Foxconn Black Ops - Raw, Unadulterated Power
by Rajinder Gill on July 30, 2008 11:00 PM EST- Posted in
- Motherboards
Testbed Setup
| Foxconn Black Ops Overclocking / Benchmark Testbed | |
| Processor | Intel Core 2 Extreme QX9650 (Quad-core, 3.0GHz, 9x Multiplier, 2x6MB Cache) Intel Core 2 Due E8500 (Dual-core, 3.16GHz, 9.5x Multiplier, 6MB cache) |
| CPU Voltage | Various |
| Cooling | Dtek Fuzion CPU cooler 2 x PA120.2 Radiators 3X Noctua NF-P12 120MM fans DDC Ultra with Petra top Dual cascade cooling 2x1.5HP rotary compressors |
| Power Supply | PCP1200W |
| Memory | Corsair XMS3-2133 2x1GB (ver 4.1) Corsair XMS3-1600 2x2GB (ver 4.1) Cellshock 1866 2x1GB OCZ Platinum 1800 2X1GB |
| Memory Settings | Various |
| Video Cards | ASUS 8800 GTS 512MB Foxconn GTX 280 for Extreme Benchmarking |
| Video Drivers | Nvidia 169.25 (Beta) & 177.41 For Benchmarking |
| Hard Drive | Western Digital 7200RPM 250GB SATA 3/Gbps 16MB Buffer |
| Optical Drives | Plextor PX-B900A, Toshiba SD-H802A |
| Case | Open Test Bed - Dimastech Benching Station Lian-Li V2110 |
| BIOS | G28 |
| Operating System | Windows XP SP2 Vista Home Premium 64-Bit |
| . | |
We decided to stick with Vista 64-bit with SP1 installed for basic benchmarking and testing and to use XP with SP3 for the cascade cooled testing. E8500 and QX9650 processors were used as the sacrificial lambs for all benchmarking purposes.
A number of memory kits were utilized for overclocking, with a 2x1GB configuration being preferred for the benchmarking runs. For 24/7 use on the Vista 64-bit platform, the Corsair 2x2GB kit is our choice as it proved to scale very well whilst remaining easy to overclock, even with our QX9650.
Both high-resolution 1920x1200 and 1280x1024 resolution game benchmarks were run to find performance benefits for gamers, should such advancements through BIOS tweaking exist. We utilize new drive images on each board in order to minimize any potential driver conflicts. Our 3DMark results are generated utilizing the standard benchmark resolution for each program. We run each benchmark five times, throw out the two low and high scores, and report the remaining score.
Recent reviews of 790i, P45, and X48 boards have allowed us to compile benchmark results for comparative purposes. This gives us the chance to look at single card results from two different chipsets running either DDR3 or DDR2 memory. It's no surprise that things will be close, as most of us already know that memory bandwidth and speed typically only makes a 1-3% difference between DDR2 and DDR3 boards.
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Etern205 - Saturday, August 2, 2008 - link
For those who wonder who is this Shamino person check out VR-Zoneand for those with those Asus ROG boards in the motherboard disc there is a overclocking video with him in it.
at80eighty - Saturday, August 2, 2008 - link
threadjack a hardware thread about Linux?get some sunlight! :p
sprockkets - Thursday, July 31, 2008 - link
Every foxconn board I've had either dies or is poorly made in software. My AMD nForce4 board could not shut down properly every so often, couldn't keep the correct time, and other things.Doesn't mean this board is bad hardware wise. But, if so many of their boards cannot keep the right time or report the right settings, that shows poor BIOS programming. Not wasting my money on the big generic OEM maker.
BPB - Thursday, July 31, 2008 - link
Only 6 SATA and 2 eSATA is not enough. I want at least 8 SATA for a board like this, then start talking eSATA.strikeback03 - Thursday, July 31, 2008 - link
ICH10R only supports 6 SATA, so not like you could have more than 6 drives in a RAID array anyway. If you really need more drives than that, why not a card?NicePants42 - Thursday, July 31, 2008 - link
[quote]The water-cooling top plate is anodized aluminum. Contrary to "popular belief", the chances of galvanic corrosion with this setup are miniscule and there should be no cause for concern. Galvanic corrosion can take years to manifest, and a suitable additive in some distilled de-ionized water should provide ample protection.[/quote]I appreciate that the author was astute enough to include specific information about the material of the top plate, however, the reader is left to his/her own assumptions regarding the material of the water block itself - sure, it looks like copper, but so did the cooling solution on the popular ABIT IP35-Pro.
I also find the author's defense of anodized aluminum out of place; if we are to assume (as the article seems to suggest) that only the top plate is made from aluminum, while the rest of the block is made from copper, it seems that the use of aluminum is indefensible, regardless of how technically correct the author's assertions on galvanic corrosion may be. Why, after spending all the money on high quality components, gobs of included 'extreme benchmarking' extras, and a large copper cooling solution, would the designers decide that they couldn't afford the extra dollar for a copper top plate, but would rather introduce the possibility (however remote) of slowly destroying any attached liquid cooling solution?
Galvanic corrosion can take years to manifest? For how many years have people been paying over $120 for PA120.3s? Or $40 for MCW60s? Or $75 for a D5 Vario, etc? I, for one, would think that the author would better serve his readers by questioning the use of potentially harmful materials, (especially when the use of such materials appears to be unjustified) rather than presuming to dictate the reader's priorities concerning such.
iop3u2 - Thursday, July 31, 2008 - link
I was waiting for a foxconn ad the last few days and you sure as hell didn't disappoint me.tayhimself - Thursday, July 31, 2008 - link
Who needs a $500 Mobo? I am really confused as to the people buying this stuff.NicePants42 - Thursday, July 31, 2008 - link
It generally helps to check Newegg before posting about price.Considering that many current X48 motherboards are selling between $250 and $300, $330 after MIR is hardly unreasonable for this board.
DigitalFreak - Thursday, July 31, 2008 - link
"extreme benchmarking"ROFLMAO! What a bunch of losers