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Foxconn goes Enthusiast Crazy
Author: Richard SwinburnePublished: 5th March 2008
Foxconn Ultra ATX cases - huuuuuge.
The systems in question are powering 8 independent displays, with either eight different movie parts playing or a Flight Sim running across all the screens – really impressive, but completely concept.
Foxconn demonstrated this not just as a marketing gimmick though and has referred to it all as its “F1 section” – it pioneers and researches new technology first (just like on F1 cars), then this is then translated into its consumer boards (just like with some new cars).
It showed off to bit-tech a plethora of new Quantum Force motherboards - confirming that it was firmly behind the brand but used it as a niche market only – where the high-end would again allow more technology to fall into more consumer friendly areas. It doesn’t expect to sell many Quantum Force boards, but the company enjoys the technical demonstration. Fair enough, we said.
The new boards will be called the Destroyer, based on the Nvidia nForce 780a SLI chipset, the Dreadnaught, based on the Nvidia nForce 790i Ultra SLI chipset and the Black Ops we’ve previously seen. All together, the consistent Quantum Force theme actually looks rather snazzy, even if the names don’t really strike such a chord. Again, it’s a case of trying a bit too hard.
The Destroyer won’t have the silly heatpipe hanging off the southbridge, but all boards will feature the new 4-in-1 cooler which means you can either passively, actively, water or extreme cool the northbridge and heatpipes.
Foxconn is also keen on making more energy efficient motherboards – while still limited to just two boards based on the AMD 780G and Intel G45 chipset, it has gone the whole way rather than just the usual “CPU phase manipulation”. Instead the boards don’t feature any additional colour to the PCB and are not only compliant with RHoS but will also commit to the Energy Star 4 and the German “Angel System”.
They may not look pretty, but they are certainly built from the ground up as green – Foxconn have branded these under the acronyms: Green on Demand (GoD) – to represent multi-phase CPU power switching, Green Power Saving (GPS) – where Foxconn is working with PSU manufacturers to make OEM machines where the motherboard actively talks to the PSU in order to maximise its efficiency, and Green System Saving (GSM) where Foxconn will work to increase the efficiency of the system as a whole – again, predominantly OEM’s will see the benefits of this. Phew - that was a long sentence.
Interested in Quantum Force or Foxconn’s Green boards? Let us know your thoughts, in the forums.
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Comments (29)
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1) If the case is so huuuuuuge i want to see the whole damn thing, not a part of it :(
2) Then you see a cool lookin mobo called dreadnought with a waterblock on it, but it is cooledr by a thin 80mm fan almost blocking the first PCI-E slot. (i guess a normal size 80mm fan would block the first pci-e slot completly)
2a) The fan would probably be useless anyway, cause the inlet is sitting 2mm from a graphicscard backside, blocking the airflow.
3) First you see a picture with GREEN and leaves, saving power bla blabla. And below that, a huge powerconsuming overclocker with huuuge hydrogen coolblock beating the crap out of the dreadnought. And note the videocard in pci-e slot 1 next to the chipsetfan. Its at a 10 degree angel moved away from the cooler otherwise it would block the airflow (see note 2a above)
wait till you see the Asus Mainboard called Pinot Noir..... (seen it on xs, seriously, its not even funny anymore what marketing comes up with these days).
I read that as well. hmmmmmm.......
Corrected - I've got numbers coming out my ears today :( Everyone has a "7" everything product this year.
It's actually a 790i Ultra SLI which is different to the standard 790i SLI as well.
It doesn't, it's not meant to - it's an ultra ATX prototype that shows of Foxconn's engineering skill.
Need pics of the whole case
Aren't I good to you lot? :) Bearing in mind that's the ULTRA ATX board next to it - bigger than standard ATX.
+1 (as long as they don't become as unbuildable and unmoddable as laptops are today)
I'd rather see a preview of something that is closer to something we'd actually buy, like a board with all the features we want and none we don't with a good price, or some sort of innovation that doesn't involve steel desks or something you can lock your midget friend inside for fun.
Tbh, this show is seriously boring - there's hardly anything new. Foxconn are doing a heavy marketing push is all it is and I have tried to cover news of products people might actually like to buy rather than "OMFG LN2 OVERCLOCKING!!11oneone" ;)
How many P45/9800 GX2s/new cases/new PSUs do you want to see? :(
Are you saying that the Eee PC is unmoddable?
the eeePC is the exception to the rule.
You've been good to us, Rich and we appreciate it. We're all chipping in to buy you a hooker before you come home
I've covered the EAA Airventure a couple years running for the local airport club, so I understand what you mean when you chase after anything new rather than the same old crap year after year.
I'd rather just my bed to sleep in :P
the rest is ugly