Foxconn 91501-P-8EKRS Motherboard Review :: Foxconn 915A01-P-8EKRS

Foxconn 915A01-P-8EKRS Spec Sheet
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Part Number	915A01-P-8EKRS
Manufacturer	Foxconn
Price Check	Find Best Price
Downloads	BIOS Drivers Manuals
Chipset	Intel 915P Express ICH6R
North Bridge	Intel 82915P MCH
Socket	LGA775 Socket
Processor Types	Pentium 4
Number of CPUs	1
Hyper-Threading Support	Yes
Front Side Bus	800/533MHz
Memory Type	DDR, DDR2
Memory Channels	Dual, Single
Maximum Memory	4GB
External Graphics	PCI Express x16
IGP	None
South Bridge	Intel 82801FR ICH6R
Audio	8-channel
IDE	100/66/33
SCSI	None
SATA	1.5 GB/s
RAID	0, 1, 0+1
LAN	10/100/1000
Firewire	IEEE 1394b/a
USB	USB 2.0
Expansion Slots	3 x PCI 1 x PCI Express x1 1 x PCI Express x16
BIOS
Form Factor	ATX

Before I start with any of the features and physical layout of the motherboard, I'd have to complain about the model name. Can anyone honestly remember all that? If they only offer one motherboard based on a certain chipset, then I guess this long name wouldn't really kill anyone. The problem is that because Foxconn offers so many varieties, it can create a problem when an enthusiast is looking for a certain motherboard. I'm sure that they can come up with something unique and easy to remember. Other companies have done so and they're doing great.

Because the 915A01-P-8EKRS is introduced as a mid-level motherboard, the price tag is not extremely high. The motherboard can be had for under $130 and isn't too bad considering that LGA775 hardware is known to be quite expensive. The main thing to consider is the offerings that it provides with the price tag of $130.

The 915A01-P-8EKRS uses Intel's 915P chipset. The chipset is well known for high performance as well as the wide variety of options that it can provide. It can handle both DDR and DDR2 RAM, just not together. The 915A01-P-8EKRS that we have in today makes use of DDR2 memory modules. There are 4 DIMM slots to provide a maximum of 4GB of dual channel memory space. Personally, I find that it would be wiser to pair DDR with the 915P chipset. It just makes more sense to me. The Northbridge is cooled by a large passive green heatsink. The large green passive heatsink was able to keep the system running stably throughout all tests and benchmarks. It did get a little warm but it's nothing to worry about. The singe IDE and floppy ports are located at an ideal place. The middle edge is usually where the cables would tend to stretch for your typical optical drives and floppy. The ATX connector is located towards the top right corner and is an excellent location.

Intel's Southbridge is known as ICH6R, with the "R" denoted as RAID. The motherboard features onboard RAID solutions of RAID 0 and RAID 1. The Southbridge controls 4 SATA connectors to allow a total of 4 hard drives. Intel's SATA and RAID functions are very easy to work with. I didn't have to refer to the user's manual when setting up my RAID array. The SATA ports are located nicely at the edge of the motherboard. Right next to the SATA ports is the CMOS jumper. It's a good thing that the jumper wasn't blocked by the SATA ports. CMOS jumpers should always have easy access. At the corners of the Southbridge were 2 loops. These loops are commonly found at Intel's Northbridge area. Perhaps Foxconn was thinking of adding a passive Southbridge heatsink?

The 915A01-P-8EKRS offers a vast array of features. The back I/O panel features the usual PS2 keyboard and mouse ports, 1 parallel port, 1 serial port, 4 USB ports, 1 Firewire port, 1 RJ45, and the audio connections for 8-channel sound. The 8-channel sound is controlled by Realtek's ALC880 controller. This audio solution is currently Realtek's highest sound solution and is great for those who are not extreme audiophiles. I find Realtek's sound solutions to be great for my music and gaming. My ears can't really tell the difference.

The 915A01-P-8EKRS has one Firewire port at the back panel and one Firewire header on the motherboard. The Firewire controlled by VIA's VT6307. I find it amusing to see rivaling companies use each other's parts. While there are 4 USB ports at the back I/O panel, Foxconn provides two more USB headers for an additional 4 USB ports. This comes out to a whopping total of 8 USB ports. I barely make use of 3 at the most. The USB headers are located near the PCI slots. The motherboard features 1 PCI-E 16x, 3 PCI-E 1x, and 3 PCI slots. With the onboard features already rich, I find it practically useless for these extra PCI slots. Perhaps 1 or 2 is needed for a wireless NIC or a separate sound solution.

The CPU socket is located towards the top left corner, where it usually is. The socket is made according to Intel specifications and provides good clearance for large heatsinks. Zalman's CNPS7700-AlCu might be a problem, but the problem can be solved if you replace the large Northbridge heatsink. Swiftech's MCX775-V installed without a problem. The 12v 4pin connector dedicated for CPU power is located at the lower left corner of the CPU socket. I find this a bad location simply because it forces the power cable to wrap around the heatsink.

Lastly, the front panel is located at the bottom right corner. The connectors have no labels and are not color coded. It reminds me of the old days when I have to refer to the user's manual to plug the connectors.