AX4C Max Just Didn't Cut It.....

Some of you may remember me posting what was intended to be a review of the Aopen AX4C Max motherboard i bought, but the review was never completed. The simple reason for this was that the board was simply not good enough. I was unable to complete a single 3D Mark 2001SE or 2003 test run with it, and it's instability when running my DDR at 333 (the speed it's rated at!) was unbelievable. Consiquently, i returned the Aopen board and got myself a quality motherboard, the Abit IC7-G.... Now this is more like it!! Decided to pick myself up some quality ram as well, so all that's left to do is get the new 800fsb P4.... Things are looking up finally

Hi, I have finally just ritired my trusty modded TH7 II Raid.

I decided on the Aopen AX4C Max , even after reading some negative comments on it.

At this stage i am very pleased with it!!

My thoughts initially were not good, as like yourself i had terrible problems with stability , even at defualt speeds.
ALL problems i had turned out to be related to MEMORY!!! I had 2 sticks of Twinmoss PC 3200, even running at underclocked speeds with very relaxed timmings proved unstable

Single or Dual channel was basically NO GO!!!

Borrowed some cheap kingmax memory from a friend and ...BINGO!! 100% stabilty and i am also able to push the CPU 200mhz higher at lower voltage than i could on my old TH7 II.

Purchased some Corsair Twin-X PC 3200 and it agian is 100% stable..

The Aopen ( more so than other Canterwood boards) appears to be VERY picky on memory used ....especially in Dual Channel mode.

I almost gave up on this board ( i am usually an ABIT person...
) BUT am glad i persevered with the board....

I have very little doubt that my problems with the board were more to do with the memory i was using than the board itself. Perhaps i was a little harsh, the board was not a bad board by any means, and i was happy to have the extra IDE RAID connector as well as the 4 SATA connectors, something i really wish the IC7-G had, but the stability was driving me mad, and i had heard that some boards were more picky about which ram it could use than others. If only AnandTech had put up their review of which ram to use with which board sooner.... Oh well, the bottom line i guess is whatever 875P board you get, it'll be a good one.

Oh yeah, i forgot i also had a hell of a time trying to install the IAA on the Aopen board, it just wouldn't work, and the manual was little help to me, even though i am well used to Aopen's terrible translations in their manuals, the AX4C Max was the 3rd consecutive Aopen board i'd had.