VIA P4PA: Does what it says on the box
Ian Cunningham
Specifications
What you get in the box
Features
Overclocking
Performance
Conclusion
VIA have long been making chipsets for a wide range of CPUs, more recently focusing on the AMD range of processors. With the debut of the
P4X266 chipset (the revision before the one used in this motherboard), there were a few legal problems with Intel, claiming that VIA did
not have the correct licenses required to produce a chipset for Intel's own P4 range of CPUs.
With very few motherboard manufacturers basing a motherboard on this quite reliable chipset, VIA was forced to take matters in to its own
hands and produce motherboards based on its own chipsets themselves (much like Intel already do). This motherboard is based on the newer
revision of that very same chipset, now the P4X266A.
This motherboard supports the latest P4 processors (478 Pin
400/533Mhz FSB) with integrated AC97 audio, LAN adapted, USB
2.0 and ATA-133 support - this is quite a hefty amount of onboard peripherals, but standard for any high end motherboard. Downloading the
latest BIOS is highly recommended as it allows for 533Mhz FSB support on older versions of the board.
400/533Mhz FSB
Form Factor : 305mm x 225mm
3GB PC1600/2100 DDR SDRAM (3 Slots)
1.85V CPU Voltage Max
1 x AGP, 6 x PCI, 1 x CNR
ATA 66/100/133 support
Realtek 10/100 Onboard LAN (optional)
2 x USB 2.0 Ports, 2 x USB 1.1 Ports
VIA AC97 Onboard Audio
Strangely enough, VIA opt for the Realtek LAN adapter as opposed to their own brand - we aren't sure why this is, considering they would
benefit from using their own. All of the integrated components are a good bonus, and most are certainly good enough - with the exception
of the audio solution, as it is the most basic type available and would only really be suited to the most basic of systems.
P4PA Motherboard
2 Port USB 2.0 Bracket
1 x ATA133 Cable, 1 x ATA-33 Cable, 1 x Floppy Cable
Custom I/O Shield
Users Manual
Board Layout Sticker
Driver CD
Software CD
CD Audio Cable
The P4PA comes in a standard motherboard box with standard extras included, although they do include a dual USB 1.1 bracket. The usual
components are all included and allow you to get your system up and running without any extra cables.
The Custom I/O shield is needed for the LAN variant of the board, due to the LAN connection taking place above the USB ports. The
standard version of the motherboard is PC99 compliant and will work with the usual ATX I/O shield.
settings which can be set according to the users knowledge. One interesting feature to note is that the PX266A chipset supports the
current 1.5V AGP cards, as well as the older 3.3V ones - a necessary feature if you are intending to use an older AGP card in your
system.
The location of the power connectors is unusual, but actually advantageous to many other locations as it reduces the chances of impeding
airflow from the CPU cooler, and provides a neat route for the bundles or wires. VIA have generally made a good job at ensuring an
accessible layout, except for users with larger graphics cards - as they may have to remove the card to install memory into the first
bank.
VIA actually state in the manual that this board is "designed to support overclocking" - quite an unusual, but very welcome statement!
The BIOS features a whole range of options often not found in other boards, which allow for some advanced tweaking. The CPU core voltage
can be set from 1.1V all the way up to 1.85V - a huge range of voltages that should satisfy any overclocker. Memory timings, bank
interleaving and more options can all be set here.
The onboard sound is based on the VIA AC97 codec, and relies on the CPU to function. Gamers and audiophiles alike will no doubt want to
use a different sound card, as this will only provide the minimum quality and performance. For a workstation sound card, this is adequate
- as it is able to play most simple things without a hitch, just don't expect a surround sound experience.
This motherboard also comes with an optional onboard network adapter. Although ours didn't, we have seen this same adapter put to use on
other similar motherboards to much success. Virtually all users will find this 10/100 LAN adapter ideal for all types and sizes of
networking, as well as providing excellent compatibility will all of the common operating systems.
Two USB 2.0 ports are built into the motherboard I/O plane, with the two additional USB 1.1 ports located on an optional expansion
header. Although there aren't many USB 2.0 devices out yet, it is always good to have this feature as devices will appear soon enough
(and USB 2.0 is backwards compatible).
As VIA state that this motherboard is designed with overclocking in mind, and have included a huge rage of BIOS settings for getting the
best overclock, you would expect very good overclocking potential - and this board certainly delivers it.
FSB can be set in 1Mhz increments from 100-200Mhz
DIMM Overvoltage at +0.3V
Memory speed at 100 or 133Mhz
CPU Voltages upto 1.85V
Overclocking Results
All of these tests are conducted with the above CPU, an Intel P4 1.8A with Intel stock HSF:
Maximum Stable Overclock
2.4Ghz
(133 x 18) 266Mhz (133 x 2.0) Memory 1.700 Volts
Maximum Stable Overclock on default voltage
2.2Ghz
(123 x 18) 200Mhz (100 x 2.0) Memory
Best Combination
2.4Ghz
(133 x 18) 266Mhz (133 x 2.0) Memory 1.700 Volts
The maximum overclock for this CPU is pretty high indeed with the stock HSF, although temperatures were rather high and the memory is
high quality (as it is also being overclocked). The best combination that I found from the CPU was having the bus speed set to 134,
effectively creating a 2.4B CPU with a 533Mhz FSB - it even shows up as this in the BIOS.
The GA-8IEXP has some excellent overclocking potential, giving one of the best solutions available for P4 overclocking. The CPU core
voltage only goes up to 1.725V, which although enough for most air cooling solutions, it may not be enough with watercooling - future
BIOS updates may increase this value. The CPU socket may cause some problems with larger cooling solutions, as it can be a rather tight
fit - the stock cooling solution was fitted without any problems at all though.
The main chipset and components used in this board are very similar to that of any other 845E motherboard, so the performance should be
inline with other competing products if everything is working as it should.
Synthetic benchmarks
The P4PA is benchmarked with a Pentium 4 1.8Ghz CPU overclocked to 2.4Ghz and 512MB PC2100 using Windows XP. These benchmarks compare raw
performance characteristics between other combinations of hardware available:
The CPU performs inline with the SiSoft reference system, showing that the motherboard has no design flaws or serious performance faults.
The slight variations in results are down to background applications and hardware differences.
Memory performance has increased by about 10% over the prevision revision of the chipset, the P4X266, and it now on a par with the Intel
845x chipsets. The SiS 645 DDR333 and Intel 850 RAMBUS chipsets still take the overall lead with inherently faster memory.
Gaming benchmarks
Gaming benchmarks were run using a GeForce 4 Ti4200 (tweaked for performance) on the same 2.4Ghz PC.
The P4PA performs slightly faster than the 845E based GA-8IEXP motherboard (an already
established excellent performer). The
845E is an already established chipset and the standard for most P4 based motherboards, the comparatively new P4X266 does extremely well
to slightly overtake it in this benchmark.
Using fastest mode in the Quake 3 "four" demo, the P4PA again beats the GA-8IEXP ever so
slightly, both boards performing
very well and up to expectations. Although the P4PA has a theoretically lower memory bandwidth than the GA-8IEXP, it still manages to
overtake in this memory intensive game.
The P4PA offers some good performance in a low cost no-frills package. Enthusiasts will like this board for its good overclocking
potential and highly adjustable BIOS. This motherboard lags behind when compared to the likes of the Intel 850x and Sis 648 based
products, so if you are after a RAMBUS based motherboard or something that is able to use DDR333, then these may be a more viable
option.
All of the on-board features are welcome. The board remained stable throughout all testing, showing that this is indeed an excellent
chipset, and a well designed board. For a decent performance, low cost motherboard, this is absolutely ideal - but any power users may
want to look out for some newer chipset based motherboards that offer faster memory support. The issue with the AGP card obstructing the
DIMM slots is annoying, but a fairly common problem - not really a concern unless you will need to access the memory often. Onboard RAID
would have been an ideal addition to this type of board, but this can easily be added if needed.
Contacts
VIA Technologies Ltd
Tel: 01380 859 772
Web:
http://www.viavpsd.com/
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