AOpen AK89 Max: From Ugly Duckling to Swan
by Wesley Fink on April 21, 2004 4:16 PM EST- Posted in
- Motherboards
Final Words
The AOpen AK89 Max is aimed at a different market segment than the AK86-L. The AK86-L excels by bringing very high performance and reasonable features to a value-priced board at less than $100. The AK89 Max that we are testing here is aimed at providing everything but the kitchen sink. It is feature-rich with Firewire, 4-drive SATA, Dual BIOS, and optical and coaxial audio IO. It brings with it just about every option that AOpen could cram on a Socket 754 nForce3-150 motherboard. Compared to other top nF3-150 boards, the AK89 Max can certainly hold its own.If the AOpen AK89 Max is evaluated just on the basis of our benchmark tests, the performance would be considered about average compared to other Athlon 64 motherboards we have tested. However, there is a lot more performance waiting beneath the surface of the AK89 Max - performance that is unique among the Athlon 64 boards that we have tested.
The AK89 Max is the first nForce3-150 board that we have tested with a true working PCI/AGP lock. Other enthusiasts report the Gigabyte K8NNXP and the Shuttle AN50R also to have working locks, but we have not personally confirmed this. We can tell you that with the latest 1.06M BIOS, AGP/PCI lock, and working multipliers, we achieved the highest overclocks yet on the Athlon 64. We were able to achieve a stable 233 FSB setting at default voltage with a standard multiplier. We also quickly outstripped the on-board range to 250 FSB. However, with the free Clock Gen for nForce3 from www.cpuid.com, we were able to fine-tune multipliers and FSB - reaching a truly astounding 347FSB.
When we first looked at the AK89 Max, we were not particularly impressed. In fact, we considered passing on reviewing the board with the first nForce3-250 boards starting to appear. We are glad AOpen persisted, however, because 2 BIOS revisions later, we see a remarkable nF3-150 board with tremendous capabilities. If we have a complaint about the AK89 Max, it is not with AOpen's implementation. AOpen got the nF3-150 right; it is just that it comes very late to the nF3-150 life cycle. The AK89 Max is still hampered somewhat by the maximum 600 HyperTransport of the 150 chipset. While the AK89 certainly makes the most of the 600HT and carries it to heights we didn't think the nF3-150 could reach, it really makes us just that more anxious to see a nForce3-250Gb motherboard from AOpen.
The AOpen AK89 Max is the best nForce3-150 motherboard that we have tested, but we already have nF3-250 motherboards that we are testing, which promise even more with working locks and a 1000 HyperTransport option. We do wish AOpen could improve the CPU voltage range and widen the available FSB settings. The AK89 Max is also the first nF3-150 or VIA K8T800 motherboard we have tested that deserves and can definitely use a FSB range to 350. But even without these options, the AK89 Max set new overclocking records in every category.
If you're currently in the market for a Socket 754 motherboard based on the nForce3-150 chipset, you won't do any better than the AOpen AK89 Max. We can't wait to see AOpen's nForce3-250 motherboard with all the lessons they learned in developing this design.
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retrospooty - Friday, April 23, 2004 - link
Am I the only one that found this artcle hard to follow ? Its all over the place ... What the hell was being tested ?cowdog - Thursday, April 22, 2004 - link
Thanks for the information.BTW, I finally did get through to AOpen, and they have been very prompt and helpful. I must have fallen through the cracks or something earlier.
Wesley Fink - Thursday, April 22, 2004 - link
Cowdog -I used our standard Mushkin/OCZ 3500 at default speed. Above 233, I used OCZ 3500EB to DDR500, and OCZ 4200EL to DDR550. if you look closely at the screen shots the memory is identified on the overclocks. As you state, BH6 can't reach these levels.
AOpen tells us the board would require a revision to allow an increase in vcore, and with the nF3-250 near, a new rev will not appear with the 150. They can't modify the vCore on this board with just a BIOS update. vdimm and higher FSB may be a possibility - we have requested those changes - but it is more likely these will come with the 250 version.
cowdog - Thursday, April 22, 2004 - link
FYI: This seemed as good a place to post this as anywhere else. Just came across a new bios, 1.07"For AMD recommended,memory clock will set to DDR333 when DIMM1 and DIMM2 plugged double side DDR400 memory."
Two things:
1. BIOS defaulted to 200x11 for me, which isn't a good thing for an A64 3200
2. I have no option for DDR400 in the bios with 2x246MB Mushkin Lv II PC3500.
3. When I tried to lower the multipler, the bios gave me an error at POST (safe mode or something like that). Then even if I selected bios defaults I had the same message. I reset cmos and it worked, although cpu frequency went back to the 200x11.
Might want to be leary of bios 1.07, although my system may simply be whacked.
cowdog - Thursday, April 22, 2004 - link
Wesley, I must admit that I haven't tried Dr. AOpen; I missed that. I did fill out their tech support form (with serial number, etc.) three times. This third time (last night) I did receive an automated reply for the first time. I kept screen shots of the previous forms, and I know my email was right. I'm not sure what happened. Anyway, I'll try Dr. AOpen as well, thanks.Couple of things to add:
1. As far back as the official 1.06 bios, I was able to change multiplers (only downward, of course) using Clockgen. I found that clockgen would work if I set the multiplier lower in the bios, even though that did not change the multiplier at post. 1.06 m bios now changes the multiplier at post, as you note. Funny thing too, after I updated to 1.06m, the default multipler was 4.
2. I don't understand why AOpen won't open up the cpu and dimm voltages as they did with the AK86-L. As you note, the AK89 Max is their current A64 flagship. Why add features via bios update to the AK86-L but not do similar for the AK89 Max? Unless, of course, those features can't be added with a bios update. Do you know?
3. When you overlclocked the memory 1:1 to 250Mhz, were you using the OCZ or Mushkin memory that you referenced earlier in the article? I am unable run some Mushkin BH-5 memory 1:1 at anything higher than 230Mhz (clockgen) and 210Mhz (bios) with the multiplier way down and LDT at 3 or 2.5 even though I can run the same memory at speeds higher than 250Mz on another board. Same thing with some Corsair LL v.1.1 memory. Just curious. Perhaps the cpu is the limiting factor; is there that much variability?
Anyway, thanks for a really nice and thorough review. I am trying very hard to like this board (and AOpen) and your review renewed my motivation.
Wesley Fink - Wednesday, April 21, 2004 - link
#7 - The Asus K8V is based on the VIA K8T800 chipset which has no capability at all for a PCI/AGP lock. We have found the performance of the VIA and nForce3-150 to be about the same at stock speed, but the VIA is simply not cpable of avchieving the overclocks we have reported in this review.The K8V performs about like the MSI K8V Neo which is included in our benchmarks.
Modal - Wednesday, April 21, 2004 - link
I wish you would have done some comparisons with the ASUS K8V Deluxe as well, as this seems to be quite a popular board for Athlon64 machines (plus, I'm thinking about using it for my next build...). Oh well...Wesley Fink - Wednesday, April 21, 2004 - link
#5 - Have you tried Dr. AOpen on line? If nothing has worked please email me your details and I will forward your email to contacts at AOpen.Both Evan Lieb and I have had very positive Support expereinces with AOpen. If others are getting different treatment it is important to know that and report it in our reviews.
gimpsoft - Wednesday, April 21, 2004 - link
is this a Real AGP /PCI lock ???i heard there way to mod the bios to lock but not the same as hardware Agp/pci locks
well something like a sofmod ill see if i can find the link
may be a this must buy board i got a via KT800
i can do 3000+ 10 X 250= 2500MHZ but my radeon 9800pro & audigy bitch they say to high =) PCI: 41 APG: 83
bigtoe33 - Wednesday, April 21, 2004 - link
2-I was quite impressed by te FSB's the AOpen was able to hit and did feel the review was there just to show what the board is capable of.I also have this board and i would say 1:1 will be pretty limited due to 2.8V vdimm max.
Also it was nice to see a comparison of 3dmark although i know this is not a bench Wes uses.
Overall i think the review showed the board has awesome potential and proved that boards can become awesome with a "tuned" bios ;-)