i820 Motherboard Roundup - January 2000

BIOS Setup & Support

Another often overlooked feature is a motherboard’s BIOS setup utility.  All of the i820 motherboards use a BIOS – contained within the i820’s Firmware Hub (FWH) – manufactured by either AMI or AWARD. 

Our preference in the lab is towards the AWARD 6.00 setup utility, but the most important consideration is how thorough the setup utility covers the features and options of the chipset.  Arguably of equal worth to any motherboard is how well the manufacturer keeps the BIOS up to date and takes care of problems as they become aware.  

The only way to truly measure this is by visiting the manufacturer’s support section and take a look at BIOS updates for other motherboards as well as ask around online message board forums and newsgroups. 

Manufacturer Support

One of the most important features when dealing with any motherboard is the support that backs it. Support is available not only in the form of written documentation but through the manufacturers’ web site in the form of driver downloads, BIOS updates, and more. It’s always good practice to check around motherboard manufacturers’ web sites in order to see the frequency at which they update their BIOSes (especially for older motherboards).

There is no replacement for word of mouth passed on by other users, and it seems like motherboards don’t inspire the same tension that video cards and CPUs do when it comes to asking for advice. Whereas asking the question "3dfx or NVIDIA?" or "AMD or Intel" in most newsgroups will end up in a flame war, asking for personal experiences with a particular motherboard manufacturer on-line will usually give you a good set of responses to help gauge your motherboard manufacturer’s support rating. The AnandTech Motherboard Discussion Forum on the AnandTech Forums is an excellent place to ask about individual experiences with motherboard manufacturers.