Nuova MoBo DFI

Taipei, November 22th, 2000 After having introduced two models - AK74-SC and AK74-EC that adopt AMD’s Athlon processor in Socket A architecture and gaining plenty of good comments from mass media, DFI followed closely by announcing AK74-AC - the only motherboard in the market that uses KT133A chipset and supports 266MHz FSB Athlon processors. The supported 266MHz FSB Athlon processors include 1GHz, 1.1GHz, 1.2GHz, as well as future upgrade speeds. It is the motherboard with the most upgradeable and reliable benefits.

A full series of DFI AK74 motherboards To provide users who love to use AMD processors (Athlon and Duron) a worry-free stable overclocking, DFI introduces a series of AK74 motherboards - AK74-SC using VIA KT133/686A chipset, AK74-EC using KT133/686B chipset and AK74-AC using KT133A/686B chipset. Among the three models, AK74-AC is the latest motherboard with features rolled into one: 266MHz FSB, ATA/100 high-speed data transmission interface, PC-133 SDRAM module and support for 4x AGP. These features enable users to enjoy the excitement of fast speed. In addition, the AK74 series provide a special “dual air bags” protection (the Fan Guardian and the Thermal Guardian) that further satisfies users’ requirements.

DFI’s solution for protecting motherboards that adopt AMD CPUs Since AMD’s high-end Athlon and Duron microprocessors generate more heat subsequently higher temperature during system operation, it easily causes instability to the system and damage to the CPU. With DFI’s unique “dual air bags” solution exclusively designed for the AK74 series motherboards that uses AMD CPUs, users can rest assure the quality and stability of these motherboards. The first air bag is the Fan Guardian. If abnormal speed is detected, which usually means that the fan is not able to provide the optimal heat dispersion needed for the CPU, the system will automatically shut down in no time to protect the expensive CPU. The second air bag is the Thermal Guardian. The system will automatically detect the external temperature after the system boots and before the operating system starts. If the external temperature exceeds 60oC, the system will shut down automatically. Under these two protections, users can easily resolve the problem normally encountered on a motherboard that uses Athlon/Duron.

The outstanding AK74-SC and the prize winner AK74-EC When the first model AK74-SC motherboard that uses the VIA KT133 chipset was announced, it continuously received good comments from numerous mass media including the Chinese Computer Post and the Chip Magazine. Due to the reliability and stability of DFI’s products, AK74 once again gained AMD’s recognition and recommendation. Additionally, AK74-EC that supports ATA/100 also received excellent reviews in many evaluations and comparison tests. For example, the test result from PC Hardware obviously proved the superiority of this motherboard among others in the industry. Under Windows 98 SE and Win2000 server tests for Quake III Arena, SYSMark 2000, Content Creation Winstone 2000, etc., AK74-EC is able to obtain a relatively high reliability and gained superior test results than Asus’ A7V and Abit’s KT7. Meanwhile, the editor of PC Hardware indicated that “AK74-EC is definitely the best buy product; its stability and reliability exceed what we can imagine.” Of course, in many well-known websites such as Inside-Hardware, VIA Hardware, and Hardware Zone, etc, there are excellent evaluations of the product as well.

The AK74-AC supports 266MHz Front Side Bus (FSB) microprocessor After launching the AK74-SC and AK74-EC motherboards, DFI continues to announce the most efficiently configured motherboard - AK74-AC. It integrates the best performance functions of the x86 processors: 266MHz Front Side Bus (FSB), ATA/100 high-speed data transmission interface, support for 4x AGP, etc. The motherboard is equipped with 3 built-in DIMM slots with its main memory expandable to a maximum of 1.5GB. It supports PC-133, VCM SDRAM and is the only motherboard that supports Athlon CPUs with external frequency of 266MHz such as 1GHz, 1.1GHz, and 1.2GHz. Furthermore, AK74-AC supports one AMR, five PCI, one ISA, and four USB; a wide variety of choices for system expansion. With such powerful features, AK74-AC is unquestionably the only choice for speed and performance available for current high-end users.