Epox 8K5A2+ Motherboard Review - PAGE 1

While the KT400 has been released already, reports are that it isn’t the most mature chipset yet, and motherboards with that chipset are neither faster nor more overclock friendly then KT333 based boards. This is why many companies still have new KT333 boards very much worth taking a look at, like Epox’s 8K5A2+.

When I met some folks at Epox a few years ago, one thing struck me: they were really keen on pleasing the overclocker. I remember them telling me they weren’t known for overclocking, but they intended on changing that. Well they’ve definitely succeeded: many people view Epox as one of the most overclock friendly companies. And the 8K5A2+ fits well with that expectation.

Specs, Basics and Layout

The 8K5A2+ comes with all the features expected from a current KT333 board. 6PCI slots, 6 total USB 2.0 ports (4 onboard and 2 more on an expansion bracket), and official DDR266 in support with integrated LAN, audio, and IDE RAID via Highpoint’s HPT372 chip. The VIA Tahoe VT6013 chip provides Ethernet connectivity, and the Realtek ALC650 chip provides full duplex 5.1 sound.

Southbridge, Highpoint, and Winbond Chips

Our box came with Epox’s Bluetooth transceiver key and Bluetooth expansion bracket. You have to make sure you have one of the 8K5A2+B1 or 8K5A2+B1 models to get the Bluetooth hardware, which will enable you to wirelessly connect your 8K5A2+ system to any other system with a USB port at 1Mbps. If you have a Bluetooth enabled device like a mobile phone or PDA, you can connect to either your 8K5A2+ system or the system with the transceiver key to synchronize your schedule, transfer contact info, and transfer files. I use my own Bluetooth enabled T68i mobile with a transceiver key from MSI to synchronize my MS Outlook calendar with my phone.

The board layout of the 8K5A2+ is standard, though some quirks that I have always found irksome still stand out. For instance the AGP slot is still too close to the DIMM slots, such that a full length AGP card (take the Ti4600 for example) would prevent you from easily accessing all three slots. The row of capacitors to the left of the CPU may be a nuisance for those who have extra large heatsinks, but for me they are just a nuisance because they form a row against which my fingers have to work. For those of you with large tower cases, note how IDE connectors are on the lower half of the board, and the floppy connector is at the very bottom baseline.

Error Code LED

By the way, see how our board comes with a much nicer heatsink then the one pictured on Epox’s own site?. You’ll also note that Epox continues its tradition of providing easy boot-up diagnostics via their visible POST codes LED display. I personally find this solution more convenient than MSI’s D-bracket system, since it integrates right onboard and doesn’t take up an expansion slot, but some may prefer the D-bracket’s simplicity and ease of visibility without opening up the case.