Foxconn Blackops...

[InnocentCriminal]

A few weeks ago I was having performance issues and blaming it on the latest Cats I decided to reinstall Windows 7 and start again, this time with AHCI. Big mistake! After loading the AHCI drivers post-install I received the same BSOD I received when I first tried Windows 7 back with the beta and RC. I didn't think much of it until my 10 month old 750GB Sammy decided it had a bad SMART status and refused to install Windows until SMART monitoring had been disabled. Thinking back, the whole point of the 750GB was to replace the 500GB Sammy I had that suffered the same problem when I had tried AHCI back with beta/RCs.

So now the 500GB is being repaired/replaced by Samsung and once that returns the 750GB will share the same path, in the meantime I've been thinking about purchasing this Foxconn Blackops - it's not exactly expensive, but I know it's something I don't exactly need. (Especially if it's shipping with a crappy old BIOS - read the user reviews.)
Still, I thought I'd put it to you guys, what would you do in my situation, spend £85 on a brand new mobo that has loads of cool new goodies, maybe some more headroom to OC my Q9550 or stick with something that works, but has an issue with AHCI that could be causing more damage than good?

I look forward to your thoughts.

 

[roast]

I'd go for buying the new board.
Its not a particularly expensive piece of kit, and I agree, it has lots of cool features. I imagine you would probably get more headroom with it to OC your Q9550, by the looks of it.
At the end of the day, you could use the old board for some sort of project.

 

[pantherx12]

DO IT!

But get a WC set up so you can take advantage of the boards built in WC stuff

 

[InnocentCriminal]

I actually have a really old Thermaltake Bigwater that's been sat in my room after a failed Shuttle mod. I could always use that just for cooling the NB as I expect my NH-U12P would actually out perform it.

I could recoup some of the money by selling my P5E3 on to a friend if the other half doesn't want it.

 

[pantherx12]

Nice : ]

I still want to buy one even though I have no need what so ever heh.

Got a Foxconn bloodrage to worry about now XD

 

[MRCL]

I made a thread about that board some time ago, mybe it helps you to some point:

http://forums.techpowerup.com/showthread.php?t=94508&highlight=Foxconn+Blackops+QF

 

[InnocentCriminal]

MRCL - I spent f'ing ages looking through search for a thread on this board and didn't find anything. I swear the search is borked on the forums.

 

[MRCL]

MRCL - I spent f'ing ages looking through search for a thread on this board and didn't find anything. I swear the search is borked on the forums.

Well you have to be very precise when you type in the query... my thread only showed up as I typed in the exact title, and even then it was somewhere in the middle...

 

[InnocentCriminal]

>.<

I typed in Foxconn Blackops - you would have thought it'd have been able to find it instead of returning results that had absolutely no relevance. Anyroad, I'm still debating if I should get it or not.

 

[pantherx12]

Good thing is if in a few months time you don't like the board you know there's some kid in Essex who buys things just for fun quite a lot <_<

 

[InnocentCriminal]

Good point!

@ MRCL - did you ever get the board in the end?

 

[pantherx12]

I'm 20 now and referred to myself as a kid XD damn, self insult there.

Reviews seem to love the board, and it was close to 300 when it first came out, for the price I think its worth a boot : ]

 

[InnocentCriminal]

Well as you know I've been really keen on buying this board for a while now but I don't know if I can justify it. Hmmm.....

 

[pantherx12]

I can, so don't worry

 

[JrRacinFan]

Hey IC, You still got that s1156 chip? My vote goes towards picking up a P55 board.

EDIT:

Oh and to add, the Blackops isn't that great of a board.

 

[MRCL]

Well you have to be very precise when you type in the query... my thread only showed up as I typed in the exact title, and even then it was somewhere in the middle...

No I saw no sense in buying a new board when I already had a perfectly working one. I know I know shame on me I still fantasize about it tho, maybe when I deciede to revive my e6300 again I go for that board, since my Formula might have bitten the dust.

HOWEVER I'm with Jr here. Pick up a good P55 board. Move on man

 

[InnocentCriminal]

Hey IC, You still got that s1156 chip? My vote goes towards picking up a P55 board.

Unfortunately my girlfriend put my arm behind my back & made me put it up on freakin' eBay. I got totally burnt by selling it for only just half of what it was worth (retail). Otherwise I'd be snapping up a cheapish P55.

Oh and to add, the Blackops isn't that great of a board.

It's pretty well received, the guys over at XS liked it.

HOWEVER I'm with Jr here. Pick up a good P55 board. Move on man

I wish I could, I've still got the GTX285 that I want to sell, really should have kept that pissin' 870 - I won it.



Women!

 

[pantherx12]

Hey IC, You still got that s1156 chip? My vote goes towards picking up a P55 board.

EDIT:

Oh and to add, the Blackops isn't that great of a board.

For £86 it is, cheapest x48 new in the UK, being sold cheap as they have old bios chips but you can send of for a new one for free

 

[InnocentCriminal]

Yeah and as I work in IT I can always update the BIOS myself by using a supported CPU that we in stock so that isn't much of a big deal. If I order it now, it'll be here tomorrow.... ooooh.

 

[MRCL]

Yeah and as I work in IT I can always update the BIOS myself by using a supported CPU that we in stock so that isn't much of a big deal. If I order it now, it'll be here tomorrow.... ooooh.

Oh the temptation Well in that case I say go for it, its a new toy ffsake, we all like new toys, wether we really need them or not (with latter being the case most of the time)

 

[InnocentCriminal]

Yeah fuck it, let's see how it pans out.

 

[JrRacinFan]

Ouch! That's really really harsh. Go for it, if you have any problems you can throw me a quick PM. I have no problems helpin you. Even though I did talk bad about the board, it's pretty much that or a 790i. There's not many X48 boards that are pretty good and the one you chose I will admit is pretty decent.

 

[InnocentCriminal]

I don't buy nVIDIA products (I won the GTX285) so I wouldn't have picked up any chipset of theirs let alone a 790i. Yeah, I'm gutted about the 870 but I don't need a new quad core, just a new mobo. I think.

 

[cadaveca]

I've had BlackOPs since July 08. One of the guys @ XS that worked @ foxconn sent me one for my birthday when I could not buy one(I'm in Canada)...

Having been a bencher, I can definately say, BlackOPs gives, and gives...and gives...

But boy, did it ever take me MONTHS to tame it. Found some weird issues(check my youtube channel), but only because I DO NOT GIVE UP, EVER!!!

When you run into issues(and you will), hit us up!

 

[InnocentCriminal]

I really appreciate that cadaveca - I'm looking forward to getting the board. I'm hoping I'll be able to hit 4GHz as I've been really close with my P5E3 but no cigar. Plus I'd like to see if AHCI works on these boards.