Chaintech MK8T890 (VIA K8T890)

Conclusion

Conclusion

Overall, the Chaintech MK8T890 isn't a bad board. For a product that fills the entry-level and OEM segment, the MK8T890 is actually a great little motherboard. Not only is it stable and reliable, Chaintech has managed to come up with a clean PCB design that system builders would probably give thanks for. With its small Micro ATX footprint, the MK8T890 will fit into non-obtrusive chassis designs with ease. However, neither Chaintech's bundle nor the MK8T890's onboard features is going to wow anyone anytime soon. Although we keep telling ourselves that it befits the board's low-end nature, its features are the absolute bare necessities any user should expect today.

Performance-wise, the MK8T890 can be said to have performed admirably in all our benchmarks. Despite being handicapped by a single channel memory controller, the MK8T890 was able to outperform the Gigabyte GA-K8VT890-9 in SYSmark 2004. Besides its expected memory performance gap, the board also displayed strong and consistent results in all other sub-system categories; graphics, CPU and storage.

The major concern for the MK9T890 is the age of Socket 754. If you're building a brand new PC today for the home, we would not recommend you to get this, not because it is a low-end product, but because Socket 754 is well on its way out of the scene. Yes, you can still readily purchase a range of Socket 754 Semprons, but even Socket 939 can see its own demise over the horizon as AMD prepares the launch of the AM2, so it isn't a wise investment. However, the MK8T890 would make an ideal motherboard for an office workstation or as the base for a budget media PC.

The Chaintech MK8T890 is clearly targeted for OEM system builders as they already have a value range in the form of the established Zenith VE series of motherboards. However, Chaintech drives an incredibly hard bargain. If you're on a tight budget or looking for a simple motherboard, the MK8T890's price of US$59 is such a steal that you might even throw out the notion of 'future proofing' and adopt an inexpensive, but capable Socket 754 processor today.