Anilrgowda

With the growing popularity of the Intel Core 2 Duo processors, computer enthusiasts have been scrambling to find good motherboard alternatives. While major manufacturers such as Intel and Asus have provided some high-end boards based on the Intel 975 platform, these boards are either very expensive ($225-$260 USD), are missing certain features, or both. Enter the Foxconn 975X7AB. Based on the Intel 975X chipset, this board comes with a wealth of features, including support for the Core 2 Duo’s as well as ATI Crossfire, and at $160 USD it rates very high on the best bang for your bucks scale.

We also wanted to find a board that would run well on Windows Vista, and decided to run the Foxconn 975X7AB through our tests on both Windows Media Center 2005 and Windows Vista Ultimate.
Overall Impression

The Foxconn 975X7AB has provided an excellent experience both in terms of setup and use. Having a motherboard that is both easy to install and configure, and provides a safe and stable overclocking experience is something that a lot of other boards lack. Foxconn has done a great job with the design and functionality of this board. The features of the 975X7AB are easy to use for the novice, while providing many extra options for the hard-core enthusiast. We were highly impressed with the stability of the board, especially under overclocked conditions, and our test system temperatures ran quite cool even under high load. The included extras are a nice touch, and the Fox One software proved very easy to use, even for a novice. With support for a comprehensive list of Intel processors, including the newest Core 2 Duo’s, this board can be used in a variety of systems. The additions of the digital power supply allows plenty of room around the processor for extreme cooling solutions while delivering very accurate and stable power for the processor.

PROs

# Superb Motherboard Layout
# Easy to safely overclock
# Built in HD sound
# Dual Gigabit onboard LAN
# Dual IDE connectors
# External SATA port
# Included Fox One and Live Update software
# All drivers installed during Windows Vista setup
# Outstanding Price

Cons

We really didn’t run into any serious Con's with this board. Foxconn does not advertise this as an extreme overclocking board, so the lack of some advanced BIOS features is not considered.

We would like to see a little more comprehensive users guide when it comes to the BIOS features, however, the guide itself is one of the better ones we have seen.


Final View and Score

We really liked this board and its features. Foxconn has produced an excellent product at a very competitive price, and in our opinion, the 975X7AB is definitely at the top when it comes to best bang for your buck. For the enthusiast who wants a board that will give them great performance, and allow a stable and safe overclocking experience, we highly recommend this product. Although it is not yet Logo'd by Microsoft, for users wanting a board that works well with Windows Vista and has full out of box driver support, the 975X7AB fits the bill nicely.

As this board performs very well for its class, and is one of the best values we have seen, we award it a 10 rating and give it the PROnetworks Gold Seal of Approval.