CeBIT 2008: Expo stands of Foxconn, Elitegroup, Arctic Cooling
Foxconn's Expo Stand
Foxconn keeps on pleasing overclockers with new motherboards of the Quantum Force series. The top-end solution for the Intel platform is the Blackops model based on the X48 chipset in combination with the south bridge ICH9R.
The key feature of this motherboard is the rather efficient system for cooling the chipset, with a universal water-block on top of the north bridge. However, it is not quite correct to call this a water-block. The thing is that it is possible to install a special fan on it, and we get an air-driven cooling system. You can install a lid with two connection pipes (as is shown on the photo), and then it's possible to plug in a water-powered cooling system. If we don't fit the lid, the water block resembles a basin in its shape which can be filled with either liquid nitrogen or dry ice. That was just what the specially invited overclockers were doing
and by the end of the expo attained the frequencies as high as >5 GHz.
Another motherboard of the Quantum Force series is called Dreadnought and is based on the NVIDIA nForce 790i SLI chipset.
This motherboard also uses a universal cooling block which has acquired its own name - the 4in1 Quantum Cooler.
The third overclocker's board is aimed at fanciers of AMD processors. It is called Destroyer and is based on NVIDIA nForce 780a SLI.
The system for cooling the chipset of this board, first, has no 4in1 Quantum Cooler, and secondly is not fully complete. in particular, the final version will not have a lower radiator. At the same time, it is easy to see four PCI Express x16 slots. Similar functionality is also there on Foxconn A79A-S which is based on AMD 790FX.
Motherboards based on this chipset have already been to our lab, but the model A79A-S stands out among then for its new south bridge SB700.
The release of the new south bridge SB700 is a long anticipated move by AMD since the specifications of its south bridges (in particular, SB600) are weak according to today's standards. There is nothing to complain about the functionality of SB700: the chip offers support for six SerialATA II links (+ support for RAID and eSATA), at least one Gigabit LAN controller, and 14 (!) USB2.0 ports. Among the additional features, it is worth noting the technology for remote access and control - Intelligent Device Management (IDM), as well as support for the TPM (Trusted Platform Module).
By the way, this motherboard relates to the new Foxconn DigitalLife series which also includes the latest model Foxconn ELA:
The board is based on the P45+ICH10R combination and uses three PCI Express x16 slots. Additional PCI-E lanes are provided by one more IDT bridge which was left without a radiator, for demonstration purposes.
Development of power-saving technologies for Foxconn is a diametrically opposed direction. In particular, two "green" boards were presented: ELMG based on the G45+ICH10R combination, and G3IMG-S - on the G31+ICH7.
And this "greenery" is not virtual (i.e. to the benefit of the whole world) but quite tangible, which is seen in the saving of power. Depending on the operating mode, this motherboard is able paying back for approximately one year.
As regards regular motherboards, Foxconn presented the model P45A-S based on the P45+ICH10R combination aimed at systems not pretending for the exclusive status:
Demonstrated nearby was the model G45M-S made in the Micro-ATX form factor, based on the G45+ICH10R combination. By the way, in terms of functionality the north bridge G45 is fully similar to P45 and it also offers the integrated graphic core Intel X4500.
There are two more motherboards based on the cheaper G43 chipset, again with the cheaper south bridge ICH10. We are not dwelling on that, so we bring in only the photo:
Apart from motherboards based on Intel chipsets, Foxconn presented a number of models based on NVIDIA nForce 8300 (for the Intel platform) and nForce 8200 (AMD) chipsets. These are the models M7AM-S:
and M78A-S:
A couple of new products based on AMD chipsets. One of them is Foxconn A78AX-S based on the AMD770 + SB700 combination:
Finishing our talk about motherboards, we mention the concept model with four PCI-Express x16 slots. Looking at the board, you can see that the engineers were granted a full freedom, so they contrived to the best of their fantasies, without having to follow general standards.
Clearly that such a motherboards won't fit into any ATX housing, so engineers at Foxconn have developed their own huge housing, specially meant for this motherboard:
To amuse the audience, engineers at Foxconn have fitted a magnifying lens to the lateral wall. In the end, the system looks really funny. But more amusing is that the system is fully operative; there are four video cards inside which output image to eight monitors:
Among the other exhibits of the stand, we note quite a wide assortment of video cards:
housings:
and coolers:
There was a separate expo devoted to server solutions by Foxconn whose products are promoted under the iPOX trademark:
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