ABIT KV8-MAX3 (VIA K8T800) Motherboard

Conclusions:

Though the ABIT KV8-MAX3 may appeal to all types of users, the high end enthusiasts are the one who will really reap the benefits of purchasing this mainboard. Features such as OTES, high overclocking capabilities and options, Gigabit Ethernet, and Serial ATA, are not exactly going to appeal as much to users using a 56K modem, PATA, and run at stock speeds.

Though we had a few issues with the layout and design of the motherboard, there were no other faults that presented themselves throughout the course of this review. ABIT has put a lot of thought into bundling lots of features into this board that not only interest overclockers but average users as well. Guru is a great idea and makes monitoring and adjustments much easier, since all can be done from the Windows desktop. Constantly booting and rebooting to overclock, set up fan speeds and alarms isn't exactly appealing to most consumers. Instead of searching and downloading software to monitor system voltages, temperatures, etc. simply pop in the CD, install, and you are ready to go.

BlackBox is very appealing because it is useful to all system builders and users. What better than to be able to get direct technical support without having to know every single detail about your system or sit on the phone trying to figure out your system details. A few clicks and your info is off to ABIT, where they can help figure out what the problem is and how to deal with the issue. Support has always been a major concern for most users and ABIT has again raised the bar with BlackBox.

It seems like every time we review another product from ABIT they find new features to implement that really distinguish themselves from the competition. Reviews are much more interesting when there is something other than just benchmarks, graphs, and stock features to talk about. ABIT has got an excellent product with the KV8-MAX3 and with new technologies around the corner, who knows what they have got in store for us next. Of course we expect to see a powerful BIOS, advanced cooling, and loads of features, but can they once again come up with something that pushes the envelope even further? Perhaps we will find out in the near future.

Overall: 4.5 of 5