Two models, the P35A-S and the P35A, come with the promise of improved, system-wide performance, functionality and support for FSB speeds of 1333MHz and what Foxconn terms as built-in future proofing for forthcoming Intel system processors fabricated using a 45nm process, whilst supporting today's range of Intel Core2 Duo and Core2 Quad processors.
The company highlight how their removal of chipset overspeed protection on all Foxconn P35 solutions has enabled greater tuning capabilities, whilst Intel's P35 chipset itself delivers more performance capability with less power requirements. Foxconn also express how, thanks to continued Energy Star support, power efficiency and thermal performance have been improved over their Intel P965 range of solutions.
Foxconn deliver greater reliability through the use of 100% Solid Capacitor design which, by replacing electrolytic capacitors with solid capacitors, eliminates the possibility of capacitor failure having an adverse effect on the PCB and adjacent component makeup. The company also describes how solid capacitors typically outlive their predecessor by six times, whilst having the ability to withstand higher operating temperatures.
Foxconn also give merit to their own design features and unique engineering philosophy which, the company stresses, puts operating stability and reliability at the heart of the development process.
Greater usability is delivered through initiatives Foxconn have implemented, such as power on/off and system reset button functionality being available onboard itself, allowing for users to test or run, should they choose to do for whatever reason, the motherboard on a workbench, as opposed to within a system chassis. The EasyPin feature is incorporated thanks to colour coded onboard headers to make installation that little bit easier and intuitive. Tasks such as updating the system BIOS are possible from within the Windows operating system, whilst Foxconn's FoxOne technology, state the company, offers users a robust and logical interface from which to facilitate the monitoring and tuning of system performance. Making overclocking more accessible for all user groups is clearly an aim here.
The greater connectivity tagline is materialised by putting the user in control of their system build choices and attempting to remove limitations. Intel's Matrix Storage functionality (on the P35A-S model only), allowing users to choose between graphics solutions powered by AMD/ATI or NVIDIA solutions and the presence of legacy parallel ATA connectors allow Foxconn to offer, what they term as, more possibilities for user system configuration, together with wider upgrade scope. Intel Rapid Recover technology, is another one of the initiatives mentioned, however this again, like Intel Matrix Storage functionality, is only present on the P35A-S model, which can be seen below.
Other differences between the higher-end P35A-S model and the P35A model include use of the ICH9R chipset on the former, in comparison to the standard ICH9 chipset on the latter. This of course, in real-world terms, means that the P35A does not offer any built-in or onboard RAID capabilities like the higher end P35A-S. Connectivity wise, the P35A offers four SATA II ports, one eSATA II port, ten USB 2.0 ports and one ATA 133 port. The P35A-S expands on this feature set with the addition of two further SATA II ports, bringing the total on the model up to six, and two IEEE1394a firewire ports too.
The boards both utilise an ATX form factor and support dual channel DDR2 1066/800/667MHz memory via four DIMM slots, allowing for a maximum memory capacity of 8GB. Onboard audio capabilities come courtesy of a 7.1 channel HD audio solution, whilst Gigabit LAN functionality covers the networking avenue. Expansion options come courtesy of two PCIe x16 slots, one PCIe slot and three PCI slots.
Both solutions are Windows Vista Premium Certified and are expected to be available in worldwide distribution channels, from 4th June.
Read the press release in full here.
