AOpen AX4C Max II
Review by Harry Lam
on 12.16.03
Motherboard provided by AOpen
Accessories:
As with all AOpen motherboards, the AX4C Max II's box overflowing with extras. Four extra external brackets are included with this motherboard, adding in support for a game port, 2 firewire ports, 2 extra USB ports, and the digital S/PDIF bracket. In addition, AOpen includes three of their black IDE/floppy cables (which would be even nicer if they were rounded, but regardless they still look nice).
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The following table compares the AX4C Max II with it's predecessor, the AX4C Max. There are not too many differences between the two motherboards besides an extra PCI slot and some higher grade components/features.
| AX4C Max II | AX4C Max | |
| Northbridge: | Intel 875P - Canterwood | Intel 875P - Canterwood |
| Southbridge: | Intel ICH5R (R = Raid) | Intel ICH5R (R = Raid) |
| CPU Support: | Intel P4 533/800MHz | Intel P4 533/800MHz |
| RAM: | DDR400 (PC3200) Up to 4GB | DDR400 (PC3200) Up to 4GB |
| RAM Slots: | 4x DIMM Socket | 4x DIMM Socket |
| AGP: | 8x | 8x |
| IDE: | 2x ATA 100, 1x ATA 133 (Promise) | 2x ATA 100, 1x ATA 133 (Promise) |
| Serial ATA: | 4x Serial ATA (Promise RAID) | 4x Serial ATA (Promise RAID) |
| PCI Slots: | 6 (PCI 6 == Hercules PCI slot) | 5 (PCI 5 == Hercules PCI slot) |
| USB: | USB 2.0 / 8 ports (6 external) | USB 2.0 / 8 ports (6 external) |
| LAN: | Broadcom BCM5705 (Gigabit Ethernet) | Broadcom BCM5705 (Gigabit Ethernet) |
| Sound Codec: | Realtek ALC650 (AC97 Codec) | Realtek ALC650 (AC97 Codec) |
| Audio Channels: | Super 5.1 Channel Audio Effect | Super 5.1 Channel Audio Effect |
| Onboard Audio Output: | 3x 1/8" Jacks | 3x 1/8" Jacks |
| S/PDIF Module: (Included) |
Digital I/O Optical S/PDIF Connector |
Digital I/O Optical S/PDIF Connector |
| Onboard Connectors: | 4x Fan Headers 2x USB 2.0 (internal) AUX-IN CD-IN Wake On LAN Wake On Modem Case Open Connector Game Connector 2x IEEE 1394 S/PDIF Dr. LED IrDA Power Temperature Connector Smart Ear Connector |
3x Fan Headers 2x USB 2.0 (internal) AUX-IN CD-IN Wake On LAN Wake On Modem Case Open Connector Game Connector 2x IEEE 1394 S/PDIF Dr. LED IrDA |
| Firewire: | IEEE 1394 / 2 ports | IEEE 1394 / 2 ports |
| I/O Chip: | ICH5R | ICH5R |
| Adjustable Voltages: | VCore, AGP Voltage, Memory Voltage | VCore, AGP Voltage, Memory Voltage |
| Watch Dog Timer: | Yes | Yes |
| Hyperthreading Support: | Yes | Yes |
| Diehard BIOS: | Yes (Diehard BIOS II) | Yes (Diehard BIOS II) |
| SilentTek Technology: | Yes | Yes |
| Raid Support: | Yes | Yes |
| Dr. Voice II: | Yes (4 languages) | Yes (4 languages) |
| Hercules PCI: | Yes | Yes |
| V4 Power Engine: | Yes | Yes |
| High-Density 6-Layer PCB | Yes | No |
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