Socket-A VIA KT133 Motherboard Roundup - November 2000

Microstar K7T Master

Microstar K7T Master
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CPU Interface	Socket-A
Chipset	VIA KT133
Form Factor	ATX
Bus Speeds	100 / 102 / 103 / 107 / 110 / 113 / 117 / 120 / 133 / 135 / 137 / 140 / 143 / 145 / 150 MHz
Voltages Supported	Auto Detect
Memory Slots	4 168-pin DIMM Slots
Expansion Slots	1 AGP Pro Slot 6 PCI Slots (3 Full Length) 1 CNR Slot (1 Shared)
On-board Audio	VIA VT1611A AC97 CODEC
BIOS	Award Modular BIOS 6.00PG

In some sense, one shouldn't blame the K7T Master for not having any multiplier ratio settings for overclocking. The fact of the matter is that this board was never intended to target the consumer market. Instead, the K7T Master marked the first attempt for an AMD based system to enter the server and workstation market.

Several features made this board ready for server and workstation applications. First of all, the board has on-board Adaptec AIC-7892B Ultra SCSI 160 controller. This controller can support high performance, 160MB/sec single channel Ultra SCSI devices as well as Ultra (SE) devices. Directly on the motherboard you can find both the Ultra SCSI 50-pin connector and the SCSI 68-pin connector. Microstar also provides an Ultra SCSI cable, for use with the 68-pin connector, which can connect to four or more SCSI devices.

In addition to the Ultra 160 SCSI controller, there's also Texas Instrument IEEE 1394 (a.k.a. Firewire) controller. This chip provides a high-performance serial bus interface for use in an interface between various systems and products such as PC's and video devices.

Moreover, the K7T Master is the only KT133 motherboard we have seen so far with 4 DIMM slots. Users are still bounded by the 1.5GB SDRAM limit, but they are given the freedom to use singled sided SDRAM to fill this quota if they wish. Last of all, the 6 PCI and 1 AGP Pro slot configuration also puts the K7T Master in a position to be used in a server type environment.

In short, with a high price tag of around US$250, the K7T Master is simply not a good solution for most users. However, its release helped bring the AMD processors to the workstation and server markets, making the K7T Master the only board with this purpose.