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Abit AA8 (Intel 925X Alderwood)Author: Aleksandr MitrofanovDate: 17/07/2003
When marketing people at Abit were inventing the name for the AA6 board, they even couldn't imagine what ambiguous meaning it would get in the Russian language. In the end, AA8 was dubbed "DuraMAX", or a combination of words "Durability" and "MAX". This sounds very similar to the Russian phrase "absolutely silly woman" :))). To my logical question "Will the name of the board be changed for sales on the Russian market?" I got the following answer: "No. The way it is sounds trendy" :))). Finally, we got this Abit's flagship model built in the most efficient i925X chipset. Prior to moving on to the board's description, let's take a closer look at the chipset. Intel 925X Alderwood ChipsetWith the release of i925X and i915P chipsets, Intel has been offering users a lot of new technologies. First off, this is support for the DDR2 memory which offers higher memory bandwidth than DDR. For instance, while DDR 1 memory bandwidth in the dual-channel mode is 6.4 GB/s (at 200 MHz or DDR400), the bandwidth for DDR2 in the dual-channel mode is already 8.5 GB/s (at 133 MHz or DDR2-533). While this level of bandwidth is not yet in demand, after transition to the 266MHz bus speed (1066 MHz QPB), it will be a must. The thing is, only elite overclocker DDR 1 modules are able running at 266 MHz (DDR533), and use of DDR2 modules will become an industry standard. However, such rise in speed has become possible due to essential rise of memory latency timings, which results in increased memory latency (or delays in access). As a result, the real performance of a DDR2-system will be at best equal to a DDR1-system. For example: standard latency timings for DDR400 are 2-3-6-3 (especially aggressive - 2-2-5-2), and for DDRII-533 they equal to 4-4-12-4. Now a few words regarding the memory controller specifics. The memory controller in the i925X chipset allows quite flexible use of memory modules. In particular, the user gets the three modules: "Dual Channel Symmetric","Single Channel " and "Dual Channel Asymmetric". The simplest explanation to that is this: the "Dual Channel Symmetric" is the good old dual-channel mode which compared to the similar mode on i865PE\i875P has been released from a number of restrictions. For example, theoretically it is possible to get a mode when one 512 MB module is on the first channel, while on the second channel there are two 256 MB modules (hmm.. would be nice to try it in practice :). The second mode ("Single Channel") offers the simplest way to access the memory - single-channel. No comments. But the third one ("Dual Channel Asymmetric") is very interesting from theoretical point of view. It allows installation different memory capacities into different channels. As a result, the controller will try partially enable the dual-channel access. In practice, developers guarantee stable operation but warn that the performance level in this case will be closer to the single-channel access rather than the dual-channel. Another new technology is support for new Socket LGA775 processors. However, this support is not a privilege of i925X / i915P chipsets only. Since the processor bus operation protocols hasn't changed, we can observe various hybrids sort of i865PE + LGA775, or i915P + Socket 478. The main motive for Intel's migration to a new socket is the more uniform distribution of consumed power by various processor blocks. In combination with the new Prescott D0 stepping, not only will this allow reducing the total heat emission for Pentium 4 systems, but will increase the theoretical limit for the clock speeds. However, it should be noted that starting with 4 GHz clock speeds heat emission as high as 150W is regarded as admissible. This will entail improvements in cooling devices. In particular, Intel has revamped the design of the "Box cooler" which now has a 4-pin power connector. What else is radically new? For example, the AGP bus has been completely abandoned in favor of the new PCI Express bus. First off, this gives a rise in bandwidth from 2.12 GB/s (AGP 8X) to 8GB/s (PCI Express x16). However, the advantages of the new bus are not only about the rough increase of the bandwidth. The data transmission mechanism has radically changed - it is now serial half-duplex. The latter term means the possibility to simultaneously transmit data both ends (AGP lacks such functionality). Besides, over the PCI Express bus it is possible to set up independent data transmission channels (up to 32). In fact, let's not go too deep into it: it's still a long way to go until real benefits from using the PCI Express bus can be gained. The thing is that game developers have almost completely ignored the texture placement in the memory, but preferred storing them in the local memory of the video card (and used relatively small volumes for that - 64 MB, and more rarely - 128 MB).  Now let's talk about the second half of the chipset - the ICH6 south bridge linked to the north bridge with a new bus - DMI of maximum 2GB/s bandwidth. By the way, the DMI is sort of a modification to the PCI Express x4 bus. For expansion cards, there has been released a PCI Express x1 bus version of 500 MB/s bandwidth. The developers can fit as many as 6 slots of "regular" PCI, or no more than four PCI Express x1 slots. Normally, manufacturers combine the slots following the 2+3 scheme (the way it on Abit AA8 motherboard). Unlike the architecture of previous generation chipsets, data communication with devices on the bus runs through dedicated channels (4 õ 500 MB/s= 2GB/s altogether). Formerly, all the devices were crowded on a single PCI bus with the bandwidth merely 133 MB/s. Then the number of SerialATA ports has been increased from two (ICH5) to four. This is a good news; the bad news is that the number of "regular" ParallelATA channels has been cut down from two to one. Thus, Intel is trying to intensify the user migration to SerialATA devices. By the way, much more functionality has been added in the part of setting up RAID arrays. Now, the owners of systems built on boards featuring the ICH6R are able setting up RAID arrays of levels 0,1 and MatrixRAID. The latter mode is a combination of 0 and 1 modes in which each disk in the array is divided into two partitions: one for the 0 mode, the other for the 1. Therefore, we get some analog to the RAID 1.5 mode. It should be noted that the RAID feature is regarded optional and is there on the ICH6R and ICH6RW modifications only (missing in ICH6 and ICH6W, respectively). As regards the south bridges, there is the letter W in their name, which stands for Intel Wireless Connect Technology (WiFi). The next new technology is the new integrated 8-channel Intel High Definition Audio core which allows playing 24-bit multithreaded audio of 192 kHz sampling frequency. The core supports such modern standards like Dolby Digital 7.1, DTS ES/Discrete 6.1 etc. The audio quality should be at the level of high-end audio cards. Besides, the HDA core also supports the popular feature like automatic recognition of the type of plugged in device (speaker, headphones or microphone) and automatic re-tuning of respective parameters. If the performance losses in handling 3D audio are minimum, then a most beneficial user friendly audio solution may shape up (e.g., nForce 2 MCP-T for the SocketA platform). Again, let's recall the major characteristics of the chipset:
Abit AA8 Specifications
PackageThe board is packaged in a box of the customary gloomy design:  Package bundle
Despite the quite high price of the product, the package bundle is rich in components. In particular, missing are power adapters for SerialATA devices, as well as a header with a pair of USB2.0 ports.  But a special focus is given to the documentation: the master user's guide gives a comprehensive description of the processor setup procedure, location and purpose of the connectors, and BIOS settings. The brief user's guide gives information on the system assembly in 20 major languages (the brochure volume is 20 sheets :). As regards the booklet on mGuru features, it is very brief, which in fact doesn't spoil its self-descriptiveness (the features are very simple to use :). But the printing quality has gone down: instead of thick glossy paper with color illustrations (as it used to be, e.g. Abit AI7), the brochure on mGuru is of the same quality like the other documentation (regular paper with black-n-white illustrations). The bundled CD has a complete set of drivers, as well as a set of utilities to control the mGuru features. These are the system monitoring utility Abit EQ, the utility for overclocking from within Windows - OC Guru, the program for controlling the audio functions - Audio EQ, the program for controlling the fans - FanEQ, and finally the program for getting technical support - BlackBox.  This program is meant to facilitate access to Abit's technical support service. The idea behind the program is to automatically collect the system information (software and hardware). Then - the user enters the problem description into a special window, and BlackBox generates an email letter with the collected information enclosed as an attachment. Conclusion: the board's package bundle deserves a "below 4/5" mark.
Abit AA8 Board's FeaturesAs compared to Socket478 motherboards, the design of LGA775 boards has turned simpler. Reduction in the number of PCI slots and their replacement with PCI Express x1 slots allowed the developers absolutely safely position components on the left-hand part of the board. Besides, one of the IDE connectors has been removed. However, engineers got more work to do with the right-hand part of the board. First, the design of the power supply module has been overly complicated; secondly, the number of pins in the processor socket has essentially gone up (i925X has over 1200 pins :)).  The design of Abit AA8 will not bring many issues to the system assembly operator: the main connector is positioned on the bottom end of the board, with the additional 4-pin one in the upper part of the board. It should be noted that the main connector offers 24 pins (versus 20 pins on old motherboards). You don't have to worry about the compatibility with power supply units: Abit AA8 ran perfectly with a PowerMan 300W power supply unit.  More about the design: the distance from the latches of DIMM slots to the PCI Express x16 slot is small, but the memory slots will be blocked only if a too long video card is installed. The only IDE connector is positioned in a very convenient way: on the board's edge. Besides, for plugging convenience it is orientated in parallel to the board's plane.  What may cause complaints from assembly operators is the positioning of FDD connector (behind the last PCI slot), but the probability of its use on the latest high-end systems is negligible. Now look at the processor socket:  We have repeatedly mentioned that the pins are now fitted in the socket. Then, the socket does not have a plastic frame for fastening a cooler. So, a "boxed" cooler is now attached with 4-pin assembly holes. The next novelty is the connector for plugging in a boxed cooler (CPUFAN1). It has 4 contacts. However, in using an alternative cooler it is possible to use this connector for plugging in a regular 3-pin connector. While the "boxed" cooler has its own mechanism for varying the rotational speed versus the processor temperature, Abit AA8 offers the FanEQ technology which allows enabling the feature on practically any cooler (besides those independently powered). The board also offers two connectors with support for the FanEQ. It is NBFAN1 to which a cooler on the north bridge is connected, and SYSFAN1 installed in the upper left-hand corner of the board. Besides, the board has a pair of connectors for plugging in fans: the AUXFAN1 positioned near the FDD connector, and the AUXFAN2 near the main power connector. Therefore, Abit AA8 offers 5 connectors altogether. As regards the cooler on the chipset, it offers an unusual design, with a vertically positioned fan.  According to Abit, such design will allow additional cooling of the video card and the radiator on the south bridge. In my view, it will be a very tough task to cope with for a small (40 mm) fan.  Under the north bridge, there are four 240-pin DIMM slots for DDR2 memory modules. They are partitioned into two groups with two slots in each. The first two slots refer to the first controller channel, with the other two to the second controller.  That is, compared to the PCB design of i865PE/i875P boards, there are no fundamental differences. Even the maximum memory capacity remained 4 GB as before. Once voltage is applied to the motherboard, the 00 code lights up on the POST indicator.  There is a PCI Express x16 slot with a latch installed onboard. It will be used mostly for video cards, but other expansion cards may be installed. Besides it, on the Abit AA8 board there are three PCI Express x1 slots and a pair of regular PCI slots. 
Expansion optionsAt expansion options, Abit AA8 does not produce impression of a high-end product. For example, additional RAID controllers are completely missing. Instead, the company engineers decided to confine with the ICH6R features.  As a result, the board supports four SerialATA channels which allow setting up two RAID arrays of levels 0,1 or MatrixRAID. While the number of SerialATA ports in ICH6 was increased, the number of USB2.0 ports remained the same - 8, as before. Four ports of them are on the rear panel, with 4 more plugged in via headers (the board comes bundled with 1 header for 2 ports). Besides, Abit AA8 supports for the other type of serial bus - the IEEE1394 ("Firewire"). For that, there is another Texas Instruments' TSB43AB23 controller onboard.
 Therefore, the board offers support for up to 3 IEEE1394 ports: one positioned on the rear panel, with the other two plugged in via a header (the same as for USB ports). The connectors are marked red (with those for USB are marked blue). Then, the Abit AA8 board has 8-channel Intel High Definition Audio, with the ALC880 chip is used as the codec.  A couple of words on the overclocking: the board offers a high-speed Realtek RLT8110S (Gigabit Ethernet) LAN controller.  Now take a look at the board's rear panel.  We have a standard set of connector: PS/2 ports for the keyboard and mouse, one parallel and one serial ports, audio inputs for the 8-channel acoustics, SP-DIF input and output, four USB2.0 ports, one Firewire and one network port (RJ-45). Traditionally, a jumpers layout diagram:  There are three jumpers onboard the Abit AA8: the CCMOS1 is used for clearing the CMOS (near the south bridge), the USB_PWR1 and USB_PWR2 - for waking up the system on pulses from USB devices. All the jumpers have plastic tails to make the installation more amenable. Note that the boards offers a 7-stage POST indicator to display initialization codes upon the system boot-up. All the other additional features are gathered in the additional mGuru chip which is installed near the BIOS chip.  Now on to the BIOS settings.
BIOSThe BIOS of Abit AA8 is based on the Award BIOS version, and at first glance is not different from boards of the previous generation.  In the memory operation settings section, there is nothing of a surprise: a standard pack of latency timings ("CAS Latency", "Precharge to Active"(Trp), "Active to precharge" (Tras) and "Active to CMD"(Trcd)).
 This should be that way because there aren't any fundamental differences between DDR2 and DDR. But the parameter for setting the memory operating speed is in the mGuru section dealing with overclocking and system monitoring.  The available set of memory frequency divisors is in direct dependence on the "N\B Strap CPU" parameter which detects the type of the processor used.  Therefore, the user gets access to all possible memory frequency multipliers, both increasing and reducing. Another feature of the mGuru chip is the following: all the BIOS settings can be stored in the memory of the mGuru chip (another possible option - in the non-reflashable area of the BIOS) as a named profile. For example, you can make two profiles: "Normal" and "Overclocked", respectively with the nominal settings and overclocking parameters.
 To store a profile, the F6 key is used, and F7 - for loading. Now move on to the section to do with the system monitoring. It is also in the mGuru section.  Because of the large number of features and parameters, the section is partitioned into groups.  The first group, "Temperature Monitoring", displays the current values for the processor temperature, system and two sensors from the power module. Also, the user can activate the processor overheat signalization and enable the automatic system power-off feature upon attaining a certain temperature. The second section is purely informative and displays the current voltage levels.  At that, programmers at Abit first introduced the feature of warning and automatic system power-off if the voltage drops exceed the admissible boundaries (user-defined). Then, look into the "Fan Speed Monitoring" section responsible for the system fans.
 AA8 keeps track of the rotation of all the fans which can be plugged to the system (remember that there are 5 respective connectors onboard). Moreover, you can assign signals of deceleration or stoppage to every fan, as well as enable the function of system power-off in case the fan has stopped. Besides, you can trace the system monitoring readings from within Windows as well. For that, there is the Abit EQ utility for system monitoring.  Finally, there is the "FanEQ Control" with which the user can set the dependence of fan speed on the processor temperature.  This allows decreasing the noise levels considerably when the system is not overloaded (actually, it is hard to attain high results because of the excessive heat emission of Prescott processors). Now a few words on the Abit FlashMenu utility which is meant to reflash the BIOS and also runs in the Windows system.  Resume: the BIOS of Abit AA8 board offers a really wide feature-set. This especially applies to the system monitoring section which has no analogs at its potentials (we actually haven't yet looked into other boards on i915\i925 :). Besides, the feature for saving all the BIOS parameters as a profile is definite plus.
Overclocking and stabilityHaving exhausted the marketing benefits from the "SoftMenu" concept, Abit decided to switch to the active use of "mGuru". Therefore, the first item in the BIOS settings menu is called "mGuru Utility". This section traditionally includes all the functions of "fine" tuning of the processor clock speed, memory as well as their operating voltages. In fact, the pompous name SoftMenu was not in vain: this is how the utility for overclocking from within Windows is called now.
It is especially interesting to test the overclocking features on Abit AA8. The most important intrigue is about the question "has Intel introduce protection against overclocking?? If yes, was Abit able to invent ways to bypass the protection?" Remember that every release of new Intel chipsets is accompanied by rumors of possible blockage of overclocking features. Therefore, overclockers' attention was fixed to every new announcement of testing this or that motherboard. Up till now, all those rumors have proved unconfirmed. But this is not the case with i915/i925 :(. Prior to moving to overclocking, let's look into the power converter. It uses a 8-channel power scheme in which there are seven 2200 mkF and four 1200 mkF capacitors.  Note the thick silvery strips on the board's textolyte. These are the so-called "Overclocking Strips" which improve cooling of the textolyte around the power module. The strips are applied on both the front  and back of the board.  Now on to the overclocking features.
 First off, Abit AA8 allows adjusting the system bus speed within 100 to 300 MHz in 1 MHz increments.  Very convenient is that you can set any FSB value without scrolling the interim values. Secondly, Abit AA8 allows adjusting the processor voltage (Vcore) within a very wide range: within 1.3875V (nominal) to 1.7375V in 0.005V increments.   The advanced user can raise the Vmem from the nominal 1.8V up to 2.25V (in 0.05V increments).  Besides, we get a useful feature for raising the chipset voltage.  The variation range is within 1.5V (nominal) to 2.05V (in 0.05V increments). At increased speeds, it is important that the PCI bus speed, if possible, not depart from the standard 33 MHz. This is primarily important for the correct hard disk functioning. Therefore, Abit AA8 allows setting a fixed speed at the PCI bus. This parameter is adjustable within 33 to 40 MHz.  We are now moving on to the most exciting part - the practical overclocking. Unfortunately, a system based on Abit AA8 refused to run at FSB speeds higher than 216 MHz. That is, the maximum possible clock speed for a 3.2 GHz processor turned out to be 3.45 GHz.  After numerous experiments I arrived at the conclusion that there is "overclocking-proof protection" implemented at the level of Intel chipset. First, the technological limit for the Prescott core of stepping D0 is 3.8-4.0 GHz. But in our case the processor demonstrated stable operation at 3.45 GHz at the rated voltage, and refused to start up at higher speed (at any Vcore). Normally, there exists a certain range within which the processor runs at speeds close to its limit which is possible through voltage raise, but without 100% guarantee of stable operation. Secondly, any changes in the memory settings (decrease in frequency, raise in the latency timings and voltage) were unable to improve the overclocking results. Finally, overclocking attempts using the Windows utility SoftMenu nor allowed to overcome that 8% limit of the rated FSB speed.  The next tested board built on the i925X board (we are not yet calling its name) has brought in some corrections. In particular, the processor did overclock to 4.0 GHz at Vcore=1.5V (i.e., FSB=250 MHz) and the memory was running absolutely stably in the DDR2-666 mode. So, even if there is the overclocking-proof protection in i925X chipset it can be overcome, and all is in the hands of the motherboard manufacturer. By the way, the Abit SoftMenu utility is very powerful: apart from varying the FSB speed and operating voltages, it allows adjusting the rotational speeds of the fans as well as changing the memory operating frequencies,   as well as the starting window of OC Guru program.  This utility is closely linked to the SoftMenu utility and allows setting the overclocking parameters for several users, enabling several modes (Turbo is the most powerful, Quiet is the least noisy), as well as enabling the AutoDrive feature for dynamic overclocking. Regarding the latter feature, we have repeatedly mentioned it in our reviews of MSI motherboards, but this time this feature has become accessible for the users of Abit motherboards. With the AutoDrive enabled, the system runs in the rated mode; but once a resource-hungry application starts up (e.g. a game) the board pushes up the FSB speed thus overclocking the processor giving a performance boost. On quitting the game, the system turns back to the rated FSB speed thus reducing load upon the processor and decreasing the heat emission. With reduced heat emission, the FanEQ feature automatically reduces the rotational speed of the fans and pushes down the noise level. That is, we get a comprehensive and balanced approach to the "performance/noise level" problem. On the very last day we received a beta version of the BIOS with which the board improved its overclocking potentials. In particular, it was able to start at 250 MHz and even reached the Windows boot-up. And the completely stable operation was registered at FSB=245MHz. 
PerformanceOn the initial detection of the the starting FSB speed, the AA8 board brought a surprise: instead of the 200MHz as it should be, the board was running at FSB=204MHz, which increased the operating clock speed of the processor from 3.2GHz to 3.26GHz.  Having regarded that as a flaw of the preliminary BIOS version, we tried flashing the first official version (number 11), however, that didn't change the startup speed. Therefore, to test the performance we forcedly set the FSB to 200 MHz.  As contenders to our board being tested, we used the Asus P5AD2 Premium (i925X) motherboard. After the first tests, there came up an ambiguous situation with measuring the performance. Abit AA8 lagged well behind the competitor (normally, motherboards on one and the same chipset rarely differ at performance). It turned out that with the memory frequency set to "Auto" the board runs in the DDR2-400 mode. But with the forcedly set DDR2-533 mode, the system was running unstably (which was fixed through raising the Vmem and Vdd). Therefore, we can make a conclusion that Abit AA8 DuraMAX either has issues of compatibility to Kingmax DDR2-533 modules (can be fixed through selection of memory) or the problem is much deeper - in the board's design (which is worse, because you have to wait for a new revision), or problems are in the current BIOS version (that is the best - just wait for a new BIOS reflash file). In our test configuration, we used the following hardware:
Let's first take a look at the results of synthetic benchmarks.
  Now on to the gaming benchmarks.        Conclusion: Abit AA8 slightly lagged behind Asus P5AD2 at handling memory in the DDR2-400 mode and performed better at memory operation in the DDR2-533 mode. However, reminding it again: stable operation with Kingmax DDR2-533 memory was attained only after raising the Vmem and Vdd voltages. Of course, the readers would be curious to compare the LGA775 platform with the previous generation of motherboard on the i875P/865PE chipset. We have already done the test, and will publish it in the nearest time.  Final WordsOn testing the Abit AA8 board, I didn't get the impression of a high-end product. Yes, the board is built on the i925X chipset and offers a high price (this is a criterion for high-end boards, albeit strange :), but its package bundle is scarce, and the expansion options are middling. What is also surprising is the lack of the useful Abit OTES feature. With all my respect to Abit engineers, I can's say the vertical positioning of a fan on the chipset and the Overclockers Strips can't be a good substitute for an exhaust pipe on the power supply module (although they would look like a nice add-on to the OTES). Now a few words about the price which on the date of tests was 190$, according to Pricewatch. Compared to motherboards based on i865PE\i875P, this is too much (compare - the price for Abit IC7-MAX3 is ~200$). However, compared to other boards on the i925X chipset, this price is quite reasonable. For instance, the price for Asus P5AD2 is over 250$ (the same price level is for high-end boards of other companies). Therefore, the scarce package bundle and middling expansion options can be explained by Abit's urge to make the product as cheap as possible. The same can be said about the lack of Abit OTES. As regards the overclocking, the board offers a powerful set of overclocking tools and demonstrates quite decent practical results. Of special mention is the feature-set of the mGuru chip. During the first introduction to the chip (in Abit AI7) we noted the generally "raw" status and heterogeneity of utilities that are part of the group. But today we see a serious progress in this direction: the utilities have proved a more stable operation, and the number of features has increased significantly. Besides, most utilities have got their interface revamped (it is now made in the unified style!), which offers more convenience of use (albeit not polished to perfection). Finally, note that at system monitoring features, Abit AA8 is second to none. The same is true regarding the BIOS profile saving feature.
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