Hirdetés
Verdict
We couldn't have written a review without our favourite timedemos (all of them are made in-house with special care for minimal overdraw and maximum scaling), but after adding everything up and sorting things out we came to this very graph for representing the possibilities of DDR. You already know one of the test configurations (Duron 600MHz, MSI K7T266 Pro, V5-5500). The other one was using the same CPU in an Iwill KK266 with a GeForce2 MX and both of them had the CPU at the same speed, but with different FSB and multiplier. The only thing that allows us to compare these two systems is the fact that measuring FPS at 640x480/16-bits has nothing to do with the (modern) videocard, such resolution is seriously CPU limited (MX-V5-Ultra doesn't make a difference). After all the tests we weren't even surprised by the results (K7T266 Pro trashing the KK266). Here they are:
"Less" is the bless
And now the final words. Whoever is thinking of buying a DDR mainboard is now dealing with a very real alternative. The Athlon/Duron processors have three chipsets with which they can be coupled and there are plenty of boards sporting them. As for these chipsets, the slower is usually cheaper and naturally the higher performing part costs more. VIA/ALi also supports SDR SDRAM, AMD doesn't. The total DDR craze, however, is still a few months away and Intel also has a big part here - whereas the Pentium III can't really benefit from DDR RAM, the Pentium 4 definitely could. And this is a game where VIA, the number one chipset manufacturer, can't lose as they have their horses running in both races. Betting on VIA is a safe thing and MSI knows this. Of course, as a mainboard manufacturer they have to be open to all solutions. And they are, R&D is taken dead seriously, think PC2PC, USB 2.0 for the first time, D-Led, etc. The MSI K7T266 Pro is the perfect example of a perfect product: it is in the right place, at the right time, it performs superb and barely costs more than the SDR mainboards. On top of all this, MSI's favourite term "Stability" is absolutely true - from now on with DDR boards as well. MSI K7T266 Pro - think seriously!
As a product of supreme quality, the MSI K7T266 Pro receives our traditional PLUS A LOT award.
(Dávid Szőts and Márton Balog)
