Introduction

If you talk about feature-rich boards, MSI will fit into that category very well. They have never failed to amaze us with the value and feature they put into their motherboard products. More importantly, they have always kept themselves ahead of the times with very innovative integration that sometimes leave us wondering how much further they can keep up with being the lead innovator. Nevertheless, these guys are good and we think they still have a lot of tricks up their sleeves.

The new MSI KT3 Ultra-ARU is probably one of the very first motherboard manufacturer to launch the VIA KT333-based motherboard for the AMD Athlon/Duron platform. Featuring support for the latest DDR333 memory technology, the new VIA KT333 chipset is here to boost the performance of the AMD Athlon XP further with faster and larger memory bandwidth. In addition to that, most new KT333 board will feature the new VIA VT8233A south bridge that supports the latest ATA 133 IDE interface. It's a real disappointment that USB 2.0 was not integrated into the south bridge yet.

The VIA VT8233A southbridge gives you built-in support for ATA 133 IDE devices.

So, what else is new with the MSI KT3 Ultra-ARU apart from the standard features? Well, they now have Bluetooth support built into the board. You'll find a Bluetooth header that will allow you to connect an optional Bluetooth module for wireless connectivity. It's a nice addition to the motherboard, but how many would actually use it? That's the question.

The board comes with a lot of bundled accessories. You'll find a Quick User's Guide, a driver CD, a floppy drive cable, an 80-conductor ATA133 HDD cable, a D-Bracket, a USB 2.0 bracket and an S-Bracket.

The specifications are as below:-