Verdict: Proof that you don't have to buy an nForce4 motherboard

The Abit AX8 is the only motherboard in this Labs test to be based on the VIA K8T890 chipset. As we saw last month, it's more than capable of slugging it out with any nForce4 board in terms of performance, and it's a good overclocker too.

The minimalist bundle matches its low price. Included are four S-ATA cables, EIDE and floppy cables, and a bracket with two USB 2 ports and an extra FireWire port. The PCB is an orange/red colour, with matching plastic parts and a blue anodised heatsink on the Northbridge. Unlike nForce4, the K8T890 chipset comprises two separate chips, so the PCB is a lot more crowded. The positioning of the Northbridge could be better, as it could get in the way of larger CPU HSFs. We also had to bend a few capacitors out of the way when installing the graphics card.

In what is now becoming an Abit tradition, the two EIDE ports are mounted at 90-degrees angles to the edge of the board, making it easier to cable your PC tidily. There's also a third EIDE port at the bottom of the board. This runs off the VIA VT6421L chip, which also powers two of the S-ATA ports. The on-board AC97 sound is handled by the Realtek ALC658 chip, which supports up to six channels. Its a shame Abit insists on integrating such basic sound chips with its motherboards.There are analogue outputs, as well as optical S/PDIF inputs and outputs.

The BIOS is what we have come to expect from Abit motherboards, and offers plenty of options. It allows a maximum CPU voltage of 1.75V (0.2V above the default voltage) and FSB adjustment up to 400MHz, meaning it should be capable of a decent overclock. To test this, we lowered the CPU multiplier of our test chip and it happily achieved a 275MHz FSB. However, although this is a good result, it's still a little tame compared with the overclocks that the high-end nForce4 motherboards managed.

At £72.25 the AX8 is very cheap and a great alternative to an nForce4 board. However, the Foxconn has S-ATA II support and 8-channel audio for just £5 more. It's a close-run thing, but we'd probably buy the Foxconn.

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