Foxconn is no stranger to the PC component market, but recently, we've noticed their renewed efforts to shake off their OEM image to better compete in the performance segments. In our last Foxconn review, we checked out the Foxconn X38A, a high-end offering based on the Intel X38 chipset. The X38A was a good motherboard by all accounts, but being part of the mainstream Digital Life series, it didn't really break any new ground for Foxconn either.
Overview of the Foxconn MARS motherboard.
You may find it surprising, but their current flagship product is not based on the Intel X38. Instead, it is an Intel P35 motherboard, a motherboard that has an actual name attached to it instead of the cold and impersonal alphanumeric sequence that Foxconn loves so much. In its effort to warm up to the gaming and overclocking community, Foxconn created the Quantum Force series, and the first (and still only member) motherboard to come out of this program is the MARS.
5 x SATA cables plus power adapters
UltraDMA 133/100/66 cable
Floppy disk drive cable
2-port USB2.0 + 1-port IEEE 1394a module
Heat-pipe optional fan
I/O Shield
Foxconn Quantum Force accessories (dog tag, stickers)
Driver CD
User's manual and guides
Only PS/2 remains of legacy connectors. Other I/O ports at the rear include optical and coaxial S/PDIF, eSATA, six USB 2.0, FireWire, RJ-45 and analog surround audio.
Onboard Features
The Foxconn MARS is properly equipped with a wide array of features befitting its class as an enthusiast motherboard. As an Intel P35 motherboard, Foxconn has made sure that the MARS is fully updated to support Intel's quad-core and 45nm Penryn CPUs so there should be no problems upgrading. Still, the MARS is built only as a pure DDR2 board unlike the hybrid design of the Foxconn X38A. There is also no alternate DDR3 version like what many manufacturers offer for their P35 boards. Foxconn heavily marketing the board for overclocking though, and the use of DDR2 should make it a more stable platform to work on.
6-phase PWM for the CPU and a heat-pipe for the chipset.
The MARS only comes in a DDR2 version. Intel's ICH9R Southbridge takes care of the default storage facilities onboard, with a JMicron JMB361 controller thrown in to handle one legacy IDE port as well as power the single eSATA port at the rear. In addition to the ICH9R, the board features one FireWire-400 controller (Texas Instruments TSB43AB22A), one PCIe Gigabit Ethernet controller (Realtek RTL8111B) and supports 8-channel surround audio through a Realtek ALC888 HD Audio CODEC. The MARS also provides optical and coaxial S/PDIF ports for digital audio connectivity.
SATA headers are out of the way of graphics cards, but depending on what kind of chassis you own, it may not be ideal.
The MARS features two PCIe x16 slots, two PCIe x1 and three regular PCI slots for expansion purposes. CrossFire is supported, but as a P35 board, it will only work in an x16/x4 setup. If you do run CrossFire on the MARS, note that the remaining two PCIe x1 slots will be disabled to route the needed PCIe lanes to the second slot.
Good spacing for expansion slots will keep at least one slot of each type accessible even with large graphics cards.
This has to be one of Foxconn's better motherboard designs. We wouldn't be surprised if one might even mistake the dark PCB for an ASUS board (yes, we know there's a huge unmistakable cooler with Foxconn emblazoned on it). Foxconn did a very good job here with proper planning and component placement. Both PCIe x16 graphics slots have plenty of spacing between them, and there are no headers in the way either. Still, we prefer angled SATA connectors, which allows for better positioning. The MARS may have them out of the way of expansion cards, but they're all located at the bottom.
As the MARS is Foxconn's attempt at an enthusiast performance motherboard, we've got the usual treatment of heat-pipe cooling, full solid capacitors, 6-phase PWM, and on-PCB power/reset buttons. The board also features a special overclocking BIOS, which we'll talk about more in the next segment.
Onboard buttons usually benefit overclockers and enthusiasts.
Overclocking
FSB Settings: 100MHz to 999MHz
DDR2 Ratio Settings: 1:2, 1:2.4, 1:2.5, 1:3, 1:3.2, 1:3.3, 1:4, 1:4e
PCIe Settings: 100MHz to 255MHz
PCI Settings: 33.6MHz, 37.3MHz, 42MHz
CPU Voltage Settings: 0.8250V to 1.6000V (in 0.0125V steps)
CPU Voltage Multiplier: x1.000 to x1.296
CPU VTT Voltage Settings: 1.200V to 1.725V (in 0.075V steps)
Memory Voltage Settings: 1.665V to 3.236V (in 0.065V steps)
NB Voltage Settings: 1.156V to 2.395V (in 0.045V steps)
SB/CPU PLL Voltage Settings: 1.388V to 1.950V (in 0.038V steps)
Multiplier Selection: Yes (unlocked CPUs only)
The MARS is a very ambitious product for Foxconn to take on the overclocking community. The Gladiator BIOS onboard offers up some very comprehensive overclocking features, and with an FSB scaling that goes from 100MHz to 999MHz, Foxconn is really out to woo the extreme overclockings with higher top-end allowance. Voltage allowances are also towards the high-end and although there are sufficient options to choose from in the BIOS, the board has some very weird voltage steppings. Impressively, the MARS also handles overclocking stress very well, being able to detect, and recover from bad overclocks automatically most of the time. This is especially important to avid overclockers, since it means lesser need to use the clear CMOS feature, preserving your BIOS settings.
All in, the Foxconn MARS was an excellent overclocking motherboard, being able to hit a respectable 510MHz base FSB through its passive cooling. This puts the MARS among some of the best overclockable boards we've tested. We did however, encounter a small issue around the 460MHz to 490MHz range, which seemed to be an overclocking black hole for the MARS. Within said range, the board refused to POST, regardless of BIOS tweaks. Mysteriously, everything works well again from 500MHz onwards.
Conclusion
If the MARS is to be any indication, Foxconn is heading towards the right direction in its quest to develop enthusiast motherboards. They've got the right formula here, with the right amount of features, thoughtful design elements, good cooling, decent layout and competitive performance. Besides the SYSmark 2004 issue we encountered in our testing, the MARS seems to be a very well balanced platform with proper implementation of the various subsystems. Graphics and gaming scores were high, memory performance was strong, and it even tipped the scales in SATA performance.
What is the best indication that the MARS is a good motherboard? It has the capability to walk the talk. Foxconn has been heavily promoting their Quantum Force series of motherboards, with the MARS at its forefront for extreme overclocking purposes. And extreme overclocking it does indeed. The Foxconn MARS is one of the few Intel Core 2 motherboards since the P965 chipset was initially launched to be able to achieve a solid overclock beyond 500MHz. Foxconn's Gladiator BIOS is clean and simple with adequate options available, though Foxconn still has some ways to go in terms of fine tuning options and settings.
The MARS is a very solid entry from Foxconn into the enthusiast market, and we have no problems recommending this board as an excellent choice for overclockers to mess around with. At US$190, the Foxconn MARS is priced around the same range as its competitors, though this time, Foxconn doesn't have the price advantage. For instance, both abit's IP35 Pro and MSI's P35 Platinum boards are slightly more competitive.
Like MSI's initial Diamond Club, which was an exclusive membership for users who purchased their Diamond series of products, Foxconn seems to have committed themselves to follow a similar path with their Quantum Force, offering MARS users membership and early access to BIOS updates and other special offers. Hopefully, this isn't a one-off kind of thing. If Foxconn can actually maintain its current momentum to support and supply MARS (and future Quantum Force products) users with continuous updates and tweaks, the MARS can get better over time and Foxconn will be on track to become a serious contender in the enthusiast segment.
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