Getting straight into it we start with the package and contents. The box is what I like to refer to as a jumbo box that is double a normal motherboard box that most standard retail boards come in. Coloured in a bright orange theme it’s hard to mistake this one for any other board out there. The front of the box contains little info on the board itself.
Moving onto the back we get a full sized colour photo of the board along with quite a bit of info on the board’s features and specifications which let us see what we are getting before we buy. It’s hard to make a decision on a board if you can’t see it determine if it has enough connectors for your system requirements.
Foxconn packs with the board two user manuals and a software/driver DVD. The user manual itself is rather thin compared to most manuals, however it does give you all the info on the board, BIOS and software included so there is no mysteries. The Quick Install manual gives you basic installation instructions if you’re not into reading the full manual.
The CD that is included gives you Windows XP (32-bit and 64-bit) and Vista (32-bit and 64-bit) drivers. If you’re a Linux junkie you’re going to be disappointed as there are no Linux drivers on the CD. If you’re planning to use alternative OS’s to Windows you’re going to have to search for the drivers.
Foxconn has gone all out on the cables; normally we see boards with only half the amount of cables that the board physically supports but Foxconn seems to be listening to the market. Out of the total six SATA ports the board has, you get a full six SATA data cables and six Molex to SATA power converters. The ribbon cables supplied are a single FDD cable that supports one floppy drive and a single IDE cable that supports two drives.
A single PCI cover bracket is supplied that has two USB 2.0 ports and a 4-pin Firewire port. With the 6-pin port on the rear I/O shield and the 4-pin through the expansion cable you get the best of both worlds here.
If you’re looking to overclock like crazy Foxconn provides a small fan that attaches to the side of the Northbridge heatsink to allow for better heat dissipation.
