ECS K7S5A Motherboard- Page 1/5
August 8, 2001
By
Robert Richmond
EliteGroup Computer Systems recently announced the availability of its latest Socket A AMD Athlon motherboard, the K7S5A. The K7S5A is the first commercially available motherboard for both the OEM and retail market segments based on Silicon Integrated Systems new SIS735 chipset.
This single-chip solution integrates a variety of performance options, such as high-speed DDR memory support, multi-threaded concurrent transactions, a dedicated ATA/100 IDE controller, and AGP v2.0 4x transfers. Additional support is extended for integrated AC97 audio, an audio/modem riser (AMR), and an optional 10/100 Mbps network controller. ECS has brought us great designs for even better prices in the past; hopefully the K7S5A will continue in this long-term tradition.
ECS K7S5A Motherboard Specifications
Processor Support
Socket A, currently 550 MHz - 1.4+ GHz Compatible with AMD Duron/Thunderbird series 200 - 266 MHz Processor Bus Compatible
AC '97 Compliant 3D Audio Codec Microsoft Windows WHQL Compliant
Integrated I/O
2x USB v1.1 Standard, Support for 2 More Via Header 1x Parallel, ECP and EPP supported 2x Serial, max 115,200bps FIFO 2x PS/2 Keyboard + Mouse Game/Midi/Audio Riser Connectors 10/100 Mbps LAN Controller (Optional)
BIOS
2 MB AMI BIOS (Full ACPI, DMI, PnP, Virus Protect)
PC Monitoring
CPU / Motherboard Temperatures CPU / System Fan Speeds Multiple Voltage Levels
Form Factor
ATX, 30.4 cm x 24.4 cm
Voltage Support
Voltage Autodetect Routine
Bundled Software
ECS Support CD PC-Cillin 2000 Anti-Virus MediaRing Talk WinDVD 2000 (Optional)
CS delivers yet another great design with the K7S5A. This SIS735 chipset motherboard offers the best performance as compared to any other DDR board in its class.
The K7S5A offers an effective layout through an efficient design approach. The large 30.4 x 24.4 centimeter footprint allows for a great amount of clearance between each onboard device, especially as the single-chip SIS735 controller only resides on a small portion of the PCB real estate. A large mid-tower case is recommended, though even the smallest case should accommodate this board assuming the power supply offers enough clearance. The nearly jumper-free design is also appreciated, as this motherboard only features two board level jumpers.
The only potential design negative is the limited amount of clearance available between the processor socket and the corresponding processor capacitors. Perfectly vertical or offset-notched heatsinks should prove usable, though users hoping to utilize the largest coolers will need to closely examine the heatsinks' size specifications. Thermaltake's SuperORB proved tedious to align with the fins brushing against the center capacitor during installation. To contrast, AMD's spec approved retail heatsink snapped in place with a minimum of effort.
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