Conclusion and thoughts
Intel have provided the consumer with a performance chipset for those on a relative budget. They've left the door wide open as to what other extras a manufacturer might choose to implement. ABIT have decided to go the whole 9 yards by having no less than 4 different IS7 incarnations. A careful perusal of specifications is needed for one to determine which board is best for them.
Apart from a number of PCB changes, one can say that the IS7 is a very close relative of the IC7 Canterwood series. They share virtually the same BIOS, both boards behave in an impeccable manner and both are decent examples of how to make a motherboard based on a certain chipset. The overall packaging and bundle may not be as flashy, and it might not quite match the IC7's performance , but you can see that the IS7 series will sell on the basis of a reasonable price / performance ratio. We're glad to see that ABIT haven't skimped on the extras this time, for a featured motherboard without the necessary brackets is much like a bicycle without pedals.
It's kind of hard to make a bad board on any Intel chipset design. ABIT certainly have a decent board in the IS7. If we had to be critical, we'd do away with the Northbridge cooler and perhaps look to change the PCB colour to black. We may also look towards adding a little more DDR voltage in the otherwise impressive BIOS. Don't let that put you off, just consider what it is you want out of a motherboard and see which best fits your personal requirements.
ABIT try to woo the potential customer with a number of high performance boards. Do they succeed in their mission ?. The answer is a probable yes. Brand loyalty will play a large part in motherboard purchases, so ABIT should see a number of previous owners opting for their Springdale and Canterwood boards. Rumour has it that ABIT are ready to launch their own optimised BIOS to allows ASUS-like Springdale performance. If that rumour does indeed become reality, the IS7 series will sell like the proverbial hotcakes. We wait in anticipation.
Highs- Another stable, tweakable and fast board
- A generous measure of features between the various IS7 boards
- Decent manuals and brackets included
- Base model is available for < £100
- Excellent BIOS
Lows
- Competition is extremely intense
- Not so much a criticism of this board but the Springdale will always be regarded as the poorer cousin of the Canterwood. The Canterwood doesn't cost that much more than a decent Springdale either.
