Intel's new Sandy Bridge processors are stupidly, impossibly, hilariously quick. By some metrics, they're the most impressive new CPUs in memory. However, one of the downsides is the requirement for a new motherboard. Still, if you're going to make the migration to a new Sandy Bridge system, why not consider a small-form-factor board, such as the Foxconn H67S?
As the name suggests, the Foxconn H67S is based on the new H67 chipset and therefore supports the heavily revised integrated graphics core that appears in each and every Sandy Bridge CPU.
The new core is available with either six or 12 execution units, respectively known as the Intel HD Graphics 2000 and 3000 models. It's by far the best integrated graphics chip we've ever seen in terms of 3D performance, and also offers an impressive 2D feature set including HDMI 1.4 video out and support for Blu-ray stereoscopic 3D.
Of course, this tiny mini-ITX motherboard also works with discrete graphics through a 16-lane PCI Express port. And don't forget, all Sandy Bridge processors come with the intriguing Quick Sync Video transcode engine that promises to make mincemeat of those tedious video conversion jobs. The potential for massive power in a puny package is utterly compelling.
It's early days for Sandy Bridge motherboard testing, and it will take time to generate a reference point for comparative performance. That said, we do happen to have Asus' Maximus IV Extreme on hand to provide some early context.
The Maximus is an enthusiast-class board based on the P67 discrete chipset, and therefore probably represents the fastest possible platform for Intel's new Sandy Bridge CPUs, including the astonishing Core i7-2600K. As our benchmarks show, the H67S isn't quite running on all cylinders. The main problem is sub-optimal support for Intel's Turbo Boost feature.
Professional rendering, Cinebench R10
Time – faster is better
Foxconn H67S: 38 seconds
Asus Maximus IV Extreme: 35 seconds
Gigabyte P55A-UD6**: 46 seconds
Video encoding, x264 HD
Frames per second – higher is better
Foxconn H67S: 32fps
Asus Maximus IV Extreme: 35fps
Gigabyte P55A-UD6**: 28fps
Gaming, World in Conflict
Frames per second – higher is better
Foxconn H67S: 90fps
Asus Maximus IV Extreme: 96fps
Gigabyte P55A-UD6**: 78fps
Memory bandwidth, SiSoft Sandra
Gigabyte per seconds – higher is better
Foxconn H67S: 14.1GB/s
Asus Maximus IV Extreme: 18.7GB/s
Gigabyte P55A-UD6**: 17.3GB/s
** P55 chipset and Intel Core i7-870
Any mini-ITX motherboard comes with compromises. After all, with board dimensions of just 170mm by 170mm, it's simply not possible to squeeze in a full feature set. In terms of building a high performance PC, however, there's no denying the health of the Foxconn H67S's chops.
The LGA1155 socket and H67 chipset allow for Sandy Bridge processors up to and including the Core i7-2600K. That's a quad-core chip with a top Turbo frequency of 3.8GHz and performance to flatten anything this side of a £750 Intel six-core chip. Make no mistake, this board promises true enthusiast-class performance.
The same applies to 3D throughput. A full 16-lane PCI Express port makes this minuscule motherboard compatible with the most powerful pixel pumpers, including Nvidia's latest bad boy, the GeForce GTX 580.
OK, finding a mini-ITX case and power supply that can accommodate such a monster isn't easy. But a few solutions do exist. Just imagine the possibilities.
Of course, this is an H67-based board, and that means you also have the option of a more power-efficient platform using the integrated Intel HD Graphics core inside every Sandy Bridge-class processor.
As we discovered in our review of the Core i7-2600K, the HD Graphics 3000 core with 12 execution units is the fastest integrated chip ever. For the first time, playing relatively modern games such as Call of Duty 4 on an integrated GPU is genuinely feasible.
Just as important for a low-power system that might well serve as a home cinema system, the 2D video feature set is top notch, with hardware acceleration for all the key codecs, as well as Flash video. What's more, the HDMI 1.4 port forms part of a box-fresh feature set that includes support for Blu-ray 3D movies.
Thanks to the SATA 6Gbps interface that comes as standard with every H67 chipset, the Foxconn H67S also offers the quickest currently available storage interface. If all that sounds like a recipe for a flawless victory, the lack of USB 3.0 ports and a pretty threadbare EFI interface (that's the new firmware replacement for BIOS) are reminders that you're not quite getting the full desktop experience.
The Foxconn H76S delivers a surprisingly full feature set for such a small board. But does it also pack a similarly hefty punch in terms of performance? That all depends on your reference point. With an Intel Core i7-2600K processor on board, this thing will absolutely hose anything based on Intel's outgoing LGA1156 socket. It beats the likes of a high end, full-ATX PC powered by the old Core i7-870 chip with an extremely large stick.
To take just one example, you'll get 90 frames per second in the historically CPU-crushing RTS game World in Conflict with the H76S and i7-2600K combo with a decent graphics card. The Core i7-870 manages just 78 frames per second.
It's a similar scenario in other benchmarks, including video encoding. Few existing PCs can match the performance this motherboard is a capable of courtesy of Intel's awesome new Sandy Bridge chips.
However, switch your frame of reference to a full sized ATX board running the same 2600K processor and the picture isn't quite so rosy. The P67-based Asus Maximus IV Extreme is measurably quicker across the board. The gap isn't huge, but given the highly integrated nature of the Sandy Bridge architecture – almost everything important housed in the CPU die itself – it is a little surprising.
The explanation is actually quite simple. The Foxconn H67S is not making full use of the Turbo Boost feature. At first we thought it was merely faulty default Turbo settings in the EFI menu.
However, even with the correct Turbo ratios manually dialled in, the board refuses to clock the i7-2600K higher than 3.5GHz. It should Turbo up to 3.8GHz. Adding to the impression of a board not quite ready for retail is memory stubbornly refusing to run faster than 1,066MHz.
These problems inevitably have a knock-on effect regarding overclocking. Foxconn has populated the EFI menu with few overclocking features. There are no voltage or memory options, for instance, and no global multiplier setting.
Only the per-core Turbo ratios are adjustable. In theory, anyway. In practice, 3.5GHz is as good as it gets. In truth, we're not too worried about overclocking headroom with this sort of board. But we would like to see the CPU delivering nearer its full potential at stock settings.
We liked
With CPUs edging ever closer to system-on-a-chip status, it makes sense for motherboards to get smaller and smaller. The Foxconn H67S delivers fully on this concept with puny mini-ITX proportions combined with a very solid overall feature and performance that thoroughly spanks previous-generation platforms.
We disliked
We can forgive the H67S for lacking huge overclocking headroom. It's not awfully relevant to small form factor computing. However, this board's current inability to fully leverage Intel's Turbo Boost is disappointing. A firmware upgrade is surely on the cards. An upgrade to USB 3.0 would be nice, too.
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