Foxconn 955X7AA-8EKRS2 on Intel 955X Express chipset. Part I

Brand Foxconn has changed the status of newcomer in the Russian market of computer accessories to one of the most solid and recognizable one, and all these for less than a year; Foxconn occupies a firm position in one line with such world's largest manufacturers as ASUSTeK, Gigabyte, MSI, Elitegroup. Due to a wide assortment of high-quality products which Foxconn offers to consumers and computers manufacturers (enclosed information www.foxconnchannel.com) and also due to excellent work of stuff in Faxconn’s representative office in Russia, governed by Alexander Truhachevym. Foxconn is a global leader in providing mechanical and electromechanical solutions to the communications, consumer, and computer industries; has an abundant experience in development and manufacture of motherboards and ready computers for overwhelming majority of leaders all over the world (for example, HP and Dell are among them). So we can insist that having entered into a market of computer accessories with its own trade mark, Foxconn has correctly provided for every eventuality, having overcome serious problems, to overcome which for other companies need years and years.

During this year we quite often focused your attention on motherboards, full of innovations and rich features, and also other production under mark Foxconn. Each time we marked a high quality and functionality of all products for initial and average market segments, and also for expensive elite computers. And again we’ve got new one - Foxconn's new flagship motherboard with extreme performance capabilities, coupled with Intel new 955X Extreme Edition processor, dual processor cores Intel Pentium Extreme Edition and Intel Pentium D. So let’s see what they have for high-end gamers and enthusiasts in the 955X7AA-8EKRS2.

So, Does this board truly follow in the footsteps of the 925XE7AA-8EKRS2, or has Foxconn added in additional improvements? Let’s find out.

Foxconn 955X7AA-8EKRS2 specification:

The basic functionalities of this motherboard, in comparison with motherboard Foxconn 925XE7AA-8EKRS2 on Intel 925XE Express chipset which is a direct predecessor of our today's heroine (955X7AA-8EKRS2 will replace a motherboard 925XE7AA-8EKRS2 in a segment desktop computers with Intel processors), are presented here.

Table 1. (basic differences are fat font).

First of all, we shall note, that Foxconn 955X7AA-8EKRS2 motherboard based on new dual cores processor supports Intel 955X chipset (i925XE doesn’t support dual cores processor).

Intel 955X Express chipset

Basic characteristics of this chipset in comparison with the previous and competitors are presented here. Table 2.

Differences between Intel 955X Express chipset and its predecessor 925XE Express in fact are not so great, than it was between 875P and 925X chipsets. First of all, 955X supports Intel dual cores processors, and 925XE – cannot (955X became the first Intel chipset in the market with official support of dual cores processors). Secondly, it is the first Intel chipset (and the second in the world - after NVIDIA nForce4 SLI Intel Edition) with official support of DDR2 667 MHz memory (by the way, DDR400 memory is not supported by chipset, as in 925XE). Thirdly, two-channel controller of Intel 955X Express chipset supports memory up to 8 Gbytes of system memory, whereas 925XE supports far less. Fourthly, again appeared ECC support memory, which seemed to be vanished while the evolution of 925X chipset to 925XE Express. Fifthly, in new chipset used the improved hub of input-output (southbridge) ICH7 (R) instead of ICH6 (R), the main and most important innovation is the RAID-controller of Serial ATA interface, speeding up data writing and reading rates up to 3 Gigabit/s. (instead of 1,5 Gigabit/s.) and with some other elements of SATA II specification (for example, NCQ, though Serial ATA II support is not full in this Intel controller, because all final specifications on the new interface have been claimed after chipset was already launched). Nevertheless, ICH6 supported for Native Command Queuing too. Controller ICH7R support for RAID levels 5 and 10 (0+1), which was not in ICH6R - is more interesting and important for users. At last, may be 955X Express chipset has an opportunity of SLI support (division of one PCI Express x16 into two PCI Express x8), there is no any official information for this (however, even Intel itself provided board with two slots PCI Express x16 at once).

There are no other evident distinctions between Intel 955X and 925XE chipsets, but if to compare i955X Express with NVIDIA nForce4 SLI Intel Edition chipset, which has appeared earlier, in this case Intel’s product has no evident advantages over the main competitor (these chipsets cover one segment in the market). Moreover, NVIDIA product (though it is more expensive), has some considerable bonuses in comparison with Intel 955X – a support for system memory (up to 16 Gbytes), an advanced memory controller with powerful pre-fetcher and optimization for 1 T-Command (for smaller memory CL), supported for SLI (from the developer of this technology), more faster hub Interface and independent clocking of all buses (eased overclocking). Buses PCI Express x1 are provided by northbridge (instead of southbridge as in Intel); remove a number of bottlenecks while using of fast periphery, NVIDIA MCP04 southbridge has two ports UltraATA/133 (instead of one UltraATA/100 as in Intel) which can be used also for RAID creation, 10 instead of 8 x USB 2.0 ports and, and at last, NVIDIA chipset has Gigabit controller with powerful ActiveArmor, allowing extremely fast local area network interaction.

Among all advantages Intel 955X Express in comparison with NVIDIA nForce4 SLI Intel Edition it is important to note an opportunity, in theory, to organize up to 6 lines PCI Express x1 (instead of standard 4; however, I didn’t see such boards yet), but with Intel High Definition Audio controller and Intel Matrix Storage technology on pair of SATA-disks it is possible to organize RAID 0 and RAID 1 simultaneously. Certainly, cause 955X chipset was made by the manufacturer itself and full of innovations and rich features, completely ready for current (for example, Intel AMT) and some future (probably, VT and LT) Intel’s technologies; at the same time it is a single NVIDIA’s chipset for processors with Intel NetBurst architecture, so some defects are quite possible.

“Close look at motherboard”

Overall I’d have to say, when I have taken Foxconn 955X7AA-8EKRS2 motherboard in hands, I had a sense of “deja vu”, as if I already held it in hands several months ago and fingers remembered position of all slots and jumpers on it … Please, compare these motherboards Foxconn 955X7AA-8EKRS2 and Foxconn 925XE7AA-8EKRS2 surface, and you will understand me, visually they resemble each other and distinctions are not so vivid:

If to start with specifications (please look table 1, above) it is evident, that differences are minimal:

• New chipset,
• added dual cores processors support,
• added DDR2 667 MHz memory support,
• up to 8 Gbytes memory support (instead of 4),
• improved SATA RAID controller,
• smaller volume of chip with BIOS.

Actually, all these differences (except the last one) are completely because of a new chipset, while all other additional controllers of a new motherboard – are absolutely the same, as in previous one. Even board’s setup (and saw set) has changed a little bit. However, at the Foxconn 925XE7AA-8EKRS2 board’s review we marked, that it has good and reasonable configuration and filled by useful controllers, and repetition of such successful experience in this case will be welcomed. But one thing in this motherboard I’d change with great pleasure - replace old SATA-controller SiI3114 on slow (~100 Mb/s) PCI bus with a new one with NCQ support (and other SATA II features) for faster PCI Express x1 (200 Mb/s), and also I’d locate outside one-two SATA-ports for external SATA connection, because it is not enough speed USB 2.0 and IEEE 1394 for modern hard disks.

As well as its previous one, Foxconn 955X7AA-8EKRS2 has a good combination of PCI and PCI Express slots,

few additional controllers - four-disk IDE RAID IT8212F, four-port SerialATA RAID SiI3114 with hot connection, and also three-port FireWire with support of the 800-megabit standard,

additional (the second) GbE (but on rather slow PCI for this purpose),

and also integrated 7.1 channel High Definition (not to microphone and a linear input loss).

and on the back panel there was an optical audio output.

So, as a whole, due to amount of various controllers this Foxconn board competes with ASUSTeK’s and Gigabyte’s top-motherboards, however, they also have such controller of a wireless network, which is not stipulated here.

The only thing that makes the significance of board’s additional controllers low – that they (except for one on Broadcom BCM5789KFB chip) are connected to a chipset on slow PCI for such application of 32 bits/33 of MHz (real transfer rate about 100 Mb/s). RAID 0 and RAID 0+1 (as Gbit network or some FireWire-devices simultaneously) with such controllers will not reach of full speed at the maximal loading. Probably, more perspective today are similar controllers for PCI Express x1, but they are not absolutely ready yet. To tell the truth, instead of PCI GbLAN it would be better to use the controller of wireless communication 802.11 g …

VRM Modules, memory and PCI Express bus on this Foxconn motherboard are obviously improved, in comparison with 925XE7AA board: the three-phase VRM Module was replaced by quadriphase which has 10 low-profile and low-voltage capacitors on 560 mcf and 4 x 16 V 1800 mcf (more, than on 925XE7AA),

from another board’s side buses are strengthened in addition by strips (see a photo),

pulsed stabilizers of memory and PCI Express are also strengthened:

On northbridge of i955X Express chipset is an average size radiator (less, than on similar Intel’s motherboards, see a photo above), but, unlike Intel boards, it has a fan with the controlled gauge of the turns, (pluses and minuses of such decision are obvious - cooling is better, but noise level is far behind of ideal).

The 24-pin ATX power connector is in an excellent layout, though connection with former 2.01 standard is also possible (in tests Foxconn motherboard worked with such block without problems, and "long" ledge-latch on this socket doesn’t cause fears in reliability of such variant of connection). Remained to mention, that on motherboard there is a standard connector to switch on external dynamics and audio I/O on the front panel. And those few jumpers on motherboard are provided with suitable petal.

If you’re looking for solid performance, stability, and a medium level overclocking board, give the Foxconn 955X7AA-8EKRS2 a good look, it could be what you need at a budget price.