Even though it's the undisputed performance king, the Intel BX is getting a bit long in the tooth. Featuring standard support for PC100, AGP 2X and ATA-33, the BX simply can't match the newer chipsets feature for feature. Motherboard manufacturers have not been sitting idle and are adding features to extend the lifespan of their BX lineup. One of the best options is to add an ATA-66 chipset to the motherboard, thereby supporting a feature many motherboard buyers are interested in. Abit did this with great success with their BE6-II motherboard, making it one of the most-requested boards for power users.
Microstar has followed suit with their BXMaster motherboard, an aptly named product if I've ever seen one. The BXMaster has an excellent lineage, being the end result of a trio of Microstar BX motherboards. First came the MS-6163, a great motherboard for both performance and overclocking. The only issue is its non-support for the Coppermine processors. This was rectified with the MS6163Pro, a 2.0 revision of the board with enhanced CPU support, D-LED diagnostics and more overclocking speeds and voltages. The MS-6163Pro was more of an evolutionary, rather than revolutionary, revision and it really only smoothed out some of the rough edges of the original. The BXMaster is actually the 3.0 revision of the MS-6163 and brings a lot more to the table than the previous revision.
- CPU: Supports all Intel Pentium II/III & Celeron/Coppermine processors up to 750MHz and faster.
- Memory: 4 DIMM. Max. 1GMB SDRAM
- Slots: 6 PCI, 1 ISA, and 1 AGP
- I/O: 2 Serial, 1 Printer, 2 USB, Floppy, IrDA
- Form Factor: 4 Layer PCB, ATX
- Supports Ultra DMA 33/66: Promise PDC20262
- BIOS: CPU Plug & Play, Voltage and Bus Frequency/Ratio Setting, ACPI, DMI,
- Chipset: Intel 82443BX Chipset
- Clock Speed Supports: 66, 75, 78, 81, 83, 90, 95, 100, 105, 110, 112, 115, 117, 120, 122, 124, 126, 133, 135, 138, 140, 142, 144, 150, 155
- Dimension: ATX Form Factor
- Mounting: 6 mounting holes.
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