherboard Reviews : abit_foxconn_770

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Foxconn A78AX-S and abit AX78 - value motherboards on the AMD 770 chipset

Author: Aleksandr Mitrofanov Date: 30.06.2008

- Contents -Page 1 - Specifications, package bundlePage 2 - Layout and Features; Expansion optionsPage 3 - BIOS, monitoring, overclocking toolsСтр.2 - Page 4 - Performance and conclusions

	abit AX78	Foxconn A78AX-S
Chipset	AMD 770	AMD 770
CPU	Socket AM2+ HTT 200 MHz	Socket AM2+ HTT 200 MHz
Memory	DDR2 400/533/667/800/1066	DDR2 400/533/667/800/1066
HDD	1x UltraDMA/133 4x SerialATA(RAID)	1x UltraDMA/133 6x SerialATA(RAID)
Extras	Audio HDA 10 USB 2.0 Gigabit Ethernet	Audio HDA 10 USB 2.0 Gigabit Ethernet
Price:	~75$ (Price.ru)	n/a

Together with the top-end 790FX chipset, AMD has released two more versions, somehow cut-down: 790X and 770. Since they are built on the same architecture, it makes sense recalling the major traits of this series. Above all, the chipsets offer support for the HyperTransport v3.0 bus with the frequency 2600 MHz (the maximum bandwidth equals 20.8 GB/s). Today's Phenom processors use the HT frequency with the bus bandwidth being 16 GB/s, so the chipsets still have some "margin". In other words, motherboards based on the 7th series of AMD chipsets are compatible with future AMD Socket AM2+ processors, and their life span is long enough.

Secondly, the listed chipsets offer support for the PCI Express v2.0 bus whose bandwidth is two times as much than that of PCI-E v1.0. That means the performance of two video cards in the Crossfire in the 8+8 configuration is on par with the 16+16 configuration on the previous generation of AMD chipsets. Therefore, unless a joint operation of three or four video cards is planned, the 790X chipset is a perfect match for the Crossfire mode.

We now move on to the AMD 770 chipset. Basically, its architecture meets the top-end chipsets 790FX and 790X, except one point - one PCI Express bus controller is disabled (quite possibly, on the software level). So this chipset supports only one graphic port of PCI Express v2.0 to which 16 bus lanes are allocated. This product is aimed at value discrete systems (i.e., cheap computers without integrated graphics).

We have got two motherboards built on this chipset: Foxconn A78AX-S, and abit AX78 which make quite a big difference from one another. Even the south bridge is different in these motherboards!

By the way, originally chipsets of the 7th series were equipped with the south bridge SB600 which turned outdated still a year ago. Therefore, with the advent of modern SB700, all the manufacturers de-factor switched to using it. It is even used in value motherboards based on AMD 780G which offer a really wide functionality and high performance in 3D applications.

Specifications

Retail boxes

We received the Foxconn board for tests in a ready package and with a full package bundle. As regards the abit product, we received only the motherboard. However, proceeding from our experience, we can infer that the package bundle of the boards will be scarce. However, we should keep it in mind that both the motherboards relate to the value sector, and their package bundle fully meets the retail price.

Package bundle

• motherboard;
• User's Manual in English + brief usage guide;
• Software & drivers CD;
• one ATA-133 cable, one FDD cable;
• 1x SerialATA cable + a power supply adapter (1 connector);
• a cap for the rear panel of the housing.

In practice, it turned out the way we expected: the package bundle of the Foxconn board contains only the most required items. These are the user's manual (+ a brief guide on system assembly), a CD with drivers and software,

ParallelATA and FDD cables, one SerialATA cable with a matching power supply adapter, as well as a cap to the rear panel of the housing.

Next

	Content:
	Page 1 - Specifications, package bundle Page 2 - Layout and Features; Expansion options Page 3 - BIOS, monitoring, overclocking tools Стр.2 - Page 4 - Performance and conclusions

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