MARS really is quite a sweet board now bios is mature

[Tony]

not promoting anything here, just telling it like it is. Im testing 8Gb on MANY boards and quite a few need bios fixes etc
Decided to try our quad 2GB 6400Plat kit at rated timings on the MARS and was gifted totally stable with 1.8V...some of the recent boards I have been testing won't even boot 8GB and here is one running it at 1.8V.

Im dead surprised this board is hardly mentioned here, it has to be up there with the IP35 and DFI LP35 for me,easy to setup and does exactly as it should do.



Drop a 3870X2 in this board with vista 64 and you really can not beat it, even a forthcoming 9800 would make it killer

[Kunaak]

Foxconn and Shamino are really pushing this stuff in the right direction.
my guess why its not mentioned here too much, is that Foxconn needs to build thier name up, just like OCZ did a few years ago. I remember when OCZ and Crucial were companies you avoided, and no one even heard of DFI and Soyo and Epox was the brand to watch.

Foxconn is moving in the right directions for sure, but they just dont have the momentum just yet.
only a small few in the know, will experience how good these boards really are.

[LagunaX]

I'm running an e8400 @ 4ghz (9 x 450) on a Mars board and it reminds me a lot of my old badaxe in terms of stability and power. Gotta love the active northbridge cooling! Curious though, lowest i can set the tras is 9 where my ram is good for 8 or lower on other boards...

[Tony]

TRAS has a big effect on stability on p35 and x38, running low TRAS is not that good for most apps so i would not worry.

Regards the over clocking side of things it does not matter to me you can put dry ice on the NB etc, all i worry about is the ability to set ram timings and chipset timings properly and the bios does what its supposed to...I can tell you a couple of major brands you see all over this forum don't have it right hence the massive threads with people asking for help

That 6400 plat kit was running 5-4-3-12 DDr800 1.8v earlier and i had it benching 1066 5-5-5-18 with 2.15V yesterday, the flexibility of the board allowed me to do this especially with TRFC being totally adjustable.

I have a few friends at Foxconn now, its time they got a little help promoting what is an awesome little board.
I have X48 coming soon off them also, now they have the bios tweaking sorted for MARS i am sure this board will be solid from the getgo.

[Cronos]

Try to test the memory with Linpack 64bit. 1066 with 8GB is amazingly high, i can't get 8GB G.Skill PC8000 Linpack- stable even at 1000MHZ on ASUS P5K-Pro and Gigabyte GA-P35-DS3P (though i can get it stable around 1066 in memtest86+)

If you can get it Linpack stable, i may consider switching to Foxconn Mars, even though its CPU power module is not quite as good as on ASUS and Gigabyte boards.

[MacClipper]

Im dead surprised this board is hardly mentioned here

Don't even know anyone using this board here in Singapore or VR Zone forums, Shamino's home town and forum. Long way to go for Foxconn mobo branding visibility.

[Tony]

Try to test the memory with Linpack 64bit. 1066 with 8GB is amazingly high, i can't get 8GB G.Skill PC8000 Linpack- stable even at 1000MHZ on ASUS P5K-Pro and Gigabyte GA-P35-DS3P (though i can get it stable around 1066 in memtest86+)

If you can get it Linpack stable, i may consider switching to Foxconn Mars, even though its CPU power module is not quite as good as on ASUS and Gigabyte boards.

Asus have limited TRFC, no wonder you are not truely stable, GBT im not sure on this one but you need to be running at least 52 at 1000 and 54 at 1066+

I will give it a go sometime the next few days and drop the results here if I can.

[Movieman]

I've used some of the cheaper Foxxcon boards in my surveylance builds and not one board failure in 3 years and over 100 systems built with them.
Not fancy but they are depenable.

[Cronos]

tRFC is right here, 52/1000, 64 /1066 on ASUS (by SPD).
Gigabyte has an option in BIOS for tRFC, so i have tested it , no effect over 52. And by the way, P5K-Pro was more stable than GA.

[PhilDoc]

I had considered the MARS board for my new build, but couldn't find much info about the board and very few threads here at XS. Because of that, I decided to go with a different mb. Foxconn really needs more exposure.

[LardArse]

Don't even know anyone using this board here in Singapore or VR Zone forums, Shamino's home town and forum. Long way to go for Foxconn mobo branding visibility.

Chanel sales is weak, not finger-pointin, but thats the truth

[Dumo]

Nice findings there Tony

I will get this one and waiting for the X48 version

[chew*]

I'm stating tuned for your x48 info, if it has your blessing I'd be willing to give it a shot, asus x38 is kinda boring compared to manta in the memory tweak department.

[MacClipper]

Chanel sales is weak, not finger-pointin, but thats the truth

Speak of the devil.

Well, kind of disappointing not to see more of your handiwork locally lah...

[P-Dub]

Truth be known, i've been scoping this board out for a new build, seen the reviews, remember someone posting a thread on here and liked it, and since i have a thing for motherboards with stupid names (I've owned an Infinity NF2, a LANParty NF2, 3, 4 and a Commando) now its time to try the Snickers.... I mean Bounty.... I mean Mars. Sorry its real easy to get them mixed up

Once it's built, i'll let you guys know how it plays in the hands of a nub.

Dubz

[Pej]

Hi Tony

I have this board for a few days now..And have some minor issues.

Running 2 X 2 Gb OCZ 8000 on this board and Windows XP only detects 2,75gb..
It's the first time i see this..The others motherboards always detect 3gb..as usual.
Any idea why?
I reinstall windows 4 times(with HDD detection problems),use different ram and CPU it doesn't change nothing..

Also when the motherboard boots i have this message" NO AHCI BIOS INSTALLED"
Any idea why?
Is it important or only affects SATA2 or Raid mode?

Final i finally sold my E8400 because there was no way to get stability even at low clocks ,no way to pass any OCCT test or Orthos.Even with 3,6ghz and 1,4v..
The same CPU boots fine and pass super pi with only 1,32v at 4ghz..so ..

Been back to a Q6600 and it seems to be better.

You are talking about a "mature bios"...Wich one is it?
I'm running P09..and i'm a little bit scared to flash for a beta G30B..Because of the Foxupdate utility wich is just a pain in the a..
Don't want to loose the warranty.

I love this board ,it's very well finished,good quality,great bundle and so on..
But some little things make it no different than the others..
Here in France it's avery expensive board(210 euros)..Same price than X38 boards..I was waiting a little bit more because of the price..

Last thing..
For my board there's no way to watercool anything except the CPU.
The SB colling is stuck..as the NB is stuck on the Asus P5E..
Same for you?

[dinos22]

Chanel sales is weak, not finger-pointin, but thats the truth

it's an absolute joke in Australia
no finger point but........ heheh

[Tony]

Hi Tony

I have this board for a few days now..And have some minor issues.

Running 2 X 2 Gb OCZ 8000 on this board and Windows XP only detects 2,75gb..
It's the first time i see this..The others motherboards always detect 3gb..as usual.
Any idea why?
I reinstall windows 4 times(with HDD detection problems),use different ram and CPU it doesn't change nothing..

Also when the motherboard boots i have this message" NO AHCI BIOS INSTALLED"
Any idea why?
Is it important or only affects SATA2 or Raid mode?

Final i finally sold my E8400 because there was no way to get stability even at low clocks ,no way to pass any OCCT test or Orthos.Even with 3,6ghz and 1,4v..
The same CPU boots fine and pass super pi with only 1,32v at 4ghz..so ..

Been back to a Q6600 and it seems to be better.

You are talking about a "mature bios"...Wich one is it?
I'm running P09..and i'm a little bit scared to flash for a beta G30B..Because of the Foxupdate utility wich is just a pain in the a..
Don't want to loose the warranty.

I love this board ,it's very well finished,good quality,great bundle and so on..
But some little things make it no different than the others..
Here in France it's avery expensive board(210 euros)..Same price than X38 boards..I was waiting a little bit more because of the price..

Last thing..
For my board there's no way to watercool anything except the CPU.
The SB colling is stuck..as the NB is stuck on the Asus P5E..
Same for you?

you do know 32bit windows can not use more than 3.3GB now don't you, and make sure hardware remapping is enabled?

Give 64bit vista a try or even server 2008 and enjoy all of your ram.

Regards mature bios, im using a QX9650, had 4 and 8GB setups run thru this board all within 64bit vista and had the ram from 1120 down to 800 without ANY issues....Everything works as it should and everything I set in bios sets what it should.

[fireice2]

its not available in the Philippines....

[eva2000]

it's an absolute joke in Australia
no finger point but........ heheh

Yup, for any product to get out there they need a good distribution network worldwide. Australia's 2 disties which import Foxconn brand have ended their Foxconn contracts AFAIK, so there will be no Foxconn brand in Australia unless another distributor decides to import Foxconn stuff into Australia!

With that said, I heard Hitachi brand is also pulling out of Australia too heh.

[Tony]

The main issue is you have to market for a broader audience, its all well and good showing dry ice on NB's etc but that in most cases puts the mild overclocker off buying as they think they have to cool it with special hardware etc.

We all laugh as DFI for the old LanParty pictures on the box but that really was the way to go IMO, now they have a more corporate look at thats quite cool also.

Forum marketing also needs to be a little less focused on the extreme side of things and more on the weekend tweakers etc which really is where the money is.

X48 is coming after Cebit...I only test final boards so you guys can compare, so we wait anotyher month or so

[jbartlett323]

never used a foxconn before (well i'm sure i have but didn't know it) but i have worked on plenty of peoples machines that have em... never seen a dead one... seen almost every other component in a case die but not a foxconn board... i like that idea... means stability... not too many companys offer that stability in any market... This board will definatly be my next... Plenty of options on a good looking board! just gotta wait for that tax money!!

[mele]

Chanel sales is weak, not finger-pointin, but thats the truth

Because they are to busy making those $hitty Nvidia 680i reference boards that EVGA and company sells.

Beacuse of that I wont have another Foxcom board!

Mel

[Praz]

Because they are to busy making those $hitty Nvidia 680i reference boards that EVGA and company sells.

Beacuse of that I wont have another Foxcom board!

Mel

Wait a minute. Foxconn builds the board as dictated by the design and specifications given them by nVidia using nVidia's chipset. And because nVidia has proved countless times they should not be in the chipset market you hold Foxconn responsible?

[mele]

Wait a minute. Foxconn builds the board as dictated by the design and specifications given them by nVidia using nVidia's chipset. And because nVidia has proved countless times they should not be in the chipset market you hold Foxconn responsible?

This is true....however, leaving and/or poorly applying of TIM to the NB/SB and Mosfets is not. That's poor manufacturing and assembly and quality control.

Mel