We're pretty impressed with how Soltek was able to bundle so much
value into their SL-K8AN-RL motherboard, yet still manage to keep the retail sticker price at
just $130 CDN ($100 US)!
As the benchmarks show, the SL-K8AN-RL is no
slouch either as it bested the MSI K8T Neo and Albatron K8X800 Pro II in
the office based benchmarks and was only marginally slower in the 3D test
suites. If you're a hardcore overclocker you're probably going to want to look elsewhere
as the board does not have many overclocking functions. If you're a
newbie, the SL-K8AN-RL motherboard is a great starter as it does not allow for high enough
voltages that could kill components.
The Soltek SL-K8AN-RL doesn't include every bell and
whistle we're accustomed to seeing from tier one manufacturers, but it
isn't totally without either. The SL-K8AN-RL includes Serial ATA/Serial ATA
RAID, an third Ultra/133 IDE channel, 5.1 audio and 10/100 LAN. The layout of the
motherboard is pretty good and you won't have any problems installing the board
into those smaller ATX cases, but it is not as well labelled as others we
have tested. Soltek includes an impressive software bundle which is alway nice too.
Ideally, this board is targeted towards the mainstream
Athlon64 user who's not into
extreme [overclocking-based] performance, but simply wants a cost-effective solution which is quick. Soltek manage
this, and if the thought of moving to the Athlon64 is on your mind, then
the Soltek SL-K8AN-RL should make for a very good option without having to break the bank!
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