EPoX EP-8KTA2 Socket-A KT133 (686B) ATX

AnandTech Motherboard Rating

Performance

The second wave of KT133 motherboards is here and performance is rising. The EP-8KTA2 jumps to the top of the pack in terms of performance.

Price

The EP-8KTA2 has an average price among all KT133 boards. However, considering has all the features EPoX has thrown in, it is actually priced very well.

Stability

The EP-8KTA2 crashed a total of 5 times in our 24 hour stability tests, which makes its stability a little above average (average being 6 to 7 crashes).

Quality

EPoX products are generally above average in quality, and the EP-8KTA2 does nothing to change that tradition. While it is not comparable to some of the bigger manufacturers, for most users the board should be just fine.

Features

All the overclocking tweaks (multiplier and FSB settings, voltages tweaks) and the Ultra ATA 100 support are the main special features of the board.

Layout

The layout of the board is pretty good, considering that EPoX was able to put in all the expansion slots and maintain performance. The only complaint would be the power supply connector.

Availability

You can always find EPoX products in a variety of on-line and local computer stores. You may even see them in large retail stores like CompUSA, Fry's Electronics, and Microcenter.

Documentation & Software Bundle

The manual is fair, with information on all the connectors and jumpers. However, it lacks the details on driver and software installation. Norton Ghost and Norton Anti-Virus are nice additions as well.