Overclocking
To be frank, the overclocking potential on the KT-748 is terrible. With no way of increasing the voltage of either the CPU or the memory, it is inevitable that the FIC board will max out much earlier than a KT600 or nForce 2 board. However, neither the KT400 nor the KT600 have PCI locking either, so on that footing the three chipsets are equal.
With a max FSB setting of 210 mhz, the KT748 should have no problem supporting the highest Athlon XP available today, the 3200+. However, the target market for this motherboard is not the high-end market, but the budget end. It is nice to see that this motherboard is one that facilitates future upgrades when the 3200+ becomes the budget chip.
Non incremental FSB settings
The Corsair RAM we use is specified for CAS 2. However, when we tried to set the RAM at CAS 2, the motherboard refused to POST. This is as a bad omen - we recommend thoroughly researching compatibility for this board before purchasing your RAM.
Memory Timings
Conclusion
Although the performance for this motherboard is very mixed and many of the game benchmarks are leaning toward the lower end, the FIC KT-748 still provides good value for money, as it comes with 6 channel audio as well as firewire and USB 2.0.
Currently the FIC KT-748 cannot be found on Pricegrabber, but is available at stores like Newegg.com for a price of $53. Compared to the ultimate budget motherboard (ECS K7S5A), which is available for $36 and motherboards with superior chipsets (GA-7VAXP for $70 and A7N8X for $78), the KT-748 provides decent value for money.
However, looking at the current prices of motherboards, I would spend the extra $12 for something like a Biostar or Shuttle nforce2 motherboard, and get a lower end CPU. Today most CPUs have plenty of overclocking headroom, so the superior tweaking abilities of the nForce 2 chipset will likely run the lower CPU at the same speed as what you would have purchased with the KT-748. Of course, while we do encourage wringing out all the potential performance out of your CPU, we take absolutely no responsibility for any accidents that may happen and also note that not everyone needs to do this. :P
Would I purchase this motherboard? The only reason why I would purchase this motherboard over a KT600 or nForce2 board is if price is top priority, future upgrade is secondary, and the necessity of an add-on firewire card.
Summary
| Product: | FIC KT-748
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| Website: | http://www.fic.com.tw/product/motherboard/1stmainboard_detail.aspx?model_id=123
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| Pros: |
-Very low price for supporting 200 FSB CPUs
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| Cons: |
-Poor overclocking options
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| Summary: |
A motherboard that is good for light users who may delve into video editing for hobby purposes, or would like to use external firewire drives. Overclockers avoid.
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| Rating: | 70% |
