486 KVD © 199? First International Computer
The FIC 486KVD is a classic, mid-to-late 486-era motherboard that holds a special place in the history of "Super Socket 3" systems. Manufactured by First International Computer (FIC), this board was designed to accommodate the full range of 486 processors, including the powerful DX4 and the high-speed AMD 5x86 upgrades.
The "Ultimate 486" Board: Because the 486KVD successfully combined VLB, PCI, and ISA on a single board, it is often cited by collectors as one of the best motherboards for building an "Ultimate 486" machine. It allowed for the use of high-performance VLB disk controllers (like the Promise EIDEMAX) alongside high-speed PCI graphics (like the S3 Trio64).
Design Quality: Unlike the 486APIO or generic AIO boards, the KVD was a full-sized AT motherboard. It was physically large, robust, and featured high-quality multi-layer PCB construction, which helped keep the system stable when overclocking the bus to 40MHz or 50MHz.