THE DEBUT OF VIA'S ATHLON DDR CHIPSET was a disaster, for the most part. A few manufacturers launched motherboards based on VIA's KT266 chipset, and the initial reviews showed lackluster performance that varied widely between mobo and BIOS revisions. Not long after the KT266's rocky start, rumors started swirling around about a new revision of the KT266 chipset from VIA that would improve performance and address concerns with the first spin of the KT266. But a handful of manufacturers pressed on, denying the rumors and offering updated BIOS and mobo revisions based on the existing KT266 chipset.

Those rumors continue to swirl, but what has materialized is a new crop of KT266 motherboards that are much better performers than the earlier boards. Among them is Shuttle's AK31 V2.0, for which the company has high hopes—and for good reason. The AK31 fits the mold of the best enthusiast's motherboards of the day, packing in more slots, ports, and overclocking options than a box full of the bland mobos we've had to settle for, at times, lately. Read my full review of the Shuttle AK31 mobo to see if the KT266 is finally up to speed.