There is no difference between the A7V133 and the KT7A-RAID...right?

[Steve23094]

For all intensive purposes, these Asus and Abit boards are too similair to tell apart, aren't they?

Both are rock stable and have the same features and performance don't they?

I am trying to decide between the two. What I want first and foremost is stability. Features/performance in equal doses.

Answer me this... I am buying/already have an ATAPI Zip100 (do either boards have problems with these), CD-RW, DVD, and a UDMA100 hard drive. I will want the HD on it's own IDE channel won't I? Because none of the other devices are UDMA100, and the channel will automatically step down to the slowest device. I would like UDMA100 for burst transfer speed. I therefore need three channels, which means a RAID board (configuring the RAID controller as ordinary UDMA)? I can't imagine I would ever use RAID.

Any _confirmed_ problems running a SBLive?

Have either of these boards been updated to handle a clock multiplier of less than 7.5x? My first CPU will be an entry level Duron, and I thought I would clock it at 133Mhz.

I know this might be a little shallow, but Abit's web site appears so much more professional, and that is swaying my opinion a bit.

Any other comments?

 

[MoesTavern]

For the most part, you are correct. The Abit does have 1 more PCI slot also shared with an ISA slot, and is missing the useless CNR slot the Asus has. I purchased this board because I had an ISA modem at the time.

I run my 1.3GHz Athlon 100% stable at 1.47 (10x147) which came unlocked as with all 1.2's and up. I don't think the Durons come clocked unlocked so getting up to 133FSB might be tough. You could still screw with the L1 bridges though.

I have 1 IDE drive on each channel by itself, 4 total. The Asus does have a better RAID controller if you plan on a RAID setup.

I used to have a SB Live! problem (lock ups), but was easily fixed.

If I was going to use the a RAID setup then I would've gone with the A7V133 because Highpoint horror stories I've heard.

 

[Athlon4all]

Yeah for the most part. Abit has the 6 PCI/1 ISA, A7V133 has Promise RAID, KT7A-RAID has Highpoint I belive which I might add, out performed Promise in Anand's RAID article. I'd get Asus because I like them, but KT7A-RAID is great also.

 

[MortaniuS]

Asus l8ly arent the greatest boards. I would go with the abit with the faster raid controller.