Performance

We chose ABIT KV8-MAX3 mainboard as a reference point for our ECS 755-A2. This Socket754 mainboard from ABIT is based on the VIA K8T800 chipset and is one of the fastest available solutions for the Socket 754 platform. I guess this comparison is a good trial for the new product from ECS.

We used the following testbed:

• AMD Athlon 64 3000+ CPU;
• ABIT KV8-MAX3 and ECS 755-A2 mainboards;
• 1GB DDR400 SDRAM (Corsair CMX512-3200LLPRO, 2 x 512MB, 2-3-2-6);
• ASUS RADEON 9800 XT graphics card (Catalyst 4.10);
• RAID0 array of two Western Digital Raptor WD360GD HDDs.

The testbed ran under Microsoft Windows XP SP1; the mainboard BIOSes were set up for the best performance.

The following table lists the benchmarking results in various applications:

As you see, the performance level of ECS 755-A2 is high, mostly due to the SiS755 chipset, the fastest chipset for the Athlon 64 today. ECS 755-A2 mainboard is faster than ABIT KV8-MAX3 in most cases, although we have considered ABIT KV8-MAX3 to be the fastest mainboard according to our previous tests.

Conclusion

ECS 755-A2 mainboard we have introduced to you today is the first off-the-shelf product on the new SiS755 chipset for the Athlon 64 processor. Although SiS positions its chipsets as solutions for low-cost mainboards, and ECS 755-A2 is exactly this type of product, the chipset is simply wonderful. We have received another proof of its high speed characteristics. Due to SiS755 Elitegroup engineers built a mainboard with all the features a user expects to see in an inexpensive solution. Good functionality, excellent performance and low pricing distinguish ECS 755-A2 from the competitors.

Thanks to that, ECS 755-A2 may make a good foundation for a system with a junior Athlon 64 (3000+). Again, the kit including this mainboard and processor will cost you less than $300, which is quite an appealing price. Regrettably, ECS 755-A2 is no free from a few drawbacks that result from this very inexpensiveness. The manufacturer was too economical, and mostly at the expense of overclocking options. You get very average results with ECS 755-A2 when overclocking the CPU: you can’t lock AGP/PCI frequencies when increasing the FSB frequency, and you can’t increase the CPU voltage with the standard mainboard options. That’s why I wouldn’t recommend you this mainboard, if you are intending to overclock your CPU.

Highs:

• Highest performance;
• High stability;
• Low price.

Lows:

• Poor CPU overclocking options;
• Some drawbacks in the PCB design;
• Scanty accessories.