X-bit labs

Foxconn Mars Mainboard on Intel P35 Express Chipset (page 7)

Category: Mainboards

by Doors4ever , Ilya Gavrichenkov

[ 11/12/2007 | 06:24 PM ]

Over Clock Phase Select parameter is set to O.C. Disabled by default, i.e. allows no overclocking. You may set it to Instant O.C. – overclocking by a certain value. Not very experienced users may find this option useful. Especially since it may overclock the processor by 75% above the nominal, while most other boards allow only 20%-30% at most thus making these options completely useless.

In case of this overclocking technique, the FSB frequency is increased by the corresponding value, while the memory frequency is reduced by the same value. You can clearly see it from the photo below:

In fact, the processor Vcore automatically increases in this case, although the memory and North Bridge voltages remain at their nominal rates. Of course, there is no perfection in this world, but you shouldn’t demand too much from automatic overclocking: you will need to manually adjust the values for your current configuration anyway.

We set the Over Clock Phase Select to Manual O.C. thus gaining full access to frequencies, multipliers and coefficients.

FSB frequency can be adjusted in the interval between 100 and 999MHz and the value can be typed in using the keyboard.

You use the coefficients determining the FSB and memory frequency ratio to set the memory frequency. Again, no calculations are necessary, because you will see the final frequency in the System Memory Speed line.

I assume, you will agree with me that Gladiator BIOS of the Foxconn Mars mainboard looks almost ideal. It offers the most extensive set of options all in one place and in a very convenient form. Although this is Foxconn’s first experience in overclocking-friendly mainboard building, Gladiator BIOS has every chance not only to compete but even to outperform the BIOS’s from the leading mainboard makers.