ABIT BX133-RAID i440BX Socket-370 ATX

The Bad

The size of the PCB is relatively large for a single processor Socket-370 board and could pose a problem in some of the smallest ATX cases out there. This most likely won't be an issue for most users, but it should be noted. For reference, it's about 1 inch longer than a BF6 or BE6-2 and half an inch shorter than a BP6.

As mentioned previously, we're not sure whether the incompatibility issues that the older HPT366 faced have been fixed in the new HPT370, but it's definitely something to watch out for. We did not encounter any problems in the AnandTech lab, but this is a very limited subsample of the components available on the market, although ABIT's manual clearly states that the HPT370 is intended only for high-speed devices and suggests leaving the CD-ROM, Zip drive, etc. on the Ultra ATA/33 controller.

Also mentioned earlier, the 5th PCI slot on the BX133-RAID is only a slave slot, meaning it cannot accept a bus mastering device. This is due to the fact that the PIIX4e South Bridge only supports 5 total bus mastering devices, one of which is used for the onboard HPT370 Ultra ATA/100 RAID controller. We'd really like to see ABIT use something like MSI's PCI arbiter chip and add another PCI slot.

USB Compatibility

• Number of Front Universal Serial Bus Root Ports: 2

• Number of Rear Universal Serial Bus Root Ports: 2

• USB IRQ Enable/Disable in BIOS: Yes

• USB Keyboard Support in BIOS: Yes

Recommended SDRAM

Recommended SDRAM: 1 x 128MB Corsair PC133 SDRAM; 1 x 128MB Mushkin PC133 SDRAM

SDRAM Tested: 1 x 128MB Corsair PC133 SDRAM; 1 x 128MB Mushkin PC133 SDRAM

Manufacturer: Corsair
Purchase Website: http://www.corsairmicro.com

Manufacturer: Mushkin
Purchase Website: http://www.mushkin.com