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Layout
Albatron K8X800 Pro II
This is one of those motherboards that you just could put in frame and hang on the wall (in a positive way). It just seems to be that if you make motherboard with blue PCB it looks good. This came to my mind when I realized that there is quite bunch of motherboard with blue PCB on the market. Compared to Albatron PX865PE Pro II, K8X800 Pro II seems to lack of something and that is probably non coloured DIMM slots and processor cooler fastening frame. Actually external look of the motherboards is not the most important feature of motherboard, but I know there are those mod freaks out there that just happen to think about these things. I have come to think that some day there will be MULTI-coloured PCBs (paint or something) You could even do it your self and damage your motherboard on many other ways than just aesthetically.
AGP slot & DIMMs
Then it is time to look is there any problems with layout and yes there is. There is always problem when you put six PCI slots and one AGP slot onboard and start to think where to put DIMM slots. Most likely AGP slot is too near anyway and if you have card in the AGP slot you just cannot properly install memories. One solution is to put only five PCI slots onboard, but I have come to think about is it possible that AGP-slot would be second slot, not the first one. Probably not, there must be some problems with signal lines or it would have done already.
You can probably notice on picture above that one capacitor is placed very AGP locking mechanism. It seriously prevents easy use of AGP locking mechanism just by standing there, not very nice.
Connectors
Lots of chips here. Two flash ROMs are soldered on the PCB, with no sockets. This could be problem without MIRROR bios because in the case of fatal flashing error you usually have to hot flash flash ROM on the other motherboard. This case it would be impossible, but it's not problem because you can always get board running with backup bios. Even the most "professional" bios flashers cannot boob two flash ROMs in row, can they?
You can also locate two SATA ports near south bridge in unusual formation. Nice to see some changes. CMOS reset jumper is usually also located near battery but in this time it is possible to find it near bottom side (red jumper, I checked that on the manual). It's also worth mentioning that no colour-coded connectors for power and HDD LEDs and reset and power switches yet. Just because it's my job to find missing features on this motherboard I might just point out that some other motherboards have onboard power and reset switches integrated.
DIMM slots, IDE-connectors and other stuff
IDE connectors and ATX power connector are where we are used to see them normally. You can also spot another red jumper here. No it's not CMOS reset jumper for backup bios, it's OTP jumper. I have had hard time to think what this jumper does; manual doesn't say a word about it. Just recently I realized that there is this "Special design for CPU Over Temperature Protection ( OTP )" listed on special features on Albatron's website. There must be some kind of connection. I have no idea does this jumper turn the OTP on or off or could it turn on for example CPU Over Temperature feature, which turns off all system fans and burn processor. So I recommend that leave the jumper alone.
Floppy drive connector
I almost thought that we finally got rid of floppy drives because I didn't see floppy drive connector in upper or lower right corner of the motherboard. Well it was just above PCI slots. This means in practice that there isn't floppy connector on motherboard. This got to be most impractical place for floppy connector that I have ever seen. Right place for such a relic, nice job Albatron.
Heatsink
This is north bridge passive cooler. It's not copper although I admit it looks like there just might be copper involved. It's small, it hardly warms up and it looks really great. I think that all things that matter come to covered up. I have to say that K8T800 chipset feels to warm up very little even compared to VT8237 south bridge so there is actually no need for heatsink at all. But if I had to choose, would I take K8X800 Pro II with aluminium north bridge heatsink painted with chrome and copper paint or without it, I would take it with. You know, it's just so pretty.
Power circuitry
Power circuitry
Two-phased power circuitry is controlled by Fairchild FAN5098 and there is also ten 6.3V 3300uF Sanyo capacitors. 12V power connector is located here whereas ATX power connector is located near dimm slots.
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