Test: Foxconn MARS - UK

Summary
 

Even if Foxconn Mars is not all I had hoped for, I still think Foxconn deserves an applause for being on the right track to make killer enthusiast motherboards. We did not quite make the 575MHz FSB that Foxconn boasts on their webpage, but Mars still packs a punch.
 

Innovation/Technology - 3
What can I say, the P35 chipset has been around for some time now, and as such there is nothing new or innovative to it. Heatpipecooling is also a standard on highend systems, and truth be told I have seen nicer ones than this. Foxconn hypes their Quantum Force philosophy, and the BIOS system is developed by overclockers and experienced engineers. But it is not enough to score much above average.

Bundle/Accessories - 4
It's a nice pile of accessories included. Lots of cables and an extra fan that fits the northbridge heatsink. A few oddities have made their way to the bundle as well. A few stickers with Quantum Force logo - please show me the way to the nearest tattooist, and a regular QF dogtag. I think I will keep my original Airforce dogtag and leave the QF one to thirteenyearolds with low self esteem. 

Design/Layout - 4
Although there are not that many new features on the board it still looks very nice. A dark PCB is the background, and the sockets and connectors are kept in toned down colors. The placement of PCI and PCIe socket is good, and I had no problems during the installation. The tiny fan fits nicely on to the northbridge heatsink, and is a welcome addition to the cooling solution, especially when overclocking.

Software/BIOS - 5
A lot of effort went into the BIOS system on Foxconn Mars. A couple of ex-DFI engineers and members of the overclocking community helped out with the design, and the result is a very overclockfriendly BIOS system called Gladiator. It is very easy to work with, although I still find it odd that I have to figure out a multiplier for Vcore - does anybody have any idea why? It is the Gladiator BIOS that pulls the load and gives the 5 points in this category. The AEGIS program works ok, but the design lacks almost all of the qualities we find on similar utilities from ASUS, MSI and others. To get all the available info you need to fold out the wings of the display, and it just takes up too much space on the desktop.

Performance - 4
Ok, so maybe it is not fair to give less than 5 points to a motherboard capable of 530MHz busspeed, but there is just something about that powersupply that I do not like. My E8400 cpu got the same treatment as I on the ASUS Rampage X48 board, where I achieved the 575MHz that Foxconn claims Mars is capable of. But at 535MHz the board refuses to boot, no matter how much extra voltage was applied. If you are not into overclocking, please note that Mars also performs very well at stock speed.

Price - 3
Foxconn have a new distribution channel in Denmark from May 1st, and we are told the pricetag will be somewhere around 135€. In the same pricerange we find ie. Asus P5K/PREMIUM/WIFI-AP and Gigabyte EP35-DS4, and Mars is definitely a worthy opponent.

Test: Foxconn MARS - UK

Innovation / Teknologi	3
Bundle - Tilbehør	4
Design - Layout	4
Software - BIOS	5
Ydelse	4
Pris	3
Samlet	76%