windwithme

The launch of Intel latest LGA1156 platform shows user the i5-750, i7-860 and i7-870 brand new processors.
I heard that the price of 1156 platform will be much competitive than 1366.
It sounds like a high-performance product but in a mid-range cost.

So many motherboard manufacturers have exposed their P55 products around worldwide media.

Foxconn started their own brand motherboard almost 4 years.
And the High-end series ”Quantum Force”, I remember they launched the OC boards since 2 years.
But, since P45 last year, the rumor about Foxconn was going to stop their channel business, which was everywhere.

After all, Foxconn still launch several high-end and entry level products, now is P55 Mobo.

Now, what I have in hand is the latest Intel product.
Based on P55 platform, the model name called “Inferno Katana” the Quantum Force series likes to pick up a very special name for their product.
That’s so “gamer-centric”.


FOXCONN Inferno Katana, a total look


Red and Black is the theme color for Foxconn Quantum Force series.


The lower right parts of the board.
3 X PCIE X16
(Supports both ATI CrossFireX & NVidia SLI technology, the bandwidth is X8+X8)
2 X PCI-E X1
1 X PCI
The LAN chip is by Realtek’s RTL8111DL; also, the board features their ALC888 as the audio codec too.
Intel’s X series chipset provides dual PCIe X16 bandwidth, but P series they only gives you Dual PCIe X8...


The lower right parts
6 X SATAII(P55，Supports Raid 0/1/5/10)
1 X IDE
Dual BIOS、POWER/RESET button、Debug LED diplay function


The Upper right parts.
4 XDIMM DDR3, Supports DDR3 1333/1600/1800, Max reach 16GB
Fuzzy Equalizer, a design that shows you the loading of the PWM parts.
The left is 24PIN power connector, The red button is the Force Reset, a real force the system to be Reset.


The upper left parts
The LGA1156 socket, the cooler’s mounting holes are a bit different to 1336.
They feature total 14-phase Hybrid PWM for processor and memory parts.


IO parts
8 X USB 2.0
1 X IEEE 1394a
1 X Gigabit LAN
2 X eSATA
That black button is for clearing CMOS.


The “Core Nerve”
This is a LED device for telling you how heavy the system loading is, fast tempo twinkle means heavy,
slow twinkling tempo means the loading is light.
I heard that this have 5 different speed level to show your loading. A new interesting stuff.


Where the QF logo covered is the P55 chipset location.
Then, where the “i-Tweaker” covered is the advanced OC controller.
I think the heat pipe design is not bad at this board.


MOSfet’s heat sink, red + black striped.

windwithme

CORSAIR CMD8GX3M4A1600C8
I put the latest Corsair (CMD8GX 3M 4A 1600C8) DDR3 1600 2GB x 4(8G) on P55 platform.



Then I try to put the highest model of LGA1156 CPU- Corei7-870 CPU with this “Katana”.
It runs 2.93GHz, L3 8MB, Intel Turbo Mode Tech, later on, the PCU reach 133 x 24=> 3200MHz.

Hyper 8 X PI 32M=> 17m 46.468s
CPUMARK 99=> 558


DDR3 1600 CL8 8-8-24 1T
Sandra Memory Bandwidth-19881MB/s
EVEREST Memory Read-15515MB/s


I tested this motherboard under a “default-like” environment, the result is pretty high,
and I think this might be the highest performance that Core i7 can catch at this case.


FOXCONN this time has launched 2 models of P55 platform, Inferno Katana and Inferno Katana GTI.
BTW, the Fan site of Quantum Force has been renew recently,
The design looks better than last version. The product information looks improved a little.
FOXCONN Quantum Force web site

As you seen, this Foxconn Quantum force P55 new model has improved on design, component usage and OC relative tech design.
Quantum Force series, in my personal
Opinion can be “walk tall” in front of A/G/M manufacturer.

I think the Channel maintenance and its marketing are have plenty of room to be improved….
After all, Foxconn branded motherboard is just begun if compares to those Dinosaur Brand.

Hope this kind of “2nd tier” Mobo designer can carry on.
Coz, since 2006 some same tier manufacturers were quitted from market.
So, the choices of users are less and less today.
I think if Foxconn can keep the goods, it’s a good thing for users to have more choices in market.