We have already expressed our discontent about the fact that we need to reset jumpers in order to get the memory to work as DDR2 1066 with processors supporting 266 (1066) MHz or 333 (1333) MHz FSB. We can also complain that the memory frequency doesn’t change when the FSB frequency changes, so we have to calculate the resulting value ourselves. The complete list of supported memory frequencies depending on the default processor FSB speed looks as follows:

The situation with memory timings is also not quite flawless. We can adjust only the major timings and besides the supported value intervals are far from being optimal. DRAM CAS# Latency, DRAM RAS# to CAS# Delay and DRAM RAS# Precharge parameters for DDr2 SRAM can be changed from 3 to 6, while DRAM RAS# Activate to Precharge – from 9 to 15. This is more or less acceptable. When we switch to DDR3 SDRAM the DRAM CAS# Latency interval shifts and the available values now fall between 5 and 9. It is also quite normal. However, as for other timings, everything stays the same, just like for DDR2 SDRAM: from 9 to 15 for DRAM RAS# Activate to Precharge and from 3 to 6 for everything else, though these are unacceptably low values for DDR3.

Now let’s say a few words about the voltage adjustment. Once you change the CPU Voltage from Auto to Manual, you get pretty good options for CPU voltage adjustment. The supported interval is relatively big: from 0.81975V to 1.6V with a tiny increment of 0.00625V. This is all pretty good, no complaints here. The mainboard also offers pretty decent options for adjusting the memory voltage, the maximums are even a little too high. The DDR2 voltage may be set between 1.79V and 2.72V, while DDR3 voltage – from 1.47V to 2.66V with a small variable increment. And then things get confusing again: NB Core Voltage, SB Voltage and VTT Voltage parameters can be set to [Auto], [Low], [Middle], [High] and [Highest], although there is no mention anywhere about the actual numbers behind these words.

We also found no explanations whatsoever regarding the DRAM RCOMP Setting and CIR10 Field 1 parameters, sow e can only guess what they actually stand for:

The monitoring section is its definite infancy here. You can be happy that the board allows controlling the rotation speed of all fans that can be connected to it, but there are only two of them…

The situation with other parameters is not any better. The mainboard allows monitoring system temperature, CU temperature and registers only the processor Vcore besides the main voltages coming from the system PSU. It formally allows adjusting the rotation speed of the processor fan, but in reality this feature doesn’t work with fans using three-pin connectors.

We normally do not dwell on standard BIOS features in our mainboard reviews, because they do exist in more or less identical form on any mainboard. However, this time we found something interesting in a pretty common Boot section. Take a look at the modest looking fourth item in the list below: USB.

We all know that floppy disks are no longer used and have been replaced with more reliable, faster and larger capacity USB flash drives that serve not only as portable media for data storage but also as boot-up devices. But how do we boot from a USB flash drive? Different manufacturers offer different solutions. abit mainboard owners have to connect the flash drive first, so that the system could detect it, then enter the BIOS and select it as a boot-up device. Despite all the advantages of abit mainboards, they do not have such useful and convenient feature as boot-up menu. The majority of other mainboards allow you to press F8, F11 or Esc to get to boot-up menu and select the necessary boot-up device. Of course, it is much more convenient this way, but you have to make extra moves and may easily miss the right moment. ASRock Company did it differently, by including a boot-up USB option that should completely replace the good old FDD. Now you just put USB as the first boot-up device instead of Removable Device. If the USB flash is connected and is a boot-up device indeed the system will boot from it, if not, the system will continue booting from the next device in the list. Ingeniously simple and extremely convenient! It is really strange that no one has yet implemented something like that.

There is something else interesting in the Boot Settings Configuration section, although it is not as useful, but more amusing. Contemporary mainboards usually display some Boot logo or image and many manufacturers allow replacing it. ASRock 4Core1600P35-WiFi+ features three preset images and you can select the one you like most.

So, summing up a few things this is what our preliminary conclusion will look like. ASRock 4Core1600P35-WiFi+ mainboard BIOS offers excellent options for adjusting processor and memory voltages, vague options for adjusting other voltage settings, and poor options for resetting memory timings and frequencies. Too bad that the resulting CPU and memory frequencies are not displayed when you change the FSB speed. We wish they also allowed reducing the processor clock frequency multiplier. It is sad that H/W Monitor section boasts pretty scarce functionality. It is great to have a convenient option for booting up from a USB flash drive, but it is high time they enabled USB keyboard and mouse support by default, too. They have selected a very inconvenient F9 key for loading standard BIOS settings: it is located too close to F10 (save and exit). F10 is used frequently, so you may accidentally miss the right key and have to start all over again, because there is no option to save the settings profiles. However, ASRock 4Core1600P35-WiFi+ does offer some CPU overclocking options and we are going to discuss them I our next chapter.