Intel has really turned up the heat on AMD with its
'Conroe' architecture. The Core 2 Duo processor not only outperforms the
Athlon64 X2 5000+ and FX-62, it's also about to get beefier in the very new
future! Intel is expected to release the 'Kensfield' core, or Core 2 Quad
processors in the first quarter of 2007! The Core 2 Quad is expected to be
monster CPU, compatible with the high end 975X and mainstream P965 Express chipsets, whether manufacturers have to tweak the BIOS a little first is note completely known. Regardless, boards based on the P965 Express chipset will enable you to jump onboard quadzilla, and that kind of upgradability makes everyone happy in the long run.
Elsewhere on the Intel front, ATi, which was recently acquired by AMD, still
has close ties to chipzilla and has announced that its dual videocard CrossFire
system will work on the P965 Express chipset... in theory. This gives Intel
badly needed dual videocard support to compete against AMD in the ever important
high end gaming sector - on its own chipsets, and not just nVidia's nForce
500-series Intel Edition. Now if motherboard manufacturers would release a P965
Express motherboard with two physical PCI Express x16 slots... but I
digress.
Foxconn P9657AA-8KS2H's motherboard offers a good mix of
performance and value for the Intel Pentium D or Core 2 Duo microprocessor. The board
itself retails for a reasonable price of $118 CDN ($106 US, £55GBP), but comes
with scant little in terms of bundled in accessories. The P9657AA-8KS2H is best
suited to the Core 2 Duo processor, so in this review PCSTATS
will be testing it with an Intel Core 2 Duo E6600 CPU.
The Intel motherboard market is very hot right
now and motherboard manufacturers are flooding it with all types
of Core 2 Duo compatible boards. From high end to entry level, there's something
for you no matter what your budget. \
The Foxconn P9657AA-8KS2H is one of least expensive P965 Express motherboards
out there. Onboard goodies include a PCI Express x1-based Gigabit network card
and an Intel Azalia High Definition 7.1 channel audio codec. Upgrades are
possible through a PCI Express x1, x4 and x16 slot, and three 32 bit PCI slots.
You can install a maximum of 8GB of DDR2-800 memory into the system while
running in a dual channel configuration, and the motherboard supports all Socket
775 processors, from the lowly Celeron D to the flagship Core 2 Extreme and can
run with FSB's of 533, 800 and 1066 MHz.
There are four internal Serial ATA II channels along with a single external
eSATA port for high bandwidth storage devices. Foxconn tackles the missing IDE
support issue by integrating a single channel Jmicron 'JMB361' IDE controller
(not RAID) onto the PCB. The Foxconn P9657AA-8KS2H supports a maximum of 10 USB
slots however only four are ready to use out of the box. Both the P965 Express
and ICH8 chipsets are passively cooled with compact aluminum heatsinks so you're
advised to maintain consistent system airflow to keep chipset temperatures in
check. On the plus side, the Foxconn P9657AA-8KS2H is absolutely silent during
operation. ;-)
Foxconn's P9657AA-8KS2H is full ATX size (300 x 244 mm)
motherboard so you'll want to install it into a good sized mid or full
tower PC chassis, say like the Asus
Vento 3600. The layout of the board is well thought
out, the majority of ports and headers are located near the edge of the PCB
where hands have easier access. Foxconn could have done a better job at
labelling the Clear CMOS jumper though, in the dark of an installed case
identifying is difficult.
The P9657AA-8KS2H motherboard with a mix of solid and
electrolytic capacitors. Considering the motherboard's relatively low price this
isn't much of a surprise, solid capacitors are more expensive and the cost of
the motherboard would have to increase if Foxconn went that route. Still
Foxconn's reliability as a manufacturer is very high, and it's using high
quality electrolytic capacitors like Rubycon and Lelon brands. If you haven't
read up on the problem of burst and leaking capacitors, PCSTATS has some info
on the issue here.
Next up we'll look at FoxONE's technology and the miracle that is external
SATA...
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