Foxconn releases first ‘overclocking’ motherboard in new Quantum Force product line FOXCONN today officially announced the launch of its first true overclocking motherboard; MARS will be the first in a new product line called Quantum Force, which will be dedicated to overclocking and gaming enthusiasts. Based on the Intel® P35 chipset, MARS has been specially tuned for overclocking performance, and has undergone extensive testing and trials by some of the world’s leading overclockers before release to retail customers in September. “Stunning performance” Even with an early BIOS edition and standard air cooling, MARS has already posted FSB frequencies of 575MHz and looks set to smash more records in the future. “The Foxconn board made it to No.8 [in the 3DMark05 Hall of Fame], even I didn’t have time for LN2 [liquid nitrogen] cooling and the P35 chipset doesn’t support Dual x8 or x16 bandwidth on CrossFire. So, for those handicaps, the score and results with this board are stunning!” according to leading ‘OCer’ mICKEYmOUSE. Choose Manual mode to enable the detail DRAM Timing settings CPU Voltage Multiplier 1.000V(Default) / 1.036 / 1.078 / 1.116 / 1.161 / 1.203 / 1.251 / 1.296 CPU Voltage Setting 0.825V ~ 1.600V，stepping is 0.0125V Target CPU Voltage CPU target voltage (CPU Voltage Multiplier x CPU Voltage Setting) Current CPU Voltage CPU current Voltage Default CPU Voltage CPU default voltage DRAM Voltage Setting 1.800V(Default) / 1.665V ~ 3.365V NB Voltage Setting 1.250V(Default) / 1.156V ~ 2.395V CPU VTT Voltage Setting 1.200V(Default) / 1.200V ~ 1.725V，step is 0.075V SB Voltage Setting 1.500V(Default) / 1.388V ~ 1.650V Quantum Force product series The Quantum Force product series will deliver high-performance products for enthusiasts and gamers, with better value for money, and more focus on user feedback throughout the development process. “Quantum Force is not just about a new product line, it is also a complete philosophy about how we develop our products” claims Quantum Force product manager Greta Kuo. “We have developed a design manifesto we call SWORD, which focuses on delivering more performance capability with better value for money, whilst listening to the feedback of real enthusiasts.” Users can find out more about the Quantum Force Manifesto at http://www.quantum-force.net which will launch in early September and includes a product registration function, access to Beta BIOS downloads, forums, tutorials, competitions and a range of video and interactive content for enthusiasts. “Quantum-Force.net is going to be a great home for our products on the internet, and a really interesting place for enthusiasts to visit and learn more about our products and philosophy. Whether you are looking for overclocking advice, Beta BIOS downloads, help solving technical problems or you want to show off your own overclocking talents on our Power Wall, I would recommend all enthusiasts to visit this website” claims Greta Kuo. One reason for the great overclocking potential of MARS is the Gladiator BIOS. Specially developed for the Quantum Force product series, it is both user friendly and provides powerful OC options. BIOS features include a voltage multiplier for accessing a much wider range of voltage settings, advanced memory timing configuration and instant overclocking options for novices. “Speed and stability at the centre” “Our SWORD design philosophy begins with ‘Speed and stability at the centre’; so we engineer our products with this in mind. MARS is a very stable platform not just because of the BIOS quality, but also the hardware design… this ranges from our PCB layout techniques (which are not obvious to most users), to hardware components such as Cool Pipe or our 100% SOLID Capacitor policy and use of high-quality Ferrite Chokes in the power delivery circuits. However, our main focus has been on the BIOS, which is of course the most important tool for the enthusiast.” User friendly features MARS has been designed to make it easier to unleash the power from your PC. An onboard CMOS clear button is positioned on the PCB alongside on/off/reset buttons. BIOS features such as OC Gear (which allows you to store OC profiles) and OC Recover (which automatically recovers to last good setting after a failure), make overclocking more convenient. ”We’ve also laid out the BIOS menu as logically as possible, and made it easier to find and access advanced settings, whilst warning novice users about potentially dangerous selections for voltages” according to Kuo. The convenient Windows-based AEGIS Panel utility provides a simple interface for monitoring system temperatures, voltages and fan speeds, and setting up warnings if temperatures get too high. Pricing & Availability: MARS will be available in the channel from late September. Suggested retail price is looking around £125inc VAT.
