ABIT KR7A-RAID Review

[NFS4]

http://www.icrontic.com/index.php?page=public/hardware&hardwareId=160

I still think it costs too much $$$ compared to other KT266A boards out there

 

[John]

Since when is cost an issue?

 

[j@cko]

<< High quality thermal paste on the Northbridge - just Abit's style >>



LOL.. this reviewer doesn't know what he's talking about..... (okay, I was too stupid to comprehend that it was a sarcasim)

 

[NFS4]

<< Since when is cost an issue? >>


You should know that I am a cheap bastard...always have been, always will be.

1) I get my clothes from American Eagle or Old Navy...but only from the clearance rack. I'll be damned if I pay $50 for a shirt or pair of pants.
2) I always get the cheapest gas around. Screw brand names! If BP is $1.12, and Amoco is $.99, I wouldn't care if my dad worked at BP, I'm getting Amoco.
3) When I go to the grocery store, out come the coupons and MVP cards
4) When I buy computer parts online, NewEgg is normally my place of choice due to their low prices.

And when it comes down the to the KR7A-RAID, their are other KT266A boards that are $30 - $40 cheaper while offering USB 2.0 support (MSI K7T266 PRO2-RU @ $129). The SOYO K7V DRAGON+ Plus is $25 cheaper while offerring the same features + hardware sound. Not to mention the EPOX EP-8KHA+ and MSI K7T266 PRO2 for $105, the Gigabyte GA-7VTXE for $99, and the SHUTTLE AK31A for $80.

Not to mention that the Shuttle AK35GTR which has the exact same hardware features of the KR7A-RAID + onboard sound is going to list for under $100.

It's really hard to make a case for the ABIT board this late in the game.

 

[jimmygates]

J@cko, you didn't sense the sarcasm in the reviewer's tone?



I have this board. Yes the board was pricey but I still love it. There is alot of extra support for the board like Paul Howland's FAQ, Icrontic forums, AMDMB.com forums, FAE Online, etc etc. That was the main reason I got the board.



-Jimbo

 

[NFS4]

<< There is alot of extra support for the board like Paul Howland's FAQ, Icrontic forums, AMDMB.com forums, FAE Online, etc etc. That was the main reason I got the board. >>


LOL, you're going to need it ABIT board have been notoriously fussy in recent times (KG7/KG7-RAID comes to mine). I've already seen "no post" issues pop up here on this forum for the KR7A-RAID motherboard. This late in the game with a KT266A board, you'd think that ABIT would have most of the kinks worked out.

As for support, I have never had to go outside of Anandtech for help with motherboards. The people here are knowledgeable enough that I don't need help from outside sources. If the people here can't help you, then I don't know who can. But, to each his own

 

[John]

<< As for support, I have never had to go outside of Anandtech for help with motherboard. The people here are knowledgeable enough that I don't need help from outside sources. If the people here can't help you, then I don't know who can. But, to each his own >>



Ain't that the darn truth!

 

[Demonicon]

I love the fact that at AnandTech you can mostly stay away from "l337 sp33k" which is a huge plus in my book.

Also, there are alot of knowledgeable people on this forum.

 

[Pabster]

NFS4 wrote:

"This late in the game with a KT266A board, you'd think that ABIT would have most of the kinks worked out."

The "NO POST" issues certainly aren't confined to KR7A boards. Each and every KT266A board seems to be plagued with similiar issues. Perhaps it is a quality control thing ... after all, the economy is in the sh!tter ... That said, KG7 was a nightmare. I had a friend lose his shiny new GF3 Ti500 to a faulty AGP slot. He's determined to never purchase another ABIT mainboard.

I'm a bit surprised they'd even bother releasing a KT266A board, this "late" in the game. They'd have been better off releasing a SiS 745 solution (and rumor has it they will). A KT266A board selling at the $180 range just doesn't cut it. ATA/133 means diddly. The on-board RAID sucks arse -- like the others -- it's IDE and software controlled. I wish manufacturers' would quit trying to cram everything on to their mainboards and just stick to the basics. But that's just IMHO, of course

I could also go on about ABIT's infamously high RMA rate, but I'll leave it at that.

 

[NFS4]

<< NFS4 wrote:

"This late in the game with a KT266A board, you'd think that ABIT would have most of the kinks worked out."

The "NO POST" issues certainly aren't confined to KR7A boards. Each and every KT266A board seems to be plagued with similiar issues. Perhaps it is a quality control thing ... after all, the economy is in the sh!tter ... That said, KG7 was a nightmare. I had a friend lose his shiny new GF3 Ti500 to a faulty AGP slot. He's determined to never purchase another ABIT mainboard.

I'm a bit surprised they'd even bother releasing a KT266A board, this "late" in the game. They'd have been better off releasing a SiS 745 solution (and rumor has it they will). A KT266A board selling at the $180 range just doesn't cut it. ATA/133 means diddly. The on-board RAID sucks arse -- like the others -- it's IDE and software controlled. I wish manufacturers' would quit trying to cram everything on to their mainboards and just stick to the basics. But that's just IMHO, of course

I could also go on about ABIT's infamously high RMA rate, but I'll leave it at that. >>


For once, I actually AGREE with Pabster (except that I never had any "No Post" issues with my AK31 Rev 3.1). What has this world come to???