The ABIT NF7-S Motherboard
As ABIT's premier nForce2 motherboard, the ABIT NF7-S is naturally powered by the SPP and the MCP-T platform processors. Using the SPP is logical because no NF7-S user is ever going to settle for a GeForce4 MX GPU. It would simply be a waste of silicon and money to use the IGP. With AGP4X and AGP8X support, the NF7-S is ready to be paired with any of the top graphics cards available in the market today.
The MCP-T offers excellent connectivity with a USB 2.0 controller supporting 6 ports, Firewire (IEEE-1394a) support and a second Ethernet MAC from 3Com. It also comes with the nForce2 APU (unchanged from the APU found in the original nForce chipset). When paired with the Realtek ALC650 controller, it allows a very cost effective 6-channel audio implementation with support for Dolby Digital 5.1.
The NF7-S also comes with an onboard Serial ATA (SATA) controller from Silicon Image. It supports two ports which allows you to attach a maximum of two SATA-150 drives. ABIT is also shipping the motherboard with their innovative Serillel converter, allowing you to make use of the Serial ATA controller even if you only have a normal IDE drive.
In a minute, we will put it under a microscope and examine it bit by bit. But first, let's check out the specifications!
The Specifications
ABIT NF7-S nForce2
Motherboard
|
|
Revision |
1.0 |
Processor Interface |
Socket-462 (Socket A) |
Chipset |
NVIDIA nForce2 SPP North Bridge |
CPU Multipliers |
5.0x to 22.0x |
FSB Speeds |
100 - 237MHz (in 1 to 5MHz increments) |
FSB / DRAM Dividers |
By SPD, |
AGP Speeds |
66 - 99MHz (in 1MHz increments) |
PCI Speeds |
Fixed at 33MHz |
Core Voltages |
1.1 to 1.85V (in 0.025V increments) |
DDR SDRAM Voltages |
2.4 to 2.7V (in 0.1V increments) |
Chipset Voltages |
1.4 to 1.7V (in 0.1V increments) |
AGP Voltages |
1.5 to 1.8V (in 0.1V increments) |
Memory Controller |
Two independent 64-bit memory controllers
|
Supported Memory |
Three 184-pin DDR SDRAM DIMM slots |
Internal I/O Connectors |
One AGP slot (supporting AGP4X and AGP8X protocols) |
Back Panel I/O |
Two USB 2.0 connectors
One RJ-45 LAN connector Six audio connectors One S/P DIF out connector One PS/2 keyboard connector One PS/2 mouse connector Two Serial Ports One Parallel Port |
Onboard Serial ATA |
Silicon Image SiI 3112A Serial ATA controller
- supports a 150MB/s transfer rate |
Onboard Audio |
6-Channel Realtek ALC650 controller
Integrated NVIDIA Audio Processing Unit |
Onboard LAN |
Realtek 8201BL physical layer interface
Integrated NVIDIA Ethernet MAC |