Epox 8KTA2 your comments!!!

[Davegod75]

I am about to get one of these boards to replace my asus a7v which was giving me lot of problems. Anybody have one? How do you like it? Where can I find reviews on it?

Thanks

 

[Technonut]

You could check out The AnandTech Review on it. I have not tried one, but I personally do not like the board layout and dipswitches. Otherwise, seems OK. I have been very satisfied with my non-RAID KT7. It has been very stable, and performs well. For customer Socket A systems that I build, I use TYAN Trinity KT's. No multiplier adjustments, but very stable, good board layout, and a 3 year warranty. The other you may want to look into getting would be the MSI K7T Pro2-A.

 

[KBtrade]

I just got my 8KTA2 yesterday, looks like a very nice board ...I will post my results this weekend when I have time to put my system together.

 

[Davegod75]

thanks KB.. BTW I was looking at the MSI board but It won't be out for awhile. I liked the epox because if the VIA 686b southbridge. Not being able to do multiplier from the bios doesn't bother me, i'm always opening my case for some reason.

 

[TimeKeeper]

I have one up and running now w/ T-bird 750@1000@ 1.825V w/ 11/10/2000's NEW BIOS.

I don't expect to run higher, after all, I am in the "club" already.
Everything is very stable and very easy to set up.

I don't think the dip switch is so inconvinence, after all, you know how far your CPU can reach before you close your case anyway.

ATA100, to be honest, has improve slightly only according to Sandra2K.
(my WD300BB from Epox 8KTA+'s 20563 to 8KTA2's 22371) Although I do not know if Via driver has fully utilize the chipset or Sandra is not fully supported.

Memory Benchmark remind unchange at 441/529

One thing "strangly" different is the Voltage usage.
On 8KTA+ when you set it at 1.825V, under hardware monitor, it acutally use only around 1.80.
On 8KTA2 when you set it at 1.825V, under hardware monitor, it use around 1.855v instead.

8KTA2 from Bunta shipped w/ USB3/4 bracket, where 8KTA+ does not.


Stability? Running 3DMark2000 pro demo for 8 hours non-stop w/ out crashed.

If you ask me about performance.... Bring it on, see what you got on other KT133 mobo!!!!!!!

 

[Technonut]

<< If you ask me about performance.... Bring it on, see what you got on other KT133 mobo!!!!!!! >>



If that was directed to me, how do you want to compare performance? My green core 800 T-Bird is at it's limit at 982MHz (core limitation not the KT7's) So you should bench a little higher in Sandra than mine with yours at 1000MHz. My Sandra memory benchmark comes out at 511/612 Sandra My Sandra Drive Benchmark comes in at 16318.

I did not intend to say that one board performed better than the other, just expressed my opinion on the board layout (power supply connector)and the dipswitches. (which are important to me for being able to adjust my multiplier &amp; FSB up and down if I need to for whatever reason without having to open and get into my case, which I do adjust once in awhile)

Let me know what you want to compare, and I will be happy to share my results. You will find that the KT7 does perform well.

 

[TimeKeeper]

Technonut:

Good point! However, you are runnig at 109FSB where I am only at 100mhz. (memory quality also effect the Sandra banch)

Also even w/ 8KTA+ my HD score much higher than your at UDMA 66.

 

[maxSe]

I just got my 8KTA+ today... can't wait to let her rip..

Timekeeper: where did you get the new bios? I only saw the 10/30/2000 one on their website....

Technonut: that KT7 you're running, is that the one you got from me? If so, I'm glad she's serving you well..

I'll try to setup my machine and see what see can do (if my work &amp; my g/f ever lets me have some free time...)

 

[TimeKeeper]

Maxse:

go to www.epox.com at &quot;TAIWAN&quot;. After all, that where most mobo from.

 

[BadBrad]

I have the EP-8KTA+ for three weeks now. Great MoBo for the price. There are probably other better MoBos but for me this has been a very good installation.

600 Duron @ 900Mhz
128MB RAM Crucial PC133 CAS3
Vcore = 1.70vdc
CPU Temp = 37 DegC Max
Mem speed = FSB+33

 

[Davegod75]

Great...I can't wait to get my so I can play!!! I'm gonna go get the bios now!!!!

 

[Davegod75]

ummmm how did you get that bios..the whole site is in taiwanese.????

 

[TimeKeeper]

hahaha....now you know...ooops.
Anyhow, let me help you out.
follow this link....


http://www.epox.com.tw/web2000/techsupport/motherboard/binfile/8kta0b10.bin

 

[Davegod75]

how did you get that...everything page i try to go to in that link give me and unauthorized error...I'm not sure i trust that file.

also what has it fixed since that last version

 

[Davegod75]

nevermind...i just navigated through the site and found. it.

thanks

 

[funks]

I've been running with the 8KTA2 for a while now (got it from mwave about a week ago)..

The board is stable with Win2000..

However, it has the same RAM problems as with other KT133 socket boards I've tested.. (The KT7-RAID)..

Basically, it seems that these boards @ 133 MHZ with multiple dimm slots filled are unstable.

I tried CORSAIR (CAS 3 PC-133 tested with KT7-RAID by Corsair).

2 X 256 @ 133 MHZ, lockup problems, system instability (the chips aren't bad as when you run them by themselves, no lockups, furthermore the slots aren't bad as i've tried the single test on the other dimm slots)

However running them at

2 X 256 @ 100 MHZ, LO CLOCK MEMORY Drive brings stability..

On my 8KTA2 - I bought 2 x 256 CRUCIAL PC133 7E's (Yep, CAS 2 - top of the line CRUCIAL PC133s)

2 X 256 MB @ PC 133 - unstable - win2000 crashes from time to time for no apparent reason..

1 @ 133 MHZ - system is rock stable..

2 @ 100 MHZ - system is also rock stable (isn't there a pattern here?)

I've used the latest bios for both the 8KTA2's (11/10 on the epox) and the UZ103 bios for the KT7-RAID..

None of the older bios's fix it either..

My system.

AOPEN Geforce 2 MX with 32 MB RAM
IBM 75GXP ATA-100 HDD
SPI 300 Watt AMD Approved Power Supply
Athlon 1 GHZ Thunderbird
FOP32-1 hsf with arctic silver
Sb Live

System is not overclocked or anything when I ran these tests..

CRASHES = { blue screens on Win2000 for no apparent reason - keeps changing )

For people with multi-dimm setups + stability problems, try running them at 100 mhz and see your problems disappear (As long as you don't have bad RAM in the first place - you can test that by running them in single mode)..

 

[Davegod75]

so i'd be better off getting one 256 mb stick instead of my 2 128's?????

 

[TimeKeeper]

yes, or 2 of different brand of 128MB.

 

[Penchie]

got my 8kta2 last week.

I also replaced an A7V I was very dissatisfied with (choked on sb lives and scsi cards)

So far, I couldn't be happier. I am running a T-Bird 900 and am not overclocking
as of yet (waiting for the Taisol Forged Sink) before I do any....
but as of right now, I don't feel any need.

All I can say is I've thrown every card I could throw at it and it
hasn't complained at all.

Overall, I think it's a keeper.

I too was going to wait for the MSI pro2a, but I think it's painfully evident
that MSI wants to hold off on releasing their boards until they're obsolete....

Here's a board u can buy right now with onboard ata100 support at a reasonable
price.

Epox EP-8KTA2 Mobo
TBird 900 CPU (stock HSF)
256Meg Samsung PC133 Cas2
Elsa Gladiac GeForce Video
SB Live MP3x
Adaptec 2903
IBM 75GXP ATA100 drive (30 gig)
Teac CDR58S/Kit 8x burner (Scsi)
Teac CD32S Reader (Scsi)
Antec KS282 300Watt PS

 

[TimeKeeper]

Davegod7:

According to EpoX and Viatech, if you are running win98, do NOT install Via's Busmaster driver unless your HD has stability problem.

I have tried the newest 4-in-1 driver and found it has no improvement over MS's driver.

Simply install AGP and IRQ driver as indicated.

 

[Davegod75]

keeping this alive now that everyone is getting a msi board

 

[KBtrade]

Thanks Davegod75 for bumping this thread up. I forget to post my results last week after I got my system together anyway it is rock solid running a Duron 650MHz overclocked at 850MHz with either PC100 or PC133 memory with Windows 2000, not one crash so far I guess it's time to see if I can run it a little faster looks like a keeper, most stable motherboard I have owned so far.