Installation and Testing:

Test Hardware:

• Intel E6600 Core 2 Duo

• Coolermaster Eclipse CPU Cooler

• ABIT IL9 Pro 945P Motherboard

• 2 x 1GB OCZ PC2-7200 Platinum XTC

• Nvidia 7900 GT PCIE IceberQ 6

• Lian Li HPC-600-A12C 600 W Power Supply

CPUZ

Mainboard

Memory

Memory SPD

Installing the board was easy and quick. The 4-pin auxiliary power connector is right next to the top PCI-Express slot. Stock graphics cards should fit easily enough where as my personal 7900 GT's aftermarket cooler was a tight fit due to the rather thick thumb screws holding it on. There is plenty of room for your large or very large CPU coolers you might want to use. The very large Coolermaster Eclipse sits comfortably with room to maneuver on all sides. It's great that motherboard components have been evolving in to smaller more compact parts which allows for more toys and features.

Ready-Set-Go	2 Seconds!!	OCZ PC2-7200
7900 GT IceberQ 6	Back Wires	No Power LEDs

After starting up the system, pressing the Delete key brought me straight to ABIT's nicely arranged BIOS. This one of simplest BIOS to date to navigate and takes about 2 minutes to understand. There aren't any features or adjustments for overclocking the IL9 Pro since it really is a standard budget solution. Some voltage adjustments are capable in regards to the memory and chipset for added stability and due to the various memory modules that require a little extra stock voltage.

Boot Configuration

Advanced BIOS

CPU Configuration

DIMM Voltage

Advanced Chipset

Hardware Health

Standard BIOS

I ran a series of benchmarks which included, Aquamark 3, 3DMark05, 3DMark06, and Sisoft Processor Multimedia and Arithmetic so as to compare to other comparable motherboards. The DDR2 667MHz support would seem to limit the performance of the system budget or not, but this was not the case. Even at 667MHz the real world scores are close to the stock performance of the more upscale 975X chipsets.

533MHz 4-4-4-15

667MHz 5-5-5-15

533MHz 4-4-4-15

667MHz 5-5-5-15

3D applications ran well enough on the platform without issue. Using FRAPS, a bit of Battlefield 2142 and a demo was in order to see how the system handles the stress with its meager 667MHz memory frequencies. The IL9 Pro scored 4709 3D points versus the 975X which scored 6330 3D Points, yet is still very capable of running the latest games and applications.
 

Battlefield 2142 - 80 FPS Average

The IL9 Pro continued to prove itself stable under any load from applications and games. The Aquamark 3 score was within 15% of the 975X chipset based performance at stock speeds. Using the Sisoft Memory Benchmark, I noticed a bigger difference due to the memory at 533MHz and 667MHz compared to the faster rated 800MHz DDR2 modules. Buying faster memory modules for the ABIT IL9 Pro is pointless since you can't change the Front Side Bus. You also can't change the memory timings in the BIOS. So, naturally you can't overclock this platform aside from the PCI-Express frequencies.

533MHz 4-4-4-15

667MHz 5-5-5-15

One issue did present itself in the form of memory timings and dividers. Using two different OCZ dual channel kits, the system would operate at 533MHz with 4-4-4-15 timings with one kit, or at 667Mhz with 5-5-5-18 timings with the other kit. And since there is no manual adjustment for the memory timings in the BIOS, the system couldn't show me it's top ability of 667MHz with 4-4-4-15 timings. The memory timing adjustment function should definitely be enabled in a future BIOS revision since I'm sure this issue will appear for others as well. ABIT is currently working on a change which will be released in a BIOS revision soon.

Arithmetic 4-4-4-15

Multimedia 4-4-4-15

Divider @ 667MHz 5-5-5-18

Divider @ 533MHz 4-4-4-15

It's unfortunate that you can't adjust the Bus Speed, Front Side Bus, or the memory timings manually. These options should be accessible due to the ever changing memory modules and BIOS updates that are released. And not every motherboard is capable of detecting every memory module properly. There is simply too many variables that come in to play. And foremost, no one wants to buy the best low level latency memory modules if the motherboard has a history of being incapable of running the correct memory timings.

Conclusion:

The ABIT IL9 Pro LGA775 Motherboard is the most basic budget user motherboard to be offered for those who want a few extra features beyond the typical budget platform. It provides reliable performance and extra features such as SATA II and 8-Channel High Definition Audio. And for the users who want to try a little extra graphic power without the extra price, the IL9 Pro's dual graphics PCIE slots will allow for that optional upgrade and capability. All around the platform is capable and will serve as a good basic platform especially for those looking to spend the least amount for something reliable for the home or office.