Foxconn Black Ops - Raw, Unadulterated Power

Step aside - Foxconn coming through!

Usually we can't wait to get boards off the subzero benching station as the effort required does not justify the end result; not so with the Black Ops. We thoroughly enjoyed using this board at subzero temperatures; it runs insane speeds with relative ease, leading to a truly exhilarating benchmark experience. However, on a more realistic note, there are still plenty of quirks with this board to withhold absolute support across every scenario. These quirks include non-working or hard to use strap/memory divider combinations while higher speed 2GB memory overclocking is almost exclusively limited to Samsung-based modules or those using newer Micron ICs.

That does not mean the Black Ops will not work with older Micron chips in 2GB module designs, but simply that speeds over 1500MHz with 8GB memory may come at timings looser than stock module ratings. This situation will undoubtedly improve with time as the BIOS is tuned. Meanwhile, the balance of success lies in whether users can forgive the current quirks in return for a board that's sick fast, resolute, and does not arrive at the line panting and puffing under strain when pushed to the absolute limits.

As it stands right now, Foxconn's latest toy does require patience to reach its full potential when using conventional cooling methods. While we believe the Black Ops is an admirable choice as an enthusiast level motherboard, there are established boards like the ASUS P5E3 Premium that can provide an easier journey to overclocking in certain situations for the general enthusiast.

So, although the Black Ops is not "Top Dog" on every front, it is worthy of accolades for being capable of doing things that no other board can out of the box. Yes, it's raw and at times ragged, but let's not forget that it's marketed as being a power product for extreme benchmarking and it delivers on that promise in an impressive manner. For the future, we are sure that Foxconn recognizes (we have reminded them repeatedly) outright sale volumes will likely hinge upon a more modest approach and that there will need to be development of products that are geared more for everyday use. Should the company be able to deliver products on both fronts while maintaining their customized support structure, we are looking at the possibility of a great success story from a company that has been firmly planted in the OEM sector.

To conclude, we are excited to present our Silver Editor's Choice award to Foxconn for the Black Ops X48 motherboard. Their execution and design of the Black Ops product certainly pushes the envelope for current motherboard technology and raises the bar for other players in this niche market. In fact, we are very excited to see what comes next from Foxconn. For now, if extreme benchmarking and power tuning is your thing, your prayers have been answered by the arrival of the Black Ops.