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Summary

The following is a summary. For a more detailed review, please see the complete review.

The AG8 weighs in at just over the $100 mark and sports some great enthusiast options that ABIT has become known for. Though both the ABIT AG8 and the Chaintech V915P (which we reviewed here recently) use the same chipset and memory type, the ABIT package is a bit different and will appeal to a very different crowd.

Features
ABIT went with a Realtek ALC658 chip which supports only AC’97 audio, instead of something that supports Intel’s HD Audio specification. This compromise allows ABIT to set the AG8 at a lower price.

Other notable features are 3 Firewire connections (all usable), SATA RAID (using Intel’s Matrix RAID), 8 USB 2.0 connections (6 usable out of the box), and SPDIF input and output. There is also ABIT’s trademark uGuru microprocessor that gives enthusiasts many options to adjust performance, cooling, and system health.

The ABIT AG8 is stable at 261MHz / 1044MHz bus speed.

The big feature of the ABIT AG8 is the overclocking ability. The ABIT AG8 managed to top out at 261MHz (1044MHz bus speed) which makes the AG8 the best overclocking Intel 915P we have tested here on PC Perspective! A 261MHz overclock is amazing and I’m sure it can go further given better cooling and if I weren’t using SATA.

Performance

	ABIT AG8 (i915P) - Pentium 4 560E, 1GB DDR
	Chaintech V915P (i915P) - Pentium 4 560E, 1GB DDR
	Intel i915P with DDR2 - Pentium 4 560E, 1GB DDR2
	VIA K8T800 Pro - Athlon 64 3200+ (754 pin), 1GB DDR
	NVIDIA nForce2 Ultra400 - Athlon XP3200+, 1GB DDR

	ABIT AG8 (i915P) - Pentium 4 560E, 1GB DDR
	Chaintech V915P (i915P) - Pentium 4 560E, 1GB DDR
	Intel i915P with DDR2 - Pentium 4 560E, 1GB DDR2
	VIA K8T800 Pro - Athlon 64 3200+ (754 pin), 1GB DDR
	NVIDIA nForce2 Ultra400 - Athlon XP3200+, 1GB DDR

	ABIT AG8 (i915P) - Pentium 4 560E, 1GB DDR
	Chaintech V915P (i915P) - Pentium 4 560E, 1GB DDR
	Intel i915P with DDR2 - Pentium 4 560E, 1GB DDR2
	VIA K8T800 Pro - Athlon 64 3200+ (754 pin), 1GB DDR
	NVIDIA nForce2 Ultra400 - Athlon XP3200+, 1GB DDR

	ABIT AG8 (i915P) - Pentium 4 560E, 1GB DDR
	Chaintech V915P (i915P) - Pentium 4 560E, 1GB DDR
	Intel i915P with DDR2 - Pentium 4 560E, 1GB DDR2
	VIA K8T800 Pro - Athlon 64 3200+ (754 pin), 1GB DDR
	NVIDIA nForce2 Ultra400 - Athlon XP3200+, 1GB DDR

The ABIT AG8 is a top performer. It is slightly faster than the Chaintech V915P even though the two boards use the same chipset, RAM, and are identically configured. Somewhere ABIT has done some engineering to this motherboard that has given it a kick in performance. Compared to the more expensive 915P using DDR2, it performs essentially the same. In most tests we have run, the AG8 is matches the scores of the more expensive configuration.

Impressions & Conclusions

ABIT supports the AG8 with a 3-year warranty and free spare parts service. Regarding the free spare parts, all you pay for is the shipping and handling for small parts like CMOS chips, chipset fans, and even CPU retention clips. This is an amazing convenience since it no longer means sending back your board and dealing with down-time for a small problem. This service however is limited to USA and Canada. You can find more information here: http://www.abit-usa.com/abitparts/.

The ABIT AG8 is a well packaged, executed, and supported product. The company boasts enthusiast features and it really does deliver. Though I feel the audio could be stronger, it allows the AG8 to hit a sweet price point just above $100 USD. With 64-bit Socket 775 Intel CPUs hitting the market in a month or two, this AG8 is going to be a hot item.

All things considered, we are giving the ABIT AG8 a Gold Award for its performance, affordability, and great support by the company.

	Strong Points
	* Best overclocking performance so far on PCPer (261MHz). * Comparable performance to the more expensive 915P using DDR2.	* 3 Firewire ports, SPDIF I/O, and SATA Matrix RAID * Many overclocking and tweaking options. BIOS controllable fans. * Affordable. * 3-year warranty and free parts service.
	Issues to be Aware Of
	* Audio uses AC'97 codec, not Intel HD Audio spec. * Cooler on Northbridge may conflict with larger heatsinks. * Overclocking performance dependant upon use of SATA.	* LAN uses Realtek RTL8110. * Floppy and Parallel ATA connectors may require longer cables.

For a more detailed review, please see the complete review. Feel free to use our PriceGrabber service to find the best deals on this amazing motherboard!

Click here for the Detailed Review