What happened to ABIT?

[notb]

I have to admit I didn't really bother to track the PC industry between 2006 and 2011 (because of studies). When I got back to reading forums like this one, it turned out one of my favourite brands - ABIT - was closed.

Does anyone know what exactly happened? I've read a few articles but they all lack details.
Sure, ABIT had some financial problems, but from 2017's POV they don't seem that bad or unique. Quite a lot of companies survived longer and more severe troubles.

 

[m0nt3]

They had financial trouble, got bought out by another company and were shutdown. I always loved my Abit boards, still happily own my Abit NF7-S.

 

[dorsetknob]

I do Believe a member here Downloaded the entire Abit Motherboard Database for Posterity ( before it was taken offline )
Trekkie4 or
stinger608
might remember who that was

 

[revin]

it was acquired by Universal Scientific International (USI) in May 2006, then started to operate under the brand name Universal ABIT.
I feel it was a hostile takeover in the hiding. They were a top contender and tbh I think Intel could have had a hand especially after the 865PE boards (AI7) implemented GAT which was.a sidestep around 875 chipset. So probably pissed tbem off. But any way buyout then bye bye............I still have 2 AI7and 1BX6 Rev. 2

 

[notb]

They had financial trouble, got bought out by another company and were shutdown. I always loved my Abit boards, still happily own my Abit NF7-S.

That I know, but financial troubles are not a death sentence. They could have survived.
Maybe this is about Taiwan and mentality there. They make most motherboards anyway. The ABIT project failed so no one really cared. They closed down the business and the people moved to the other side of the road (e.g. ASRock).
I do believe that if ABIT was operating from a different country (Japan or something in Europe/US), it would be taken care of somehow.

And I also had the NF7-S. This was the mobo to get for overclocking Athlons.

 

[qubit]

I do Believe a member here Downloaded the entire Abit Motherboard Database for Posterity ( before it was taken offline )
Trekkie4 or
stinger608
might remember who that was

Maybe @Solaris17 - was it you, buddy?

Abit were my go-to brand and I was gutted to see them go. I've still got an AN7, AI7 and AN8 Ultra. I had a Via based board from them too, forget the model number now, which I gave away to a friend. Via chipsets were always a bit second rate, but somehow it worked just fine on that board and the CPU overclocked well - all the Abits were good overclockers, in fact. I can find out the model number if someone really wants to know.

 

[jboydgolfer]

I do Believe a member here Downloaded the entire Abit Motherboard Database for Posterity ( before it was taken offline )
Trekkie4 or
stinger608
might remember who that was

is this it?

 

[bogmali]

I do Believe a member here Downloaded the entire Abit Motherboard Database for Posterity ( before it was taken offline )
might remember who that was

@Solaris17 and myself (there were others I think)

 

[Norton]

@Solaris17 and myself (there were others I think)

https://www.techpowerup.com/forums/threads/abit-website.162183/

Not sure how much remains but there's some stuff in that thread

 

[R-T-B]

Of all the motherboard brands I miss, I think I miss ABIT the most. DFI is nothing compared to the awesome that was ABIT IMO.

 

[WhiteNoise]

They had financial trouble, got bought out by another company and were shutdown. I always loved my Abit boards, still happily own my Abit NF7-S.

I owned that board as well! Great one that.

 

[Solaris17]

yup. I did, ford easyrhino bog and a few others helped seed. A nice guy kept it (the domain) unil about 4 months ago. I even emailed him my thanks. but alas its no more.

 

[Red_Machine]

Whatever happened to DFI? They're still around, they just don't make consumer products anymore by the looks of it.

 

[Bill_Bright]

That I know, but financial troubles are not a death sentence. They could have survived.

It is not just that ABIT had financial problems. They were also investigated for questionable accounting practices and some of the executives for embezzling. Also, their chief designer/engineer jumped ship and hired on at DFI.

It does not matter how great a product a company makes if management are crooks and don't properly manage. Even a buyout by a sound company can't save that sinking ship.

 

[uuuaaaaaa]

I do Believe a member here Downloaded the entire Abit Motherboard Database for Posterity ( before it was taken offline )
Trekkie4 or
stinger608
might remember who that was

I have the it too Over 20GB of glorious ABIT material!

 

[qubit]

Of all the motherboard brands I miss, I think I miss ABIT the most. DFI is nothing compared to the awesome that was ABIT IMO.

I dunno, it's kinda swings and roundabouts with this one. I think DFI in their (short) heyday had even more overclockable mobos with more advanced features not seen anywhere else

 

[Gasaraki]

They had financial trouble, got bought out by another company and were shutdown. I always loved my Abit boards, still happily own my Abit NF7-S.

Loved my IC7-MAX3

 

[uuuaaaaaa]

Loved my IC7-MAX3

Best board I have ever owned! I still have it, check my "Purple Haze" build system!

 

[RejZoR]

It's how things go. I still wonder how things would be if 3dfx and S3 (as well as Matrox for the gaming cards) still existed in graphics industry and all were making comparable graphic cards in terms of performance. I kinda miss the days when we had tons of options. Although I'm sure developers prefer it now since they have less work to do with just 2 vendors.

 

[Robert B]

http://forums.hexus.net/abit-care-hexus/244569-abit-ftp-backup-including-e0-updates.html

ftp://91.121.194.115/ - get the Abit.torrent file. I downloaded the entire site this year. 19.8 GB

 

[Frick]

I've had just two ABIT boards: BH6 and NF7-S (2.0), both absolutely excellent.

 

[notb]

I've had just two ABIT boards: BH6 and NF7-S (2.0), both absolutely excellent.

I generally miss the times when you could buy a high-end motherboard that looked like proper electronics - i.e. your computer was made to run futuristic video games, not look like one.

But I have to admit that I had the CM Aero 7+ - possibly one of the most bonkers CPU coolers ever. Still, it was form following function, not the other way around. And it was fully copper - matching NF7-S pretty well.

 

[P4-630]

But I have to admit that I had the CM Aero 7+ - possibly one of the most bonkers CPU coolers ever. Still, it was form following function, not the other way around. And it was fully copper - matching NF7-S pretty well.

Copper cooling is nice but just don't touch it with your fingers or your fingerprints will sit on it forever...

 

[qubit]

It is not just that ABIT had financial problems. They were also investigated for questionable accounting practices and some of the executives for embezzling. Also, their chief designer/engineer jumped ship and hired on at DFI.

It does not matter how great a product a company makes if management are crooks and don't properly manage. Even a buyout by a sound company can't save that sinking ship.

Ah, no wonder DFI turned into such a fantastic enthusiast brand.
And yeah, crooks running a company risk running it into the ground if they go too far, I remember the scandals in the news. Way to go assholes.

 

[_JP_]

I want to bet some of them went to SuperMicro and are now having fun making consumer boards, advertised as GAMING but no bad taste whatsoever with a bucket load of features, which was the ABIT mindset