Motherboard: Sono VK 2208 (Hawk) Review :: Conclusion

Stability

The 3D tests did lock up a couple of times but they also ran through them many times without fail so it is stable most of the time but I would not suggest this as a gamers board.

The SYSmark test ran but had initial problems with Windows ME and I cannot place direct blame as where the problem lies as it could be the board or software related. Overall it ran okay but was not the most stable thing I have ever seen.

Compatibility

As I stated above there were some initial problems which eventually worked themselves out but could never quite be accurately analyzed. I never had any problem with the system, video or operating system or just tooling around in Windows the only problems came when trying to run the stress tests that continuously run the tests in and endless loop like a server would be if it was left running or 3D rendering which requires long term system use.

Support

First off the manuals were off in quite a few places which made me use my brain and experiment with the case to motherboard wiring which can be tricky and cause the board to short out, but as luck would have it I figured it out without problems.

There new Canadian based website leaves the Taiwan site in the dust as that site is very poorly done. They have ample product information available on the site along with contact and support numbers so you can reach them by phone. I haven't heard any complaints about them in fact I have heard absolutely nothing about them. Aussie or Nic the motherboard identification Gurus in our forums section may have heard of them if anyone has. Overall support seems on the right track though.

Conclusion

These first efforts by Sono are not anything to brag about yet but they do perform stably and although the 2208 is not exactly a speed demon it will perform within range of other similar type boards. Remember Sono Canada is a fairly new start up company that is going to be growing internally as time passes so they will be improving on the whole day by day.

I give this company credit though, as it takes cajones the size of Texas to jump in with both feet first into this unstable market that is known to be cut throat at best, and very unforgiving to the losers in this game. Overall this is a very moderate motherboard that will get the job done but lacks many features that attract enthusiasts and overclockers. This is a great board for the office or E-machine environment though as it is easy to work with.

If these guys can keep up the pace they should be able to carve a niche for themselves in this industry but keeping up with current chipsets needs to be more focused on as most of their boards are based on older chipsets. Hey getting off the ground is half the battle and they have accomplished that so the rest is really marketing and support. A focus on newer available chipsets and likewise based motherboards couldn't hurt them either.

If anyone would like more information on how to become a dealer you can contact their man on the spot Praneel at praneel@sono.ca he will be more than willing to help you out and hey he's even a pretty decent fellow. The bottom line is this, the company needs work in their manuals as they were hard to read and they need better marketing strategies if they want to gain ground in the American marketplace. Other than that they are a very average company that reminds me of an early Shuttle. Keep it up guys your just a little rough around the edges. See ya!

Doc Out