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.
There is no doubt that the Abit NF7-S and NF7 are both good additions to the line of AMD motherboards. The NVIDIA nForce2 chipset is proving itself to be a true winner when it comes to supporting the Athlon XP processors in both 266 and 333 MHz front-side buses. The five motherboards that you saw compared in this review today all perform very well and are very similar to each other in that respect. Until we start to see more chipsets like the KT400A from VIA and the SiS 746FX reach the mainstream motherboard market, there will really be only be a few differences to compare when it comes to choosing an AMD motherboard: Bios and Features.In the past months these two key items on the motherboard have come to be the most critical in making a purchasing decision. That is why you have seen the increased coverage of this on the motherboard reviews on Amdmb.com and other review sites. As far as bios’ go, the Abit NF7 has one of the best I have seen; there are more tweaking options there than I really knew what to do with. And if you are on the lookout for a feature-rich motherboard, the NF7-S model will give that to you with options like 6-channel audio, Firewire and Serial ATA.
If we throw the idea of pricing into the mix, the Abit boards are still doing well compared to the rest of the nForce2 market. The NF7 can be found for under $100 and the upgraded NF7-S is for sale for under $120.
It comes down to your personal preference on a lot key points when choosing a motherboard, so be sure to check out all of our recent nForce2 and KT400 motherboard reviews to get a good overall perspective.
