Intel 850 Motherboard Roundup: September 2001
by Mike Andrawes on September 12, 2001 12:00 PM EST- Posted in
- Motherboards
ECS P4ITA
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ECS P4ITA |
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CPU
Interface
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Socket-423
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Chipset
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Intel
850/ICH2
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Form
Factor
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ATX
2.03
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Bus
Speeds
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100MHz
Auto Detect
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Voltages
Supported
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Auto
Detect
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Memory
Slots
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4
184-pin RIMM Slots
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Expansion
Slots
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1
AGP Slot |
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On-board
Audio
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Avance
Logic ALC200
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BIOS
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AMI
Hiflex BIOS Setup Utility 1.30
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When we mentioned to ECS that we would be having an i850 motherboard roundup soon, they were eager to send us an early sample of their P4ITA for evaluation. The board arrived as expected and after testing the board we were impressed by the performance and stability of the board.
The engineering sample we received featured the AMI Hiflex BIOS Setup Utility version 1.30, something we don’t see too often. This BIOS had no memory tweaking options, but the performance of the board was quite good anyway, topping the charts in almost all of our tests.
Similarly, the board is very stable throughout our tests, especially for an engineering sample. Like the ASUS P4T, the P4ITA features an AGP Pro slot for professional graphics cards. Furthermore, ECS uses the same HSF mounting on the P4ITA as ABIT did on the TH7, making it easier for you to lock your HSF unit in place without using a flat head screwdriver.
Somewhat surprisingly, the P4ITA has the exact same memory bank setup as the ASUS P4T, so make sure you install the RIMMs and the CRIMMs alternatively, otherwise your system will not boot at all.
One very nice thing we noticed on the P4ITA is the location of the power connectors. In order to achieve optimal operating conditions, you will have to install a total of three connectors on an i850 motherboard: the traditional ATX power connector, an AUX power connector, and the new 12V 2x2 power connector. ECS was able to put all the connectors together at the back of the board, allowing you to keep all the cables together and organized.
Our engineering sample board did not feature any FSB options, although ECS assures us that most shipping boards will actually come with an Award (rather than AMI) BIOS that will include the overclocking features that are mentioned in the manual. Those speeds will apparently include 103,105,110,115,120,125, and 133. Unfortunately, since our board did not include the appropriate BIOS support, we were unable to test them, although if other boards in this roundup are any indication, they should work relatively.
What we can say for sure is that the board offers great performance and rock solid stability.
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sabboo - Thursday, February 11, 2021 - link
This was the board in my first pc. As a student it was a very basic setup but got me through uni. I spent money on it and pushed the processor as far as it could go. I had upgraded the memory but it was beyond my financial means to do anything great at the time. Tomorrow I pull it out of the loft and see what I can buy to make this the ultimate gaming machine of its time. Any suggestions on pci cards to amke this an amazing addtion to my home network would be appreciated.infinitebritt - Thursday, March 25, 2021 - link
Amazing to see a comment about the D850GB in 2021. I use this motherboard TODAY for work. My work machine has not been plugged into the net since 2006. I have not installed or changed anything. It should run FOREVER. I made some money with crypto this year so I'm looking to spend $100-$200 to replace the ATX case with something smaller and quieter. The case I've been using for 15+ years is HUGE and LOUD