Foxconn X38A LGA 775 Intel X38 ATX Intel Motherboard

Pros: It looks way better when you get it then in the pictures, really! Very large heatsinks, and comes with a North Bridge fan. To learn how to install the fan read "Other Thoughts" below. Installation was simple. I slotted in Geil 2GB 4-4-4-12 memory, and it defaulted to I think 7-7-7-18, now some people think that's bad, but think of it this way, if you got higher latency RAM, you have a better chance of getting your POST. It's very simple to go in to the BIOS and set the latency's to the correct value. I put in a Core 2 Quad 6600 also, everything booted perfectly first try. This is the best motherboad I have owned in my whole life. Also this thing, of course, has PCI-E 2.0, as it is an X38 chipset.

Cons: The colors aren't exactly beautiful on the motherboard, but hey, who cares I don't stare at the inside of my case all day long I prefer to stare at the monitor! RAM didn't default to correct timings, but who cares?

Overall Review: Please don't give this product a low rating when you haven't even tested it and claim that the capacitors will blow up on you, it's just not fair.

Here's how to install the North Bridge fan, as I think some people are a little baffled as to how to do it: set the motherboard on your bench or a flat clean surface that you think can support it, now face it like you would when you're putting in an expansion card, the I/O ports to the right of you and at the top. Now look at the North Bridge heatsink, the one that has "Foxconn" on it, get out your fan and put it on the right side of the heatsink, not the top or bottom of it, but the RIGHT SIDE. Also make sure you have it aligned correctly, there should be a clip at the very top of the fan. Now gently slide the fan onto the heatsink. You should hear a lot of clicking noises and after that push gently or inspect it to make sure all the clips have been pushed in. Now connect the fan to the 3-pin fan connector on the motherboard. That's it

Pros: The board is extremely well laid out. I was able to manage all cables in my XaserVI case with minimal effort for a super clean build.

Cons: Cons are numerous. It is the worst manual I have encountered. Explanations are minimal or non existent along with poor English translations. (so what's new?) Bios are difficult to navigate. I had high hopes for a monster OC with this board after reading several reviews. DDR2 ram proved to be the better of the two options but anything over 400-430 FSB with QX9650 was not stable. I used the same chip and ram in a Gigabyte x38 and had far better results. I spent hours researching and tweaking all values in voltage and timing options and could not obtain satisfactory results. DDR3 with this board was a total bust. Foxconn manufactures boards for lots of companies and I have had generally good results with those. Of course all boards are different and I accept that this board may not be representative of the others in circulation. I would not recommend this board simply because there are much better platforms out that are easier to work with.

Overall Review: I'm replacing this with an Asus or Evga 790i. Maybe Foxconn tried to cover too much ground with DDR2 and 3 compatability.