• Gigabyte K7 Triton 400

    Gigabyte K7 Triton 400

    Jaison Lewis, Apr 08, 2003 0000 hrs IST

    Feature heavy, is the KT400 all you need for your AMD Athlon?

    Impressive features and goodies, Serial ATA rear connection kit

    High price, Average performance

    Check specifications
    Write Review
    Expert Rating :
    Rating
    mail share

Expert Review

The market is flooded with lots of KT400 motherboards and with a revived interest in AMD CPU's in the market people are looking for good motherboards to go with their Athlons. The VIA KT400 chipset is a feature rich chipset that compliments the Athlon well. The KT400 is an upgraded version of KT333 chipset, which was released a few weeks before the nVidia's nForce2 got out so that VIA could stay ahead of the competition. Compared to the KT333 the chipset has a lot of new features which include support for 8X AGP, 400 MHz DDR RAM (though not official), USB 2.0, Ultra ATA 133 and 6 channel audio.

Currently in the World market
Even after such an impressive feature set and VIA being all ready to take on the nForce2, it ended up kicking the ass of the KT400. This resulted in VIA's recent release of the KT400A. The nForce2 and KT400A boards are still hard to find in the market here. So we are reviewing the KT400 and there will be a comparison drawn when we get an nForce2 and the KT400A.

Rumours
There is a small rumour behind the KT400A. Apparently it would have never been released, but since AMD delayed the Opetron and nForce2 was kicking its ass in the market VIA was forced to work on their existing KT400 chipset. Rumours also have it that VIA has its chipset for Opetron all ready for production.



Back to the Gigabyte GA-7VAXP Ultra
The Gigabyte GA-7VAXP Ultra has more features and extras than any other board in the market right now. It also seems to be the most colourful of the lot. Along with the usual KT400 norms it has well almost everything. Here is a list.

Expansion Slots
    1 x AGP universal slot (8X/4X/2X-AGP 2.0 compliant)
    5 x PCI (PCI 2.2 compliant)




Rear Panel I/O
    PS/2 Keyboard / Mouse connector
    2 x USB 2.0 ports
    2 x COM ports
    1 x RJ45 LAN port
    Audio (1 x Line-in / 1 x Line-out / 1 x Mic) connector
    1 x Game/Midi port


Internal I/O Connectors
    1 x FDD
    4 x UDMA ATA133/100/66 Bus Master IDE ports
    3 x IEEE 1394 connectors
    2 x 2 ports USB 2.0 connector (by front USB ports)
    1 x 2 ports USB 2.0 connector (by cable with rear USB bracket)
    2 x SATA connectors
    2 x cooling fan pin header


With an impressive feature and goodies set like this it is hard not to like this board. But I would like to trust the benchmarks more. I think this is the only board that comes with a Serial ATA rear connection kit.

Test Bench
To run benchmarks you need a test bench. Here is ours, we used the same configuration with our Epox KT333 EP-8K3A+ Motherboard. We ran the gaming benchmarks with all settings on low.

    CPU: AMD Athlon XP 2600+
    Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-7VAXP Ultra
    Memory: 512 MB Crucial DDR RAM
    Graphics Card: GeForce4 Ti4600
    Hard Drive: 120 GB Western Digital 7200 RPM
    Optical Drive: Toshiba 16X DVD-ROM drive
    Case: ADCOM Lg. ATX Tower, Screwless design/w 300W Power Supply
    Operating System: Windows XP Professional SP1




Benchmarks

SiSoftware Sandra

Gigabyte KT400 GA-7VAXP Ultra Motherboard









Epox KT333 EP-8K3A+ Motherboard







In the SiSoftware Sandra benchmarks the KT400 was beaten by the KT333. In the PCMark 2002 benchmark the KT400 had a CPU score of 4694, while the KT333 had a score of 6215. In terms of memory the KT400 scored 2985 points compared to the KT333's 3685, while the HDD score was 1134 points compared to 1155.



Quake III Arena Demo



Serious Sam SE Demo



Unreal Tournament 2003



Conclusion
The KT400 was yes outperformed by a KT333. So should we be all crazy and go ahead and buy a KT400? Er... I don't think so, the KT400 though feature rich and full of goodies, lacks the performance of the KT333 and is also being thrashed by the nForce2 boards. Right now it's a little hard to acquire an nForce2 or KT400A board, so I suggest you wait till either board is available which shouldn't be too long. Another dithering factor is the price, though it is a fully loaded all out motherboard it is quiet expensive at Rs.12,500/-, when compared to other fully loaded boards in the market.

Test Unit Sourced From: Tiupati Enterprise, Kolkatta

Follow Techtree on Twitter

Do you agree with this Review?
YesNo

Up

10

Down

1

Related Links
Tag keywords
Gigabyte K7 Triton 400 motherboards review Motherboards Basics



Discussion Board
Michael Kinney
,Fulton, on Feb 06, 2004 09:02 PM
When Push the Power button on my computer the fans on the inside of the case turn a tiny bit and the the RAM light comes on. Other than that my computer won't turn on I've never seen this problem before have you?
Report abuse
Joe
,New York, on Apr 19, 2004 04:59 PM
I just got this board and am having the exact same problem. Did you ever find a fix for it?
Report abuse
Stone
,San Diego, on Jul 07, 2004 09:34 PM
Same here. I don't know what's up with this thing.
Report abuse
Todd
,Little Rock, on Aug 19, 2004 10:11 PM
Same problem for me, but it started a couple weeks ago after working fine for a year. I have tried swapping out the power supply, the CPU Fan, and the CPU - no luck. I'm guessing that the failsafe on the board that prevents the CPU from overheating is faulty. Anyone know how to fix or turn off the feature, or do I need to replace the motherboard?
Report abuse
Badger
,Perth, on Nov 14, 2004 07:59 AM
Hi I know this is an old thread but found it searching for a problem. Did you resolve this issue and find out how to get the MB up and running. I just get a ram light only on my K8NS Mb when powering up ... nothing else. If you could email if you worked this out I would really appreciate it. Tks Brendon
Report abuse
Andrew
,Union, on Jul 17, 2005 02:48 AM
I had that same problem today and I flipped a switch on my power supply in the back and it suddenly came to life and worked. So maybe that would work for you? But at the same time, I see nothing, two video cards and when it turns on nothing appears on monitor. Any ideas?
Report abuse
Nikki Poirier
,Port Arthur, on Aug 03, 2008 08:56 PM
If this is Michael H. Kinney, please let me know, this is Nikki Poirier
Report abuse
Chandra
,Chennai, on May 25, 2003 12:55 PM
I did see the K7N2G motherboards (MSI mobo with the nForce2, DDR 400, AGP 8X, GeForce 4MX onboard, SATA and all other goodies) at the Ritchie Street, Chennai. It is somewhere within 9K, I suppose. PLEASE PLEASE REVIEW IT...!! Also, the ASUS A7N8X Deluxe is just around 11K there.
Report abuse
rtz
,rtz, on Sep 13, 2007 05:38 AM
zterz
Report abuse
obodzin
,Brzeg, on Feb 05, 2007 06:31 PM
bardzo dobra płyta gł?wna!!!
Report abuse
Dr.N.V.R.Murthy
,Hyderabad-500057-A.P.India., on Feb 11, 2006 12:25 AM
biosupdateforkt400
Report abuse
Dr.N.V.R.Murthy
,Hyderabad-500057-A.P.India., on Feb 11, 2006 12:19 AM
I have kt400+Amd3000+pr+nvidia5200,everithing is running fine,but the clock speed is showing only 1050?bios update is not solving the problem can anybody suggest the remedy,iwill be greatful.
Report abuse
Vinod Singh
,New Delhi, on Jan 16, 2006 01:07 PM
Dear Sir, We having service center( Repair center) for computer systems,we all type of repair in our service center. We require some regular components in our service centre.If you are dealing this field then please send the details so that we can purchase for the same. Wiht best Regards Vinod Singh Vintron Convergys Ltd. 305, Guru Amar das Building Nehru Place, New Delhi-19 011-41709658/59
Report abuse
D@rk@ngel
,england, on Sep 12, 2005 05:44 PM
k lads, all i was wondering is wot socket is this mother board? n will it support a sempron 2600 processor. please email me with a reply with a header as "k7400 socket info" ! thnx very much lads email: J_JAY42@hotmail.com
Report abuse
D@rk@ngel
,england, on Sep 12, 2005 05:43 PM
k lads, all i was wondering is wot socket is this mother board? n will it support a sempron 2600 processor. please email me with a reply with a header as "k7400 socket info" ! thnx very much lads
Report abuse
Jorge Santaolal
,Madrid, on Feb 28, 2005 04:59 AM
Hi, I´have bought a gigabyte triton gn 400 pro2 and i have a problem while installing the usb front conectors of my case (Tsunami dream): The yellow conector for external usb on the motherboard doesn´t feet with the ones from de case. Is there any adaptator for fixing this problem? If anyone knows how to fix it please drop me a line at orch@hotmail.com or give me some ideas in this forum. Thank you very much to all the staff and comments.
Report abuse
Suraj
,Mumbai, on Apr 08, 2003 08:14 PM
where r DDR400 rams available in Mumbai? you go to a vendor at lamington and other areas what you get is DDR266 the vendors don't even know that DDR400 exists. also the DDR433/466 has also been released...
Report abuse
Sanjay
,Heth Computers, on Apr 09, 2003 01:26 AM
you knaow why this is so in taiwan/singapore and elsewhere most of them use ddr333/400 and these overstocked outdated and obsolete rams are brought here in india by our it ditributor fraternity at throw away prices and that too sold at a hefty price. these traders are oppurtunists and parasites to the end users like you and me. for peety money gains these persons are the culprits and obstacles to get INDIA ahead in IT hardware. I hope my this message is not deleted my the moderator. The test begins with this channel.I want to see whether this channel is a mouth piece to traders or it cares for enduser.Sorry but it is said guru ki bhi pariksha karo baad me use guru banavo
Report abuse
Sanjay
,Heth Computers, on Apr 09, 2003 01:30 AM
But one more thing that original box packed with life time warranty yes life time warranty and bill kingston ddr333 are available but at double the priceof hynix available which are sometimes fake assembled which was reported on channeltimes.com You can contact Mr. Sanjay at sanjayt3@yahoo.co.in
Report abuse
Pradip Shah
,Mumbai, on Apr 19, 2004 05:56 PM
Look for Transcend. They have DDR 400 ram & work very well with Intel 865 dual channel MoBos. I just built one with 1 GB of Ram & 128 MB Radeon 9200. It really flies.
Report abuse
Anonymous
,wr, on Jan 21, 2004 05:17 AM
<script>Hi i think its a good thing </script>
Report abuse
Indigo hardcore
,Shore of hell, on Dec 04, 2003 06:35 AM
HI i bought a K7 gn-400 pro2 ..in the user nmanual they say AGP is 3.0 . I bought the agp card to fit with it ...GEforce FX 5600...this also compatible /w agp 3.0 for 533 mhz and 2.1g t/rates.... WTF...in the bios i only have 8x compilant set=auto or other option is 4 x...when set to 4x i can see the SBA option in windows get enable ...when i set to 8x no more SBA ..and NO speed at all ..it is beter to run it at 4x so i can have a side bus adress.... IM using win2k ..i dont think the OS have to do with the issue .. Also i notice the vid card bios is not showing before the post ... Someone can give me infos about taht ?? i would be very happy to read wahtever comments....thanks alot ..
Report abuse
MB_user
,Mumbai, on Nov 13, 2003 06:39 PM
I am looking for a a motherboard that supports Hyper threading, Dual DDR, SATA Harddisk and Firewire (i394). I heard Intel's 865PERL and ASUS' P4P800 support these features. Does anyone know from where I can buy these MBs in Mumbai ?
Report abuse
Prashant
,Surathkal, on Aug 02, 2003 10:56 AM
I need more and detailed information of Gigabyte GA-7VAXP Ultra Motherboard.
Report abuse
Anuj
,Ranchi, on May 01, 2003 11:18 PM
Hi, I am interested in buying the SMedia GeForce 440 MX Card. Where can I get the relevant details?
Report abuse
Bhairavi
,Techtree,Mumbai, on May 02, 2003 11:34 AM
Hi Anuj, You can contact Ms. Bhavna Gupta at 080 - 5572601 or mail her at bhavna_gupta@xserves.com.
Report abuse
Er_Quraysh
,Riyadh, on Apr 21, 2003 10:09 PM
very good
Report abuse
rajesh
,mumbai, on Apr 18, 2003 04:00 PM
want tobuy
Report abuse
Shaikh
,toronto, on Apr 15, 2003 07:08 PM
The 80GB of hard disk will work on GA-7VAXP, and P4
Report abuse
Anirban
,Calcutta, on Apr 10, 2003 02:26 PM
Hi Everyone, I need to know if MSI KT4 Ultra motherboards are available in Calcutta. Also I need to know if SMedia GeFroce4 MX 440 AGP cards are available in Calcutta.
Report abuse
Hussain naqvi
,Mumbai, on Apr 11, 2003 02:46 PM
try www.priyagroup.com they are distributors for MSI.Board will cost @ 6,500-7,000 depending on tax structre in calcutta.yea the board is fabalous.run 2200 xp on it with 512 ddr and geforce3 card.everything rocks.
Report abuse
Test Labs
,Techtree, on Apr 11, 2003 04:19 PM
I have forwarded the request to Ms. Bhavna Gupta from Smedia, she would reply as early as possible.
Report abuse
Thyagaraj
,Eranakulam, on Apr 10, 2003 01:53 PM
Hello friends.. I also would like to know if MSI and EPOX motherboards are available in KERALA. PLEASE RESPOND.
Report abuse
Renji
,Bangalore, on Apr 10, 2003 10:24 AM
Hi all, Yesterday I checked with SOLTEK TAIWAN and Ranka Data India and found that SOLTEK is no longer available in India (officially)!!..its really sad since now their nForce2 boards are now best and worth money. Could somebody please tell me which of the following motherboard brands are available in South India. Chaintech Leadtek Aopen Epox Abit MSI Gigabyte ECS Which ones give 2+ years warranty.. Please help.
Report abuse
Pradip Shah
,Mumbai, on Apr 09, 2003 06:32 PM
I have seen Soltek motherboards in Mumbai market in the past. After all majority of IT importers are simply Marwadi TRADERS - be it Mumbai Delhi or what have you - in business to simply make money - not for marketing. They will only import what will fetch them a fast buck. On an average you should be able to get in India anything mainstream that is sold in US at the simple conversion rate of Rs. 50/= to a Dollar. The markups in US are huge due to overheads.
Report abuse
Renji
,Bangalore, on Apr 09, 2003 09:56 AM
Hi all, I would like to know if SOLTEK motherboards are available in India. Why are nForce2 motherboards still not popular here ? It has been around for around 6 months now and is getting cheaper. For eg: SOLTEK nforce motherboard is only 100 US$ : 5000 Rs in the international market and this is a great performer. Please somebody reply me with what brands of quality mobos are currently available in India other than Asus. Which is the best buy other than Asus. There are no such information in the net. The techtree people are always tight-lipped; they dont give any comments / replies to any questions asked. Why can't they be more helpful....
Report abuse
Test Labs
,TechTree, on Apr 09, 2003 01:06 PM
Hi Renji, We had mailed the sales dept of Soltek regarding your query posted before on the availability of Nforce2 motherboards in India, they haven't replied yet. We've given them another nudge, lets see if they do. We will definitely share the details once we receive it. You can try contacting them at sales@soltek.com.tw We agree that the Nforce2 Motherboard is a viable gaming and multimedia solution, but it wont sell at the US$ price in India.
Report abuse
mahesh
,Mumbai, on Apr 08, 2003 08:19 PM
Yes, Suraj....no wonder. also if you check up at the distributors the test bench used for testing the board...its enormous...you are looking at a 80000 plus system here...Crucial ram forget its way too expensive....GF4/4600 is almost priced at 35000 and then the hdd almost 15000/19000. forget it its not for average indian household.
Report abuse
Dhanraj
,chennai, on Apr 09, 2003 07:21 AM
Dude think about it how will they adequetly test the board without pushing the board to its limit.
Report abuse

Opinion Poll