Audio Testing

We downloaded and installed to test its CPU utilization. CPU utilization was extremely low though all the tests, where the performance was more or less in line with the nForce 2 boards we've tested earlier. Sound quality was excellent, as it usually is with the nVidia MCP, but not quite as warm as it was with the MSI board, which supports SoundStorm.

LAN Testing

We used to test the networking speed, and Windows Task Manager for CPU usage. We copied a variety of install files, varying in size of 300kb to as much as 70MB per file from the MSI machine, to our Shuttle XPC.

Download speeds averaged about 9.1MB/sec, and upload speeds about 9.8MB/sec. The CPU usages was very low, averaging about 7%, which is about 7% lower than other onboard solutions I've worked with in the past.

Final Words

The Abit NF7-M has proven to be the fastest nForce 2 we've tested to date. A few percentage points here and there isn't much, but the difference is there. Overclocking ability was excellent, as was the stability.

For a nForce 2, it isn't top-of-the-line in terms of feature support, as it lacks SoundStorm support. Compared to the NF7-S, their non-IGP nForce 2 offering, they omit SATA support. Given the addition of the IGP, it's understandable why they did this, which is to lower costs, and at , it is very cheap for a quality board with the IGP. I would like to have seen a fully loaded board, and although it'll cost more, I'm certain many enthusiasts wouldn't hesitate to spend a little more.

For overclockers, you have a wealth of options available in the BIOS, and although the v2.0 PCB adds 200FSB Barton support, as we've seen here, the v1.2 PCB appears to be up to the task. Just remember to disable the onboard IGP if you plan on memory overclocking, and to make sure your BIOS is at least v1.6 to gain access to additional FSB options.

Although the addition of the four heatsink mounting holes are present, there may be a problem with large lugs in the upper right hole as a chip is precariously close. The ATX and AUX power connections could be better placed as well, since the power cord may interfere with large heatsink installations. This is easily fixed by proper cable routing, but I prefer my power connections around the DIMM area. The last issue I have is the way the AGP slot is lined up with the DIMM slots. I didn't have many issues with the Radeon 9700 Pro, but when experimenting with an Asus Ti4400, it was necessary to remove the card when I needed to change the ram.

We gave an Editor's Choice with the last nForce 2 we've reviewed, but I feel that the NF7-M also deserves the honour given it's price and performance. Other than SoundStorm support, and SATA, the NF7-M does support a fair number of features, though it can be argued that items such as LAN, video and sound are common on a lot of boards. Keep in mind that the nForce 2 IGP is the best performing integrated video on the market, and the CPU usage when using the LAN and sound are among the lowest as well. It's tough to beat Abit when it comes to overclocking and stability, and the NF7-M continues this tradition.

Pros: Excellent stability, great performance and overclocking potential, competitive price.

Cons: Possible BIOS issues (upgrade to v1.6 or higher!), large heatsink lugs may not fit in upper right hole.

Bottom Line: It's not as loaded as we would have liked, and the MCP-T is missing, but for , you get one of the best performing nForce 2 boards available, and when you get tired of it, just add a CPU, memory, and HDD to put together a secondary system.

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