Overall Conclusion
I mentioned on the previous page that all 3 KT333 boards tested at Hexus recently will perform identically in the real world. So why choose one over the other and more specifically, why choose this AT7?I'm a bad one for preaching to people that you buy a solution that fits your requirements. I don't like generalising too much when it comes to talking about products that share a common base but differ slightly, as is the case with the 3 KT333 boards tested here recently.
The AT7 may seem like a kneejerk product from ABIT and in many senses it is but it's also just an attempt by ABIT to capture another portion of a crowded market. Product differentiation makes a lot of sense for example when all the KT333 solutions we've tested that you can buy all perform effectively identically.
Things like SoftMenu III have helped ABIT garner customers and support from the community to buy their products. This move to their MAX format is much like SoftMenu III in many ways. They remove legacy ports, target power users and early adopters of new ideas and technology and they get to test a market in the process.
Whether this turns out to be a stroke of genius or a failure is yet to be seen. MAX and AT7 will make a lot of sense to some people and while I'm not one of those people, I'm gradually warming to the MAX philosophy and I'd like to see it succeed. It's a brave move from ABIT, one they could have done better I think (ship PS/2 keyboard convertors for the love of god!) but they aren't that wide of the mark.
Lets face it, USB and FireWire ARE the connection mediums for the next few years. Getting used to them now is maybe a good idea.
Overall, it was annoying to have to purchase the new keyboard and borrow the modem (although the new keyboard is incredible!) but thinking about things a bit deeper, it's going to be the norm in a year or so.
Just make sure that AT7 and it's quirks fit your requirements. If you just want a KT333 solution with the minimum of fuss, get the EPoX. Need good onboard sound and maybe RAID? Get the MSI. Need big external peripheral expansion and a flexible IDE setup, get the AT7.
Not the best motherboard in the world like you'll see some eager websites shouting from the rooftops, but a step in the right direction for sure for the consumer PC market.
Many thanks to ABIT for the sample and their patience during my testing.
Pro's
Excellent performance
Good external peripheral expansion
Onboard NIC and audio
Good quality bundle if a little sparse
Con's
Some issues with the NIC and audio
Where is the PS/2 to Keyboard convertor?
No extra USB 2.0 ports supplied, just more 1.1 ports
Braindead choice of supporting 12 IDE devices
