Board Specifications
Form Factor	ATX
Interface	Socket-A, 462-pin
Chipset	VIA KT133A, VT8363A & VT82C686B
Memory	3 x 168-pin 3.3V SDR SDRAM (PC100/PC133)
Graphics	Off-board, 1 x AGP 2X/4X, 3.3V/1.5V
Expansion	6 x 32-bit/33MHz PCI, 1 x ISA
I/O	2 x ATA100 IDE Channels, 2 x ATA100 IDE RAID Channels (optional)
Audio	On-Board C-Media CM8738 6-channel hardware, A3D & EAX support
Bus Speeds	66-200 MHz (1MHz increments)
VCore Range	1.125V-1.850V (0.025V increments)
BIOS	Phoenix D686

Inside the box, you'll find a User's Manual, Driver CD, IDE and FDD cable (two 80-conductor IDE cables with the RAID version), a small bag of extra jumpers, and an audio riser which can be used with the board's on-board hardware sound to achieve 6-channel analog or digital output. More on that later.

Installation of the board did not result in any unsuspected surprises. The board is of standard dimensions, and there are no design issues that would prevent it from fitting into a common ATX case. We did, however, notice one interesting detail. The board is identical in layout to the KK266, save for one subtle change. The ATX power connector has been moved from the edge of the board to the back of the board, just in front of the ATX I/O connectors. In terms of installation, it's a bit more cumbersome back there, as the ATX I/O stack and array of capacitors make it more difficult to access. Further, it draws the cabling over the board and CPU, which can inhibit cooling.


Fig 1. The ATX Power connector is now located along the back of the board.

That said, Iwill had good reason for moving it. In its new location, it is directly adjacent the board's 3-phase power system. The connector is now a good 10cm closer to the power systems, which allows for cleaner, faster and more efficient power delivery, enhancing overall system stability.