Chaintech CT-6OJV2 Socket-370 i815E ATX

AnandTech Motherboard Rating

Performance

Chaintech motherboards usually have good performance, and the performance of the CT-6OJV2 is also among the top i815 motherboards.

Price

For a price of around $130, the CT-6OJV2 comes at a decent price if you are not looking for lots of special features.

Stability

The stability of the CT-6OJV2 is just average among other i815 motherboards.  During our stability test, it crashed for a total of 7 times in a 24 hours span.  Quite a surprise considering the Chaintech’s tradition of high stability in their previous products.

Quality

Chaintech has always been associated with high quality products, and the CT-6OJV2 follows that tradition.  Although the capacitors are not as high quality as what we would expect, the choice of using two BIOS chips, C-Media 8738 audio, and the ITE 8712 I/O controller still prove that Chaintech still emphasizes on quality.

Features

3 BIOS is an excellent feature, except that the name is misleading.  The on-board sound actually gives users a better choice for audio besides getting a separate sound card.  The Value Pack 2000 also provides users with some handy software when they build their systems.

Layout

The layout of CT-6OJV2 is generally good.  The placement of the 2 extra USB connectors and the second serial connector are appropriate.  The location of the power supply connector is the only drawback.

Availability

This really hurts Chaintech.  Not only the CT-6OJV2, but almost all Chaintechmotherboards are hard to find.  They are only available in a handful of online stores and OEM systems. 

Documentation & Software Bundle

Chaintech should have included a hardcopy of the manual with the package.  Also, the manual lacks instructions for first time users on how to install the motherboard, drivers, and software.  The Value Pack 2000, drivers, and utilities included are very useful by the way.