ABIT BP6

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The ABIT BP6 (introduced in 1999) was the first motherboard to allow for the use of (affordable) Intel Celeron processors in Symmetric multiprocessing (SMP) configuration. For this reason (and also for its overclocking capabilities) it became very popular among computer enthusiasts. The BP6 has therefore been credited as the product that made SMP (a technology previously reserved for high-end workstations or servers) affordable for the masses.

The BP6 was based on the (now legendary) Intel 440BX chipset (consisting of the 82443BX Northbridge and the 82371AB Southbridge). The chipset was renowned for its stability, performance and overclockability and competed favorably with newer offerings from Intel and other manufacturers for quite a long time.

Processors supported by the BP6 in SMP configuration were the Celeron Mendocinos 266 to 533 MHz models for the Socket 370. Later Pentium III and Celeron Coppermine models could also operate on the BP6, albeit in uniprocessor configuration or/and with the use of special aftermarket socket adaptors. In fact, getting the Celeron to work in SMP (which Intel never intended to see happen) was quite a hack in itself; the BP6 as a proof-of-concept is speculated to be the main reason that Intel disabled altogether the SMP interface in the subsequent generation of Celerons, keeping the feature only in its higher-end product lines (Pentium III and Xeon).

The motherboard also featured the two extra HDD ports on Highpoint Tech. HPT366 Ultra DMA/66 adapter fitted on the mainboard itself. In other words you could hook up to 8 HDDs/CD-ROMs (which was only featured in higher-end products) and also get the higher speeds of transfer.

An important feature of the motherboard (and rather novel at the time) was the ABIT SoftMenu BIOS extension which allowed for jumper-less adjustment of system parameters such as system bus speed, CPU & AGP bridge multipliers and voltages from inside the BIOS.

The BP6 and BH6 motherboards are largely credited to the engineer Oskar Wu, who now works for DFI, a competing motherboard manufacturer.

Legacy and updated BIOS firmware and additional information available at BP6.Com