Fic = Epox?

[PiLsY]

Take a look at this thread people....

http://www.aoaforums.com/forum/showt...506#post144506

Check the link to the review within there.

Then lift the motherboard sticker on your board (the "8RDA+" sticker next to the dimms) and report back with what it says underneath (if anything). To get this started mine says "AU-11".

I feel thoroughly sickened about this. I can buy the FIC AU-11 for £82. This Epox board cost me £103. Now I couldve dealt with that if id got an original Epox product, but instead I get what appears to be a re-branded FIC board that retails for £21 less. I got charged £21 for a sticker saying 8RDA+ and a different logo on the heatsink.

NOT very happy.

Still, I suppose it explains why this board hasnt broken - its not actually an Epox. Every previous board ive had from Epox has died within days. I actually like this board. Would make sense if it was designed and built by another company.

PiLsY.

[EDIT] http://www.fica.com/Upload/Content/P...ighquality.jpg

Take a look at the suspicious large white sticker where the model number goes.

The FIC board is a rev 1.0, and seems identical to the Epox apart from it has some of the caps on that are only silkscreened on my board but not fitted. Notably next to the vmem controller. That fat track you can cut to do the vmem mod is obscured by one for instance. However, that is a pic of an early rev 1.0 board (almost looks pre production), so that could be the explanation. Whats going on? Id sure as hell like to find out.

[muzz]

Hehehe I dunno man, haven't checked myself.. this is my first Epox, and I am happy with it......... not sure I wanna look..

[GreenBeret]

Interesting finding I wonder if Epox Techs will reply to this.....

Still, I suppose it explains why this board hasnt broken - its not actually an Epox. Every previous board ive had from Epox has died within days. I actually like this board. Would make sense if it was designed and built by another company.

lol I don't know why some people get terrible experience with Epox boards :p I've owned quite a few and they have always been great

[wEs]

and what about this one?

[muzz]

That area around the socket is very similar, but either epox + fic did things a bit different for sure. I see numerous differences...Wonder whats up........

[GreenBeret]

Well guys, this is an interesting, but not serious problems.

Let me see........

Leadtek, Gainward, MSI, Abit etc. make cards that are identical to NVIDIA"s reference cards. They are sold at different prices, cos they come with different bundles, different heatsinks (sometimes same HSF though), different support etc.

PowerColor, Sapphire, FIC, Gigabyte etc. make cards that are identical to ATIs reference cards. They are sold at different prices, cos they come with different bundles, different heatsinks (sometimes same HSF though), different support etc.

[muzz]

TBO I don't really care myself ( fuggin board rocks), but I understand what he's saying about the $ difference, and yes it happens everywhere...

Ain't gonna make me feel bad about the 8RDA+. just maybe start looking at AU 11 as an alternative.. especially if someone is looking for the rda, and they are out of stock.. here comes AU........

[GreenBeret]

lol taking about price, I think you guys in the UK are getting ripped off big time ! In Aus I can buy the board for about 50% less :p and it's even cheaper in other countries in South East Asia :p (my friend bought his for 88 USD new - 8RDA+ ).

[MrLavender]

Originally posted by Niko
lol taking about price, I think you guys in the UK are getting ripped off big time !

We know! When it comes to PC hardware the manufacturers forget about things like exchange rates and just change the $US sign to a £!!!

[g.l.amour]

does the FIC give u 2.2V vcore by default?

[beatnic]

spot the difference..

hell yeah.. nforce2 boards in uk are ridiculously overpriced!

[felix88]

Originally posted by Niko
Leadtek, Gainward, MSI, Abit etc. make cards that are identical to NVIDIA"s reference cards. They are sold at different prices, cos they come with different bundles, different heatsinks (sometimes same HSF though), different support etc.

PowerColor, Sapphire, FIC, Gigabyte etc. make cards that are identical to ATIs reference cards. They are sold at different prices, cos they come with different bundles, different heatsinks (sometimes same HSF though), different support etc.

these motherboards are probably made in the same factory.

i don't think there is a Nforce2 refrence design like those video cards have. look at the Abit, Asus and MSI boards, they are all different layouts.

ah! but the burning question is: does the epox BIOS work on the AU-11?

[PiLsY]

Yup - the bios is the same. As in EXACTLY the same. I just flashed to the AU-11 bios. Its the same as the original Epox bios (211fsb limit version). The only thing thats different is it lists the board as the FIC AU-11 now on post rather than the Epox gubbins.

Niko - your comparison is flawed. Nvidia offer a reference design, and companies then rebuild this using different components etc. Infact ATI actually FORCE a reference design to maintain quality control. Now, when you look at the FIC and Epox boards they are the SAME. No difference in components or PCB. Identical. Neither board is reference design. This eliminates it as simply being the nvidia reference design. Theres no two ways about it, the 8RDA+ is a re-branded FIC board. I am not given to being ripped off, and paying £21 (thats $35US) for a sticker with an epox model number on is NOT ON. The extras with the mobos are identical as well. Check the spec on the FIC site. Infact theyre identical right down to the software on the cd. You get 1 SATA cable, 1 fly off for firewire, 1 fly off for usb, 1 for a game port, 2 IDE cables and 1 fdd cable.

The differences in PCB (ie the extra caps) on the pic ive linked to above are because that is a version 0.1 board (ie prototype pre production) and not the finished article. The article linked to from the AOA thread has a pic of the final release board and it is a v1.1 and has identical layout of components to my current board (no surprise seeing as my board has AU-11 under the 8RDA+ label).

What gets my goat here is that ive paid a noticeable amount of money extra to simply have Epox on the box. I dont consider their company name on a box worth even 1 penny, let alone £21.

Just to proove my Epox experience, my 4PEA+ is now broken too. One of the hoops that holds the chipset fan on came out of the board due to a dry solder joint. This means every "made by epox" board ive owned has now developed some sort of catastrophic failure within a fortnight of purchase. The board is totally unmodded, so nothing I have done can possibly be at fault. Simple fact that Epox QC sucks. FYI I have now owned a total of 17 Epox boards, only one of which is still working. And its now questionable that its even an Epox board (you guessed it its the 8RDA+/AU-11).

PiLsY.

[TodB]

Originally posted by g.l.amour
does the FIC give u 2.2V vcore by default?

Yep, it's 1:1 comparing to the 8RDA+ BIOSes...... that's hideous....

Monday there will be a new shipment of 8RDAs here in BG - will look at each and everyone of those for a sticker..... and if there's a "8RDA+" sticker and AU-11 underneath....... don't wanna tell ya....

Though...... there maybe an explanation for the AU-11 printing and "8RDA+" sticker - EPoX are making the boards for FIC and thus are printhing them as AU-11.....

But they might have been printing too much as FIC and needed some to be sold as EPoX.... there you go the sticker....

[KS1]

hold on!!!
what about this:

enmic

as i said in aoa thread, it's probably be a business decision.

[PiLsY]

Anyone wanna play "find the parent company". Its like the OCZ game all over again. So far we have....

Epox
FIC
Enmix
Pronix
2themax

Any more for any more?

All the above manufacturers produce an NFORCE2 board which is identical, and all claim they produce it themselves, except Epox who make no mention of producing the board at all, only list specs etc.

Im getting some pressure put on me over at AOA forums, so ill continue this here.

If anyone finds anymore companys producing an identical board please post up.

Out of the list above all prices are roughly similar apart from Epox, who charge around 20% more.

PiLsY.

[DoGMaN]

I have to agree with TodB. Its much more likely that EPoX is producing boards for other companies. Due to the shortage of 8RDA+ boards, pretty much everywhere, they decided to take some of the relabeled boards and mark them as 8RDA+. Of coarse this is just speculation.

[KS1]

to my knowledge,
FIC = oem manufacturer (mass production, low cost) I heard that FIC produces m/b for many other computer brands.
Epox = a relatively small (but outstanding) company in m/b world

any comment?

[muzz]

I saw a 2themax review around the same time ( maybe even b4- I believe it was b4) the first 8RDA review, I even went to their website, and matched it up against the rda pics........ I remember that well.

[Wolf]

I thought FIC was a much bigger company than Epox. I would be so pissed right now if I picked up one of these boards. I thought about buying one but I have seen nothing that would make me want one over my current board so far. Nothing but trouble with bios's, v-core, quality control. These boards suck IMO. Wow, so Abit goes ECS now Epox goes FIC. Hmm, maybe the downturn of the pc industry is making these guys go to cheaper and cheaper solutions for producing boards. It's a sad trend I'm noticing lately.

[KS1]

No, Wolf.
We must separate the issue.
One is who manufacture 8RDA+? This is what we are talking about.
The other is about the performance. So far, I am satisfied with the performance of 8RDA+.

[KS1]

one more,
under my green sticker, it's "8RDA", thanks goodness.

[althes]

Thats funny, buy a fic board get the same scores as an epox.WHat a ripoff.

[Wolf]

The other is about the performance. So far, I am satisfied with the performance of 8RDA+.

Oh yeah you must be running at less than 1.9v then. Have you tried to get the board to run at the volts it is advertised to run at. From what I have been seeing, you have to be very luck to get a board that can handle above 1.95v. That leads me to believe this board is a peice of §§§§.

[MrIcee]

Originally posted by Wolf
Wow, so Abit goes ECS now Epox goes FIC. Hmm, maybe the downturn of the pc industry is making these guys go to cheaper and cheaper solutions for producing boards. It's a sad trend I'm noticing lately.

Let me put this straight for the umpteenth time before you have everyone believing ECS makes all ABIT boards

ABIT outsourced ONLY those boards destined for SI(System Integrators) and OEM sales to ECS. Their retail boards destined for the enthusiast community are still manufactured by ABIT THEMSELVES.

Randi