Original Link: https://www.anandtech.com/show/480



While Iwill has been around since 1989, they first made themselves known with their innovations in the Super7 motherboard market and, more recently, their Slocket II adapter. However, they have produced a rather extensive range of I/O adapters, i440BX boards, and even a few dual processor motherboards. The WS133-N is the newest Iwill motherboard to trickle into the AnandTech labs.

Along with the WS133-N, Iwill has also produced the same motherboard without built-in networking, the WS133 and a Socket-370 board, the WS133-S.


New Anand Tech Report Card Rating
92/A

Motherboard Specifications

CPU Interface
Slot-1
Chipset
Intel 810E
On-Board Video
82810E GMCH
I/O Controller
82801 ICH
L2 Cache
N/A (on-chip)
Form Factor
ATX
Bus Speeds

66 / 70 / 75 / 83
100 / 107 / 112 / 119 / 124 / 129
133 / 138 / 140 / 145 / 150

Clock Multipliers
2.0x - 8.0x
Voltages Supported
Autodetect, +5% and +10%
Memory Slots
3 168pin DIMM Slots
Expansion Slots
1 AMR Slots
0 AGP Slot
6 PCI Slots (4 Full Length)
0 ISA Slots
BIOS
Award BIOS 6.00 PG

The Good


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Iwill's WS133-N fits the ATX form factor and includes some options that make the board appear different from other i810E motherboards. The WS133-N is equipped with a 6/1/0 (PCI/AMR/AGP) expansion slot configuration. Instead of the usual two DIMM slots, Iwill included three. Because the i810E supports only 4 addressable rows of memory, which normally translates into two DIMM slots, the third DIMM might seem superfluous. The argument for the extra slot is that it allows the installation of one double sided DIMM along with two single-sided DIMMs. While this addition seems useful to some and unwarranted to others, it is important to note that once the i810E becomes more antiquated, the third DIMM slot could cause headaches for techs that are not familiar with the chipset. Two of the six PCI slots are blocked by both front panel connectors and a fan connector leaving room for four full length cards. While not included on this board, the optional PTI header can be found between the PCI slots and the AMR slot -- it would allow the addition of Iwill's Digital Flat Panel Riser or TV-Out Riser cards.


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Almost all of the components were placed to minimize cable clutter -- all hard drive and floppy connectors are optimally located at the front of the board, so that no cables are forced to run over either the CPU or the memory. However, Iwill chose to place the ATX power connector at the back of the board, immediately behind the CPU slot. The added clutter the power cable running over the CPU and memory reduces airflow through the case. As mentioned in many motherboard reviews, this is not a dire problem, but it is very rare to see a manufacturer concerned with making the lives of computer technicians easier. The standard colored connectors are included on the backpanel in accordance with PC99 specifications.


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The WS133-N sports an optional Realtek RTL8139 10/100 BaseT ethernet adapter with the ethernet port placed above the USB ports. The driver CD offered a plethora of options for LAN support across OS's including multiple Novell Netware drivers, OS2 drivers, UNIX, LINUX and even Microsoft 2000 drivers. It performed soundly under typical network usage. On a motherboard that includes onboard sound and video, an onboard LAN adapter seems especially advantageous. To add to the generous options, Iwill included a rear plate for the case that leaves room for the LAN connector. If the ethernet needs to be disabled, there is a jumper placed immediately next to the chip. Also, a second expansion slot mounted serial port is included in order to allow multiple serial devices.


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Iwill's i810E is fitted with Intel's 82801E GMCH as well as the 82801 ICH. As with the older i810 chipset, the 82801 ICH allows full Ultra DMA/66 support, but the 82810E GMCH has an added advantage over i810 boards -- the usual 4MB of display cache now runs at 133MHz instead of 100MHz. The two 2MB Elite MT SDRAM chips are rated at 7ns or 143MHz, plenty for the 133MHz i810E and gives some leeway in overclocking situations. Since the GMCH runs rather cool, Iwill chose not to place a heatsink atop the chip. The advantage of the i810E with on-board video and sound can be a double edged sword -- this board is not ideal for any user that desires peak graphical performance or maximum CPU power. The included Audio Devices 1881 AC97 CODEC is sufficient for basic audio, but it utilizes the CPU for processing power. Even when listening to Windows start up for the first time, the tinniness of the sound is an extreme turn off to any audiophile. If needed, the CODEC can be disabled by jumper 13 allowing the addition of a PCI soundcard preserving CPU power and a PCI video card can be substituted for the integrated video.



The second part of the double edged sword is that the i810E chipset normally runs the SDRAM at only 100MHz to push Intel's RAMBUS and the i820 chipset. However, Iwill has bypassed this issue by running the SDRAM at a 1:1 clock ratio. This is achieved by setting the FSB speed jumpers to 100MHz and overriding it in the BIOS up to 133MHz CPU thus tricking the chipset to think that it is running only at 100MHz and setting the SDRAM:FSB ratio to 1:1. While setting the FSB speed in Iwill's Smart Setting in the BIOS, the memory clock is unambiguously reported right next to it. Unfortunately, the board we tested was not stable when running both the CPU and SDRAM at 133 MHz.

The overclocking options are more numerous than on most i810E boards to complement the adjustable Vcore. There are 14 different FSB speeds to select from: 66 / 70 / 75 / 83 / 100 / 107 / 112 / 119 / 124 / 129 / 133 / 138 / 140 / 145 / 150. The board is practically jumperless, with a set of jumpers to set 66/100/133 MHz or auto and a set of jumpers to adjust the core voltage and the voltage supplied to I/O components. The Vcore and VIO jumpers can both be set to increase the voltage by either 5% or 10%. The clock multiplier can be set in the BIOS from 2.0x - 8.0x; however, with all Intel CPUs multiplier locked, clock multiplier flexibility is no longer a big issue. This board performed above average and was remarkably stable at 733MHz and 784MHz (145MHz x 5.5) but, unfortunately, could not be run higher even with Vcore or VIO adjustment. The 145MHz seems to be a limit of the WS133-N because both the CPU and memory have been tested higher. It was rock solid during both standard and overclocked stability testing.

Along with quality design, Iwill was bountiful with capacitor placement. There were twelve 1200uF capacitors surrounding the CPU slot and seven 1200uF capacitors surrounding the SDRAM. To see this many options along with unquestionable stability makes this motherboard extremely impressive.

The WS133-N sports the popular Award 6.00 PG BIOS including Iwill's Bye-Bye Jumper, jumperless setup. Descriptions of the settings can be found in the right panel of the screen and there are many different system settings to allow for maximum overclockability -- a plus for hardcore hardware enthusiasts. Iwill has included multiple customizations including an Iwill Smart Setting at the top right of the bios offering CPU information and overclocking options. During POST, a couple of hot keys are listed that give you access to fail safe defaults, performance defaults, clock speed configuration, and even the Award BIOS Flash program that is built into the BIOS.

For hardware monitoring, the board sports the Winbond 83627 HF-AW chip -- which provides adequate hardware monitoring. In fact, the WS133-N monitors 7 voltages, 3 fan speeds and CPU temperature. Also, the temperature is read from the CPU's on die thermal diode instead of being reported via thermistor. By including three fan connectors, there should be plenty of cooling options. Two are placed near the CPU slot with one at the front left of the WS133-N. Iwill also opted to place two external thermistor headers at the front left corner of the board and to the left of the CPU -- a nice added frill.

Iwill has placed two compact LEDs on the board -- one to designate system power and one to show the DIMM slots are receiving power which is especially useful given the Suspend to RAM (STR) options. On the flip side, other than the two lights, the power management options are the same as most other boards these days. For the users who wish the computer to turn on in the presence of network activity or an incoming call, both wake on LAN and wake on modem ring headers are available. Also, the BIOS can be set to turn on the system at a specific time so the computer can wake up before you. The CPU fan can be shut off when the system suspends to quiet things down a bit. ACPI support is built into the BIOS for added power management under an ACPI compliant OS like Windows 98 or Windows 2000. The system can be configured to power on via hot key or mouse click. Another nice feature which is often disregarded is the added ability to choose what power state to return to after a power outage (or when using a surge protector). If 24/7 system operation is mandatory, this feature is perfect.

A recently added feature to a number of motherboards is the Suspend to RAM (STR) option, which uses minimal power and is much quicker than suspending to the hard drive. After suspending, the ATX power supply continues supplying power to the RAM while powering everything else down (even the power supply). By pressing the power switch again the system returns from dormancy virtually instantly. There is adequate information on implementing this feature and upgrading Windows 98 for ACPI compliance in the manual.

The Iwill manual can be somewhat tricky to navigate, but it has plenty of information from installation instructions to overclocking advice. The driver CD that Supermicro included has all chipset and driver updates making it simple to get the system up and running. It autoruns and it is simple to choose the drivers needed by simply clicking on them one by one and your system will be set up when finishes. However, the network drivers must be installed manually. Finally, McAfee virus scan has been included as an added bonus.



The Bad

In reference to motherboard layout, the placement of both the power and fan connectors can cause problems during installation by forcing you to stretch the cables over the rest of the motherboard in order to plug in. Such design problems are not disastrous, but it is nice to see a motherboard company catering to the user and allowing for easier installation.

Right now, the third DIMM slot is probably viewed as an advantage, but once the i810E chipset drifts from popularity, it could be more of a headache for anyone trying to get three double sided DIMMs to work.

As with almost every i810 or i810E motherboard, neither the audio CODEC nor the GMCH are the best choice for gamers or music enthusiasts -- the audio CODEC uses CPU power and the GMCH provides decent but below par video. However, both can be disabled, allowing for the addition of a PCI video card for better graphics or sound card to reduce CPU usage. Because of the low price of the AC 97 CODEC, it is not likely to disappear from the motherboard market.


USB Compatibility

  • Number of Front Universal Serial Bus Root Ports: 0

  • 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 64MB Mushkin SEC Original PC100 SDRAM; 1 x 64MB Memory-Man SEC Original PC100 SDRAM; 1 x 128MB Mushkin SEC Original PC133 SDRAM

SDRAM Tested: 1 x 128MB Mushkin SEC Original PC133 SDRAM

Manufacturer: The Memory Man
Purchase Web-Site: http://www.memory-man.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 shouldn't 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 733EB OEM
Provided by Memman
RAM:
1 x 128MB Samsung Original PC133 SDRAM
Provided by Mushkin
Hard Drive(s):
Western Digital Expert 418000 - UltraATA/66
Bus Master Drivers:
Microsoft Win98 DMA Drivers
Video Card(s):
82810E w/ 4MB DC
Video Drivers:
Intel 810 Chipset Graphics Driver PV2.0
Operation System(s):
Windows 98 SE
Motherboard Revision:
Iwill WS133-N revision 1.0

 

Windows 98 Performance

 

Sysmark 2000
Content Creation
Winstone 2000
Intel Pentium III 550 (5.5 x 100)
114
21.9
Intel Pentium III 733EB (5.5 x 133)
138
25.3
Intel Pentium III 784EB (5.5 x 145)
148
26.5

The Final Decision

The WS133-N is by far the best i810E to make its way into AnandTech. After running the gauntlet of AnandTech's benchmarks, Iwill's board was spectacular in almost every aspect. With no major faults, and plenty of added bonuses from onboard ethernet, Vcore adjustment, external thermistor headers to the ability to run the SDRAM at 133MHz, Iwill has produced a quality i810E motherboard.

While i810E motherboards are not the optimal board for the gamer or overclocker, the WS133-N provides an excellent case for why it should be. Although the lack of an AGP slot makes the i810E board less attractive in the gaming market, Iwill provided a good number of bus speeds and overclocking flexibility. If nothing else, this board would be ideal in a networking environment where uniformity in multiple computers is desired.

Editor's Choice AwardIwill has created a premier motherboard, one of the few to reach Editor's Choice status here at AnandTech. By designing and manufacturing a motherboard with exceptional stability, above average performance, plenty of overclocking options and added features, Iwill has created a board that sets the i810E standard here at AnandTech.


How it Rates

AnandTech Motherboard Rating

 
Business
Performance
90%
Price
85%
Ease of Use
90%
Overclocked Stability
95%
General Stability
94%
Quality
95%
Documentation
92%
Reliability
92%
Overall Rating
92%

Click Here to learn about AnandTech's Motherboard Testing Methodology.

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