FIC AU13 Motherboard - FIC AU13 Motherboard

(Page 6 of 6 )

 

---

 

FIC AU13 Chameleon Max

 

 

Conclusion
The FIC AU13 Chameleon MAX is a better motherboard than I originally thought. It just goes to show that preconceptions can cloud judgement. Even with a 'normal' cooling solution, the overclocking potential is excellent. Support for 400 MHZ FSB is there although I could not go above that. This board is a good choice for the casual user as well as the someone just getting into overclocking as it performs very well running at default or pumped to it's max FSB setting. I believe that with one of the new 400MHz Barton's I would not have had any problems running the 3D benchmarks. I will chalk up the 3Dmark failures at high FSB and CPU multiplier to the XP2500+ I was using and not the motherboard until I can definitely prove otherwise.

Pros

• Overclocks well with normal air cooling solution

• Decent BIOS options for average user and new overclocker

• "Hot Keys" in BIOS allow direct access to default and performance settings

• Heatsinks on the Northbridge and the Southbridge

• Good selection of brackets and motherboard headers for extra USB and Firewire ports

• Good performance for the suggested retail price

 

Cons

• Would like to see an active heatsink on the Northbridge chip

• AGP slot is too close to the DIMM slot retention lever for easy access with AGP card installed

• Included Logo Genie software is not Win2K/XP compatible

• Row of capacitors is a little too close to the ZIF socket for large HSF units but the Vantec Aeroflow fits just fine and does a great cooling job.

• Cluster of main power, IDE and Floppy cable connectors makes removing and adding cables slightly difficult.

So, would I recommend this motherboard? Well, you get a lot of the same performance of the NF7-S for about $46 less. It's not the prettiest motherboard and it's accessory package is somewhat lacking but the price/performance ratio on this motherboard is excellent. So, yes I would recommend this motherboard if someone were looking to save money and get really good performance to boot. I would like to thank FIC for providing the AU13 Chameleon MAX for review.

DISCLAIMER: The content provided in this article is not warranted or guaranteed by Developer Shed, Inc. The content provided is intended for entertainment and/or educational purposes in order to introduce to the reader key ideas, concepts, and/or product reviews. As such it is incumbent upon the reader to employ real-world tactics for security and implementation of best practices. We are not liable for any negative consequences that may result from implementing any information covered in our articles or tutorials. If this is a hardware review, it is not recommended to open and/or modify your hardware.

Comments On: FIC AU13 Motherboard

>>> Be the FIRST to comment on this article!

Recommended by Dev Hardware