Conclusion
This content was originally featured on Amdmb.com and has been converted to PC Perspective’s website. Some color changes and flaws may appear.
The Epox 8K3A+ motherboard is indeed a star in the world of KT333 motherboards, coming out as one of the best we have seen here at Amdmb.com. The feature set of the board is adequate, but doesn’t offer the same amount and ingenuity as the MSI motherboards have. Offering IDE RAID is good idea, but the AC’97 audio isn’t going to be on the top of anyone’s wish list – any other type of audio chip on the motherboard would have prevented CPU usage and been a better option. But, Epox chose instead to keep the costs of the board as low as they could and offer the 6th PCI slot to allow for the most expansion.The overclocking prowess of the 8K3A motherboard shows that the Epox engineers have used their experience from the previous 8KHA+ line of boards to put a little extra into this newer KT333 motherboard. It was able to beat the front side bus of our previous top overclocker board by almost 10 MHz.
The performance numbers on the 8K3A were not the best we have seen, but their differentiation from the faster boards was very small. As I mentioned at the end of my Shuttle AK35GT2R review, all of the KT333 motherboards are performing the same, and it is the features, overclocking and price that will help you decide which of the many boards is the right choice for you. And while Shuttle wins in the battle of costs, the Epox board isn’t nearly as expensive as its MSI counterpart.
Overall, the Epox 8K3A is a great motherboard that I would have no problems recommending!
Be sure to visit the AMD Forums to get the latest information on this Epox motherboard and anything else in the world of AMD hardware!
