ECS k7S5A performance?

Now that these are so cheap on Newegg, would it be wise to get one? I run an MSI K7T-turbo and it seems to be sort of slow. Not only that, but my XP1600+ AGOIA will only OC to about 1500 with good cooling. So I'm thinking it's the mobo I have, or else the fact hat I use PC133 RAM instead of DDR. Does the ECS OC very well? I'm not looking to get to 2ghz or anything too crazy, just maybe 1.7 or 1.8. I could get the board and use my current RAM, then switch to some fast DDR later. Sound like a good plan?

To overclock on that mobo you need to install a special bios. After that it overclocks decent. I would say go ahead with your plan.

Project86 said:

Does the ECS OC very well? I'm not looking to get to 2ghz or anything too crazy, just maybe 1.7 or 1.8. I could get the board and use my current RAM, then switch to some fast DDR later. Sound like a good plan?

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While the ECS K7S5A mobo is great product offering value for money and a reasonably fast system you often get in this world what you pay for and imho while it is not a bad overclockers this mobo simply does not like exceptionally high FSB speeds or have the options available to it to be classed as a great overclocker.
Having said that, I do actually like these mobo's and consider that they offer performance which often exceeds the price you pay for them.
Your plan is a good one, based on logic and cost.. stick to it.

Yep. I like the K7S5A. I've been running at least one of these for over a year now.

The k7s5a is a decent mobo. Sorta like a newb's mobo where you can learn the ins and outs of overclocking. The cheepobios offers very limited o/c FSB options. You can also use software programns like cpufsb or setfsb to increase the fsb while in windows.

Just one thing. If you're planning on hitting 1.7Ghz or 1.8Ghz. this is not the mobo to do it with a XP1600+. That's because of the limited o/c features of the mobo. There is no multiplier option in the bios. You'll need to do a mobo mod to be able to change the multi. Very, very few ppl have been able to run at 166fsb. The highest most have gotten to is 150fsb. So that would give you 1575mhz (10.5x150). Still not bad for an inexpensive mobo.

i'm using the k7s5a and have been able to clock my 1ghz duron to 1.24ghz stable with just stock amd cooling and good airflow from case fans, just flash the bios with honeyx or cheepomans modded bios you can find them easily with a search engine, however a duron is on 100fsb to begin with while your xp is on 133, the k7s5a doesn't like high fsb, the settings aren't linear (+1), they jump: 100/100, 107/107, 110/110, 112/112, 124/124, 133/133, 138/138, 142/142, 150/150, 166/166, 166/133, 200/200. I think that's most of them, from what i remember. You should be able to use 138/138 or 142/142 with no problem. But I don't know if your pc133 ram can handle it... For the same money, I suggest you get a newegg refurbed kt333 or kt400 motherboard, seen some very very good prices for them there. I think the sis 735 chipset that k7s5a uses outperforms kt266 but not kt266a

if you do decide to get a kt333 or kt400, they only use ddr ram, so you would have to get new ram...i saw some pc2700(ddr333) kingston ram 512mb for only $128 on newegg.com