SATA on Micro ATX??

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Neos

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Jul 19, 2000
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I found a Gigabyte K8VT800M MATX that has SATA ( and also no video onboard - YEA) ...but that is a Socket 754 ...more money than initially planned.

Just wondering if there was a Socket A with SATA?? Anyone seen one?
 
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Peter

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Oct 15, 1999
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Yes. Elitegroup KM400A-M2 has the VIA 8237 south bridge, with two SATA ports.
 
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Neos

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This board has not showed up yet in my search. Do you (or anyone) have an idea where to buy?

I found the KM400A-M2 - but all the retailers so far do not list SATA in the specs. I am thinking that the 'KM400A-M2 Deluxe' (at the ECS website) must be an upgrade to the KM400A-M2.

Also do you know if ECS is a pretty good board? The info on thier site looks impressive - but whos' dosen't.

Thanks for the reply.
 
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Peter

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I've been using its predecessor board, KM400-M2, and produced happy users from so doing. This is the same board layout, the traces and (unpopulated) SATA connectors were already there. The VIA 8235CE and 8237 are pin compatible - so you might very well be right in that only the Deluxe version has SATA.
 
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Neos

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Jul 19, 2000
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Thanks again.
Hmmm. I wonder why the web sites that I found that sell this board do not mention the SATA?? Oh, well - I will go with the mfg.

I really appreciate this. Looks that I have found the board I need for my new SFF. Athenatech case on the way ...YEA!

:D

Later
 
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Neos

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Jul 19, 2000
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Just a sec, Peter.

Did you say that your board was the same model - with the traces for SATA - but not there? How long have you had yours?

Maybe they have made a change ??
 
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Neos

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OK, I went to Newegg. They give some really good blow up shots of the board. It looks as if the mfg. changed the features from what is on thier web site - no SATA - just the traces.

I run into this one other time years back - buying an MSI board. MSI made a revision right after they brought out a new baord. The numbers were the same - but the supplier had the older version - which I got.

Looks like I may be going to socket 754 to get my SATA.

Thanks for the responses and time.
 
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Peter

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Oct 15, 1999
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The Albatron board is different. Much bigger to begin with.

Newegg has the KM400-M2 (non-A), this is what I've used. In image #2, you see the VIA (8235CE) south bridge below the PCI slots, and going further down to the lower board edge you see the blank footprints for two SATA connectors. (If you have it in hand, it even says "SATA1" and "SATA2" next to them.)

The KM400A-M2 uses the exact same board, but has the 8237 south bridge and SATA connectors right there.
 
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Peter

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Oct 15, 1999
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btw, newegg's mainboard search engine spits out 3 results for socket-A, mATX, SATA. DFI and MSI have VIA KM400 solutions, MSI has an NVidia based one too.
 
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Neos

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Jul 19, 2000
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Actually, if one does a search on Newegg for AMD motherboards that are MicroATX - quite a few come up that have SATA.

 
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Peter

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Oct 15, 1999
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... but many of them are socket-754 for AMD64.

One more for socket-A: Biostar M7VIZ (also under Amptron brand in the US). Specs say "SATA optional" though, so watch what you get.
 
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Neos

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Jul 19, 2000
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Looks as if you and me are the only two that have an interest in this - Peter.

Anyway - at Newegg I found an MSI with the Via KM400 that is 49.00 + 5.00 shipping. Looks to be a winner for what I need - and I like MSI.

There is also an MSI there with the NVidia chipset for 71.00 + 5.00 - but my plan is to use SATA - and I am thinking that the speed of the SATA HD will more than make up for for the little bit that NVidia might have over Via in speed.

One thing I have noted, and had seen in a review of another board. Boards that have the video built in - even though they have a FSB of 400 - the RAM will only go to 333. I have tried to find this same type board without the video - to NO avail.

Thanks for all the input.
 
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Peter

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Oct 15, 1999
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There is no speed gain in SATA. Nada. Niente. Zilch. Rien. Semmi. Nix. The drives are the same, only the interface chip differs. Sometimes not even that, many SATA drives are PATA with a converter chip in front of it. Actual media throughput is exactly the same, if not slightly slower thanks to the converter chip.

KM400 chipset DOES run the RAM at 200 MHz, the CPU bus is limited to 166. This is beneficial exactly for when you're using the integrated graphics. KM400A can also run the CPU bus at 200. (Quit using the marketing-doubled numbers please. Thanks ;) )

There are few mATX boards w/o integrated graphics, simply because mATX is about compact, cheap machines for the low end. Besides, with VIA's internally very modular chipsets, KM400(A) with the graphics disabled and an AGP card plugged performs exactly the same as the graphics-less KT400(A) would.
 
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Neos

Senior member
Jul 19, 2000
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Originally posted by: Peter
There is no speed gain in SATA. Nada. Niente. Zilch. Rien. Semmi. Nix. The drives are the same, only the interface chip differs. Sometimes not even that, many SATA drives are PATA with a converter chip in front of it. Actual media throughput is exactly the same, if not slightly slower thanks to the converter chip.

KM400 chipset DOES run the RAM at 200 MHz, the CPU bus is limited to 166. This is beneficial exactly for when you're using the integrated graphics. KM400A can also run the CPU bus at 200. (Quit using the marketing-doubled numbers please. Thanks ;) )

There are few mATX boards w/o integrated graphics, simply because mATX is about compact, cheap machines for the low end. Besides, with VIA's internally very modular chipsets, KM400(A) with the graphics disabled and an AGP card plugged performs exactly the same as the graphics-less KT400(A) would.
Click to expand...

As for the speed gain with SATA - it may be true in some instances that there is no gain - but it must not be all. My son just build a system for his in-laws - and the comment he came back with was that it was MUCH faster. He said it took about half the time to load XP Pro. His observation, anyway.

What do you mean? (Quit using the marketing-doubled numbers please. Thanks ;) )

Take care
 
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Peter

Elite Member
Oct 15, 1999
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I mean, don't say "400 MHz" if you mean 200 MHz DDR. MHz are MHz.

With SATA drives being mechanically identical to their PATA counterparts, there cannot possibly be any speed gain - the command set and controller logic is also identical. Perception is an unreliable friend ;)
 
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Neos

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Jul 19, 2000
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OK ...thanks.

I do hope that the Kingston ram that I ordered will work. It is DDR400 - PC3200. The MSI board specified DDR333 - but I thought it better to order the higher speeded ram.

Any wisdom in this area - needed - will be appreciated.

 
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Peter

Elite Member
Oct 15, 1999
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That's OK. RAM speed grades are the _maximum_ speed the chips can cope with. Anything between 83 MHz and the maximum speed - 200 MHz in this case, not 400 *slaps Neos with dead fish* ;) If the board choses to run the RAM at a lower than best speed, the RAM will work just as well.
Besides, if the MSI board implements the KM400 chipset well, it'll let you run the RAM at 200 MHz for improved graphics bandwidth.
 
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