AOpen's AX6BC is a standard single CPU 440BX mainboard with 5 PCI slots, 2 ISA slots, and 3 DIMM module slots. As with the newest mainboard offerings from rival Abit, AOpen's AX6BC is equipped with a simple jumperless BIOS setting program which eases the selection of various CPU and FSB speeds (particularly for the overclocker). Unlike Abit's "Soft-Menu II" however, the AX6BC offers no ability to adjust or change the voltage level of the CPU. This shortcoming isn't as important as it used to be, as the .25 micron Deschutes core Pentium 2s (P2-333, 350, 400, 450) usually need no voltage increases to achieve basic overclocked MHz levels.
In addition to the wonderful jumperless setup, the AX6BC utilizes a brand new BIOS from AOpen (10-21-98) which allows for more detailed control over SDRAM and PCI configurations than most 440BX boards on the market.
Here's the detailed spec sheet for the AX6BC in all it's glory:
CPU
Intel Pentium II CPUs
233~333Mhz(Extra Bus Clock: 66Mhz), 350~450Mhz(Extra Bus Clock: 100Mhz) Intel Celeron CPUs
266, 300, 300A, 333MHz(Extra Bus Clock: 66MHz)
ASIC
Intel 440BX AGPset
Architecture
2 ISA slots + 5 PCI slots +1AGP slots
Max. Main Memory
768 MB SDRAM or Registered SDRAM for DIMM X 3
DIMM Type
8/16/32/64/128/256 MB
BIOS
Award Plug and Play Flash ROM BIOS
On Board I/O
2 Serial Ports (UART 16C550 Supported)
1 Parallel Port (SPP/EPP/ECP Supported)
2 Floppy Drive supported (1.2/1.44/2.88MB)
2 Channel IDE (Mode 4 and Ultra DMA/33 Bus Mastering Supported)
2 USB ports supported (Universal Serial Bus)
Battery
3V Lithium Battery
Green Function
Yes
Board Size
224mm x 305mm, ATX Form Factor
Jumper-Less, Battery-Less Design
Supports 100Mhz, 103MHz, 112MHz, 133MHz FSB Speeds
Switching Mode Voltage Regulator and CPU Voltage Auto-Detect
2Mb Flash ROM BIOS with ACPI support for PC98/Win'98
Support USB Hot Plug Function
Resetable Fuse Providing Short Circuit Protection for Keyboard and USB Device
SB-LINK Connector Support
AOpen Bonus Pack (Norton Anti-Virus included)
Lots of good stuff there, including the addition of Norton's Anti-Virus software (a good program to have if you spend as much time on the net as we do) for free.
AOpen seems to have really bent over backward to provide the foundation of a great mainboard in the AX6BC, but how well does it all work in the real world?
