ABIT VA6 Apollo Pro 133 Slot-1 ATX

The Test

In recent times, choosing a motherboard cannot be completely determined by a Winstone score. Now, many boards come within one Winstone point of each other and therefore the need to benchmark boards against each other falls. Therefore you shouldn't base your decision entirely on the benchmarks you see here, but also on the technical features and advantages of this particular board, seeing as that will probably make the greatest difference in your overall experience.

Click Here to learn about AnandTech's Motherboard Testing Methodology.

It honestly looks like the VA6 was nothing more than a BH6 modified for use with the Apollo Pro 133 chipset. We have seen this scenario all too much with ABIT motherboards, they release a version to the public (keep in mind that the revision we tested has been seen in retail channels) that simply isn't fit for sale and then correct the problems in a later revision.

The VA6 has the potential to become a pretty good 133MHz FSB motherboard solution, but there are a number of issues which we pointed out that must be addressed before the VA6 can fulfill that destiny. ABIT has never been known for being the best in stability but this is simply unacceptable.

Your best bet is to stay away from the VA6 until you start hearing some more success stories from actual VA6 owners, because in the end, it's the user that decides how good a motherboard is, not a reviewer. Because at a price point of around $80 (partially courtesy of the low-cost VIA chipset), the VA6 when combined with a FC-PGA Pentium III could make for a very high performing yet affordable upgrade.

How it Rates

Click Here to learn about AnandTech's Motherboard Testing Methodology.