ABIT: USI Motherboards

A few weeks ago USI has bought ABIT and is now making their own motherboards under the ABIT brand which will certainly impress the industrial/OEM customers of these motherboards.


Based on Intel i945G is the USI AM945

• Intel LGA775, i945G
• 4x DDR2 DIMM
• Integrated i945G VGA
• 1x PCI-E x16, 1x PCI-E x1, 2x PCI
• 4x SATA, 1x UDMA
• 1x GigE
• 8x USB 2.0

A really low-cost board is the USI AM662L which will be fine for many industrial applications.

• Intel LGA775, SIS 662
• 2x DDR2 DIMM
• 1x PCI-E x16, 1x PCI-E x1, 2x PCI
• 2x SATA, 2x UDMA
• 1x 10/100 Ethernet
• 8x USB 2.0

Very similar is the USI AM656

• Intel LGA775, SIS 656
• 2x DDR2 DIMM
• 1x PCI-E x16, 3x PCI
• 2x SATA, 2x UDMA
• 1x 10/100 Ethernet
• 8x USB 2.0

Finally, a BTX board: USI Calimero. I asked several manufacturers when they actually see BTX happening in numbers. Everybody was very sceptical about it. The most optimistic people said "some time in 2007 but not for the enthusiast market".

• Intel LGA775, SIS 656FX
• 4x DDR2 DIMM
• 1x PCI-E x16, 1x PCI-E x1, 2x PCI
• 4x SATA, 1x UDMA
• 1x GigE
• 8x USB 2.0

ABIT: Speakers

These speakers at the sides of the big TV are ABIT's new iDome speakers. What is completely new about these speakers is that they accept digital input right into the speaker box.


In the demo configuration the SPDIF went right into the speakers. For backward compatibility an analog input is available as well.


This is the subwoofer which has 50W sound output. The price of the ABIT iDome D500 Digital 2.1 system will be between $200 and $300. A 5.1 system is also in the works.