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Testing and Benchmarking
Test bed Configuration:
AMD 1333 MHz ‘C’ CPU (AYHJA Y Stepping)
AMD Duron 600 AKBA Stepping
256 Meg PC2100 Micron DDR RAM
15 Gig 7200RPM Quantum LM+ HDD
Hitachi 8X GD-5000 DVD Drive
OME-141 4X (Flashed to 6X) CD Burner
400W Codegen PSU (Model 350XX)
Windows XP Professional
Diamond MX300
SB Live Value (Not Used Concurrently with the MX300)
Benchmarks:
Sisoft Sandra Professional 2001
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As we can see, the CPU benchmarks are on par with the reference results, as you'd expect. The RAM bench is really quite excellent for 133 fsb, but its not until we reach higher front side bus speeds that we see the true ability of the board. At 1433 MHz, the ram bench is simply stunning, especially on a price versus performance basis. Unfortunately, (I suspect due to PSU or RAM issues) that’s as high as I was able to overclock with stability. It's great to see that even with a lowly Duron the DDR subsystem produces impressive RAM results. You can compare these results to those obtained in our AMD760 roundup and the KT266-based results in our A7V266 review.
Possible Modifications:
As I said previously, the board does not support any voltage modification
whatsoever. However, some wonderfully clever people at have published
an article on modifying the board for multiplier
and DDR Voltage adjustment. I suggest if you’re handy with
a soldering iron, you check the article out. They also have an
ECS Forum which really is the best source
for ECS troubleshooting info.
Compatibility:
As with any New Motherboard, there are often issues with programs/hardware
that need to be resolved (as in the infamous SBlive/VIA-686B issue).
Thankfully, none of these issues seem apparent with the SiS735
Based K7s5a, The MX300 and SB Live both work flawlessly in WinXP,
the HDD controllers work at great speeds (certainly above that
of the VIA or Promise controllers on my previous A7V). The CPU
usage in HDTach is surprisingly low for a board of its price.
Also, burning CD's on the fly at 6X is possible on the same IDE
Channel, which I found somewhat surprising
Conclusion:
Fundamentally, when buying a budget motherboard such as this,
you usually have to question whether you need more features, or
whether the build quality, performance and stability are what
you’re after. Basically, at AUD$169 retail at www.flexisoft.com.au (where I purchased and
disclaimer: where I used to work) this board is a must buy. It
is reasonable quality, the performance is outstanding at any budget,
let alone at that price, and the stability really is excellent.
The only thing which dampens my euphoria surrounding the board
is the lack of multiplier adjustment, if that’s rectified
in later BIOS releases (unlikely) then SiS and Elitegroup have
a serious winner on their hands. I give it:
 21-Cooler SocketA Roundup |
 3-Way AMD760 DDR Motherboard Roundup |
 Dual Palomino! On Tyan Thunder K7 |