With the Intel 820 chipset currently experiencing delays, compatibility issues and hardware problems, this situation has opened up the door for chipset competitors. One of these companies is VIA Technologies, known mostly for their Socket 7 MVP3 chipset that powered many K6-2 and 3 systems. While the MVP3 chipset was considerably more compatible than some of the ALi parts, there were still some isolated problems with AGP 2X cards. With the considerable Intel Slot 1 and S370 markets beckoning, VIA released the Apollo Pro and Pro+ chipsets, adding support for 100 MHz or higher bus speeds (100 MHz officially), UDMA-66, and increased compatibility with AGP 2X cards. The crowning moment for VIA came in July 1999 when they moved ahead of Intel and announced the Apollo Pro 133 chipset. For the first time, Intel had been scooped in the features department and VIA chipsets started looking like a viable alternative.

The Iwill VD133 motherboard uses the new VIA Apollo Pro 133 chipset, which has most of the new features of the Intel 820, but unlike the i820, it is currently available for sale. The VIA Apollo Pro 133 supports high-end features like support for 133 MHz bus and memory speeds, ATA-66, HSDRAM and asynchronous memory operation. Foremost on this list is support for the ATA-66 EIDE specification. With ATA-66 hard drives becoming more prevalent, and the Intel 820 still not available, the VIA Apollo Pro 133 gives you the ability to experience the full speed of your hardware without the need for an additional interface card. Another area where VIA has leapfrogged Intel is with the move to an official 133 MHz front-side bus. Sure, many Intel BX boards support 133 MHz or higher speeds, but at a cost. The highest AGP divider on the BX chip is 2/3, which converts to an unhealthy 88 MHz AGP speed at the 133 FSB. VIA eliminates this by giving you a 1/2 AGP divider, which equals out to a standard 66 MHz AGP speed at the 133 MHz FSB.