Original Link: https://www.anandtech.com/show/650



Around this time last year, we were very busy running benchmarks on different BX boards. Most motherboard manufacturers were trying to push out their "last" series of BX boards before the long overdue i820 chipset. We put "last" in quotes because the i820 chipset wasn't out for long before it became clear that the 440BX chipset still had quite a bit of life left. This summer marked the release of another Intel chipset, but things have changed quite a bit this time around. Since the BX chipset really is getting old and Intel is making the i815 chipset their flagship model, we're seeing more and more i815 motherboards emerging on a regular basis. The i815 chipset might not outperform the 440BX chipset in every situation, but its support for 133MHz FSB, 1/2 AGP bus divider, AGP 4X, Intel's Hub Architecture, and more, means that just about every manufacturer is making an i815-based product.

Another noticeable change between one year ago and today is the evolution of RAID. One year ago, RAID seemed to be a luxury destined solely for high-end servers and workstations. Since that time, the accessibility of RAID has increased dramatically thanks to the widespread availability of inexpensive IDE RAID controllers. At the same time, RAID controllers began appearing on quite a few motherboards. More people start using RAID to either increase performance or reliability, or both, as the price of the controllers and drives continue to drop.

RAID controllers have appeared on motherboards using many different chipsets, including the Intel 440BX and the VIA KT133. It was just a matter of time before RAID controllers started appearing on i815/i815E motherboards. And Iwill, who has been a big supporter of Intel and RAID, happens to be the first company to ship us their i815E motherboard with an on-board RAID controller, the WO2-R.

Iwill WO2-R

CPU Interface
Socket-370
Chipset
Intel i815E
Form Factor
ATX
Bus Speeds

66 - 200 MHz (1 MHz increments)

Voltages Supported

Auto Detect / +5% / +10%

Memory Slots
3 168-pin DIMM Slots
Expansion Slots

1 AGP Slot
5 PCI Slots (4 full length)
1 CNR Slot (1 Shared)
0 ISA Slots

On-board Audio
C-Media CMI-8738 3D 4.1 Hardware Sound
BIOS

Award Modular BIOS 6.00PGN


The Good

Usually when a motherboard has some extra features like an additional drive controller, the size of the board will increase quite a bit, so that the manufacturer can make room for the additional components and route the traces properly. To our surprise, the WO2-R's PCB measure just 12 by 8.5 inches, which is about the same size as most other i815/815E motherboards out there. In general, a smaller PCB means lower production costs, which can often lead to lower prices for the end user.

The next thing we noticed about the layout is the ATX power supply connector. It is placed in the front of the board, together with the floppy drive connector and the IDE connectors. First of all, this is great news since the power cables will not need to run over the CPU and memory, so it will not block airflow. As processors get hotter with higher clock speeds, this can become a significant cooling issue. On the other hand, since the power supply connector is so close to the other connectors, when everything is seated inside the case, all the IDE cables, floppy cable, and the power cables will run together. At this point the best place for the connector is still the right edge of the board, but Iwill has done a pretty good job in placing the power supply connector.

When it comes to the ATA 100 RAID controller, Iwill goes to one of the biggest names in the industry, American Megatrends. The American Megatrends HG80649 controller sits at the front of the motherboard and supports two Ultra ATA 100 channels, which means users can connect up to four Ultra ATA 100 devices (two devices per channel). Like most common IDE RAID controllers, the AMI controller supports RAID 0, 1, and 0+1 functions, which are the most popular options nowadays. The absence of RAID 5 support is another indicator that while IDE RAID may be an interesting arena to toy in, it is still far from the level of performance and especially reliability of hardware SCSI RAID 5 solutions. Unlike most motherboards, where users have to choose SCSI as the boot drive in the BIOS, users actually have a choice of RAID100 as the boot drive. This should clear up quite a bit of confusion.



Below the PCI slots is the 82810BA I/O Controller Hub 2 (ICH2), which is what differentiates the i815E chipset from the i815 chipset. The i815 chipset, which uses the 82810AA ICH1, only has Ultra ATA 66 support. The 82810BA ICH2 not only features Ultra ATA 100 support, but also adds a second USB controller and the Intel 82559 network controller.

With the two IDE channels from the AMI RAID controller, users can connect a total of eight Ultra ATA 100 devices, which should be more than enough for most users. Even if you do not use the RAID functionality, you can just treat the AMI RAID controller as a normal Ultra ATA 100 controller. Iwill was also nice enough to provide two 80-pin IDE cables and one 40-pin IDE cable, so users can connect up to four Ultra ATA 100 devices and two ATA 33 devices right out of the box.

When it come to overclocking, Iwill has introduced a feature they like to call "Microstepping," which allow the FSB to be adjusted in 1 MHz increments. In the BIOS, you'll find what they refer to as "ByeBye Jumper Iwill Smart Settings." Here, you can find all the FSB settings available, which is 66 - 200 MHz in 1 MHz increments. Our board was originally using a BIOS dated 7/10/2000 that only had a few FSB settings available, and they were dependent on the default speed of the CPU. However, with a simple BIOS flash to the one dated 9/25/2000, all the FSB settings appear. Since Intel processors are all multiplier locked, this wide range of FSB settings provides you with all the control you'll need to push your CPU to the limit.

Iwill understands that FSB settings are not enough for ultimate overclocking, so they also provide some voltage tweaking for core voltage and I/O voltage. Unfortunately, for the processor core voltage, users are only allowed to choose default, +5%, or +10%. We would prefer to have some more intermediate settings so users can have better overclocking results. For the I/O voltages, you can either choose the 3.4V default, +5%, or +10%. We have yet to see evidence where I/O voltage can be helpful in overclocking, but it might come in handy under the right circumstances. Perhaps in an attempt to dissuade users from using the voltage tweaking features, they've made them less user-friendly than the rest of the CPU setup, forcing you to get your hands dirty with physical jumpers on the motherboard.

The WO2-R uses the Winbond W83627HF-AW Super I/O controller, which includes integrated hardware monitoring support. In the PC Health panel of the BIOS, you can read about the temperature of the CPU via the CPU's on-die thermal diode. Users can also read two additional temperatures using the external thermistor headers. Unfortunately, Iwill does not include thermistor cables to take advantage of those headers. Moreover, there are three fan connectors on the motherboard that are all monitored through the PC Health panel. Last of all, the CPU core voltage is shown in the panel, but not the AGP voltage.

To ensure the board is stable, Iwill put a total of 13 1500uF capacitors around the Socket-370 interface. The result of this work is that the WO2-R was a little above average in our stability tests. Some of the capacitors are a bit close to the CPU socket, which may prevent the installation of oversized HSF units. It also implies that the oversized FC-PGA-C coolers, which are required for 1GHz and above processors, might not work with this motherboard.

The 82815 Graphic and Memory Controller Hub (GMCH), which is the core of the i815 chipset, sits to the left of the CPU socket. It features integrated i752-based 3D video. One serial port is replaced by the VGA connector at the back of the motherboard. However, from our Intel i815 chipset article, you can see that the integrated i752 performs quite poorly. It should be enough for most users who do not use any 3D accelerated applications, but for everyone else, the on-board video is definitely not acceptable. Fortunately, an AGP slot is provided allowing you to install any video. The AGP slot is a "universal slot," meaning that you can put in almost any AGP card. Since the on-board VGA connector replaces one serial port, Iwill puts the second serial port connector above the forth and fifth PCI slots, and they include the necessary serial port bracket.



The Features

Like most i815/i815E motherboards, the WO2-R has three DIMM slots, supporting a maximum of 512MB SDRAM. To most users, 512MB memory is more than enough for now, but this certainly won't be the case forever. Further, a decent server or workstation currently still requires 1GB or more memory, so 512MB is definitely not enough. This is not a fault of Iwill though; but rather is a limitation of the i815/i815E chipsets. Further, the i815/i815E chipsets also have some constraints on memory types. If you want to use PC133 SDRAM, only the first two DIMM slots can be populated. If users want to use all three DIMM slots, the memory will have to run in PC100 mode. If you don't feel like following the specifications put forth by Intel, the WO2-R does allow you to run all modules in PC133 mode, but the system became quite unstable in our testing with this option enabled. So far the ASUS CUSL2 is the only i815E solution that we have tested that can run all three DIMMs in PC133 mode without sacrificing stability.

As mentioned previously, the 82801BA ICH2 features a second USB controller and the Intel 82559 network controller. The second USB controller allows two more USB devices on top of the original two. The original USB connectors are located at the back of the I/O panel, and Iwill puts the extra two USB headers on the left hand side of the motherboard. However, Iwill does not include the necessary USB bracket to take advantage of those extra USB ports, so you will have to get their own expansion bracket or a USB hub if you want to connect more than two USB devices.

Unlike most i815/i815E boards, the WO2-R only features 5 PCI slots as part of its 5/0/1/1 (PCI/ISA/CNR/AGP) expansion slot setup. Most of the i815/i815E ATX boards we have dealt with equip with 6 PCI slots. Although there may not be a lot of users with more than five PCI devices, but more expansion never hurts. In this case, Iwill effectively used up one of those PCI slots by integrated the PCI-based AMI IDE RAID controller on the motherboard.

The CNR slot is shared with the fifth PCI slot and provides access to the 82559 network controller integrated in the 82810BA ICH2. The integrated network controller supports 10Mbps Home PNA 2.0 or 10/100 Ethernet depending on the CNR card that is plugged in. However, currently we only see a handful of suppliers of CNR cards, which is unfortunate because the 82559 network controller is quite good and the CNR cards are relatively cheap.

Iwill uses the C-media CMI-8738 3D 4.1 PCI sound controller for onboard sound support, which has a much better sound quality than the usual AC97 CODEC found on most i815E boards. The controller supports a 4.1 speaker setup (front/rear + subwoofer) and it uses a technology from CRL 3D Audio, the 32-voice HRTF-base 3D positional audio, which helps to position sound sources when using 4.1 speaker systems. This technology supports Microsoft Direct Sound 3D and Aureal's A3D interfaces, so games and applications software that utilize these interfaces will be able to take advantage of the HRTF 3D positional audio. For example when playing a game with A3D support, sounds that physically occur behind your character in the game will be produced more prominently from your rear speakers in a 4.1 setup.

One interesting feature of the WO2-R is the PhoenixNet support by Phoenix Technologies and AwardBIOS. The PhoenixNet Internet Launch System (ILS) is built into the BIOS firmware, and it will be installed together with your first install of Windows 98. Users can then use the program to connect to the Internet and log on to PhoenixNet free service. This can be useful for users who need guidance on the Internet, but for advanced users this might not be as useful. Moreover, since this software resides inside the BIOS, size limitations prevent the software from being used in operating systems other than Windows 98.

Bundled with the WO2-R is a CD containing all the drivers and utilities, including all the software required for the C-Media onboard sound. From the documentation perspective, the 162-page manual is excellent. It contains all the information and diagrams regarding all jumpers and connectors, and has detail descriptions on every setting in the BIOS and regarding PhoenixNet. It also explains how to properly set up a RAID array , as well as the utilities needed for the C-Media onboard sound.



The Bad

The AGP slot is a bit too close to the DIMM slots. As it stands, you must installyou're your memory before installing the video card. This isn't a big deal the first time you build up your system, but may be a bit frustrating when it comes time to upgrade the memory.

The voltage settings can only be adjusted via jumpers. It would be great if Iwill put those settings in the BIOS as well. More voltage settings would have been useful as well.

It would be great if Iwill also included thermistor cables and the bracket for the additional USB ports.

USB Compatibility

  • Number of Front Universal Serial Bus Root Ports: 2
  • Number of Rear Universal Serial Bus Root Ports: 2
  • USB IRQ Enable/Disable in BIOS: Yes
  • USB Keyboard Support in BIOS: Yes

Recommended SDRAM

Recommended SDRAM: 1 x 128MB Corsair PC133 SDRAM; 1 x 128MB Mushkin PC133 SDRAM

SDRAM Tested: 1 x 128MB Mushkin PC133 SDRAM

Manufacturer: Corsair
Purchase Website: http://www.corsairmicro.com

Manufacturer: Mushkin
Purchase Website: http://www.mushkin.com



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 should not 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.

Test Configuration

Processor(s):
Intel Pentium III 733 Retail
RAM:
1 x 128MB Mushkin PC133 SDRAM
Hard Drive(s):
Western Digital 153BA Ultra ATA 66 7200 RPM
Bus Master Drivers:
Intel Ultra ATA 6.00
Video Card(s):
NVIDIA GeForce 2 GTS 32MB DDR
Video Drivers:
NVIDIA Detonator 5.22
Operation System(s):
Windows 98 SE
Motherboard Revision:
Iwill WO2-R Revision 1.1

 

Windows 98 Performance

Pentium III 733 (i815E)
Sysmark 2000
Content Creation
Winstone 2000
Quake III Arena - 640 x 480 x 16
Iwill WOR-2
161
31.8
131.7
ABIT SE6
161
31.8
132.5
Transcend TS-ASL3
161
31.8
131.3
Chaintech CT-60JV2
162
31.1
131.2

Final Words

Iwill nicely integrates an ATA100 IDE RAID controller and the i815E chipset with the WO2-R. There are a total of 4 Ultra ATA 100 channels supporting up to 8 IDE devices. Whether you need the speed of IDE RAID or have more than 4 IDE devices, you will like the board. The board has decent performance and stability.

As of the publication of this review, this is the only i815E board with IDE RAID support, but more are just over the horizon. It will be interesting to see how different companies integrate the RAID controller with the motherboard, as well as how they perform. Stay tune for more coverage of i815E boards with IDE RAID support.



How it Rates

AnandTech Motherboard Rating

 
Rating (x/10)

Performance

The WO2-R performs slightly above average, but the difference is not huge. The IDE RAID support can provide a nice performance boost for those that choose to take advantage of it.

6.0

Price

With an IDE RAID controller, you will definitely pay more than a normal i815E board. The non-RAID version of the board, WO2, is priced a little bit above average, but still very competitive. Overall, you are paying a bit more for a quality product.

5.0

Stability

The WO2-R crashed a total of 6 times in our 24-hour stability tests, which is average. This is under the setting of PC133 CAS2 memory running at 133MHz memory bus with CAS2.

5.0

Quality

From the choice of AMI IDE RAID controller, the C-Media hardware sound, there is no doubt we are dealing with a very high quality motherboard.

7.0

Features

IDE RAID is clearly the best feature of the WO2-R, as well as "Microstepping" 1MHz FSB increments, and the hardware sound.

7.0

Layout

Iwill did a pretty good job in placing the power supply connector to prevent cable clutter and not blocking any of the PCI slots. Unfortunately, the DIMM slots are a bit close to the AGP slot, which cost them a bit.

6.5

Availability

Iwill is one of the smaller motherboard manufacturers in Taiwan. Yet their motherboards are sold in a lot of on-line stores as well as local computers stores. You might also be able to find them in larger retail chains, such as Fry's Electronics.

7.5

Documentation & Software Bundle

There's only one word to describe the manual - excellent. It has clear instructions on installing motherboards, jumpers, connectors, drivers, and utilities. It also talks about RAID setup and BIOS settings. The CD provides all the software and drivers you need to get up and running, but not much more.

8.0
   
Overall Rating - not an average Click here to find out why
7.0

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