Features & BIOS
Features
Scanning over the list of features, Chaintech appears to have opted for a rather standard implementation of the Intel 915P chipset. Though this may sound a bit boring, this will benefit to those looking to save some money while still getting all the functionality that the Intel 915P chipset has to offer.
Looking at drive connectivity, there is a single ATA100 header on the board for your optical and/or “legacy” ATA hard drives. This is going to be a problem for those of you using a few PATA drives or RAID configurations since you can only connect two IDE drives.
There are four SATA headers on the V915P and none of it supports RAID. This is an advantage to those of you who don’t plan on using RAID since supporting it just adds to the cost. But for those looking for an extra bit of HDD performance and/or data security you will have to toward software RAID, use a dedicated controller, or look elsewhere.
The Chaintech V915P, like other 915P boards, do not require special drivers to use the SATA. This means that Windows XP installation goes smoothly especially for those of you who do not use floppy drives anymore.
Realtek ALC880 audio (left) and Marvell LAN (right).
The V915P supports Intel’s HD Audio feature which is implemented using the Realtek ALC880 chip. As far as audio goes for Intel boards, this is a substantial step forward in giving more functionality in both the office and home theater. HD Audio is able to process two audio sources and pump them to two different outputs, so you can have watch a DVD in the living room while MP3s are playing in the home office all from the same computer.
The ALC880 chip also supports Dolby Live (which is part of the Intel HD Audio spec) so your old stereo audio sources (like MP3s and music CDs) come out in 5.1 channels.
One key feature that is conspicuously missing from the Chaintech V915P is SPDIF output. This means you will not be able to enjoy digital audio when connected to a digital receiver or speakers. But on the flip-side, at least this means you will be saving a little from the cost of the board.
As per 915P specs, the V915P has a single x16 PCIe, and a pair of x1 PCIe slots for the latest PCI Express bus peripherals. There are also three PCI 2.2 slots, and four DDR DIMMs supporting dual-channel with 4GB maximum.
The V915P can support up to 6 USB 2.0 ports with 4 usable out of the box on the rear I/O panel. No extra USB bracket is provided. A Marvell MV8001 Gigabit LAN adapter rounds out the notable features.
The BIOS
The Chaintech V915P BIOS contains all the basic functionality including your essential overclocking options.
|
Chaintech Zenith V915P Overclocking Options | |
|
CPU Frequencies |
200 – 333MHz |
|
CPU Multipliers |
14x – 18x (0.5x factors) |
|
CPU Voltages |
0.8375V – 1.900V |
|
DDR RAM Frequencies |
333MHz, 400MHz, Auto |
|
DDR RAM Voltages |
+0.1 – 0.4 (2.6V-3.0V) |
|
Chipset Voltages |
+0.1 – 0.3 (1.50V – 1.80V) |
|
PCI Express Frequencies |
100MHz, Auto |
The range of options above is fairly comprehensive considering Chaintech’s board is not marketed as an enthusiast board. The number of CPU voltage settings is particularly impressive.
If you’re looking for memory timings, the Chaintech V915P has your four basic settings: CAS, RAS to CAS, RAS pre charge, and tRAS. There aren’t any special features of the BIOS like fan speed control, or BIOS backups – the V915P BIOS is pretty plain.
