Features and main characteristics of Foxconn N15235 motherboard. Foxconn N15235: motherboard specifications Connecting the front panel of the system unit

Alexey Shobanov

After expanding the range Intel Core 2 Duo and the subsequent sharp drop in prices for processors in this family, today prices for some of them are less than $100, which made them a very attractive solution for creating not only high-performance and gaming stations, but also inexpensive computer systems aimed at the mass user. , and even budget PCs. This, in turn, led to a demand for low-cost motherboards that could serve as the basis for such budget systems. In response to market needs, Hon Hai Precision Industry, which manufactures components under the Foxconn trademark, has introduced a new Foxconn 45CM-S motherboard, the capabilities of which we will tell our readers.

The Foxconn 45CM-S motherboard is made in the microATX form factor (size - 24.4x22.4 cm) on a dark blue textolite traditional for Foxconn products (Fig. 1). It was based on the Intel 945GС Express chipset (Intel 945GС Express + ICH7), the capabilities of which are complemented by the ITE IT8718F I/O controller. Although, according to the official specifications of Intel, this chipset is limited in its capabilities, representing a stripped-down version of the popular integrated set Intel chips 945G Express (the maximum system bus frequency is 800MHz, and the memory bus frequency is limited to 667MHz), Hon Hai Precision Industry experts our ability to use its hidden reserves. So, this motherboard supports the entire range of LGA775- Intel processors, including both single-core processors of the Intel Celeron D and Intel Pentium 4 5xx and 6xx series, and dual-core Intel Pentium D 8xx and 9xx, and in addition, processors of the new Intel Core 2 Duo processor family, and provides the ability to operate the system bus at a frequency of 533, 800 or 1066 MHz. To install system memory modules (it is assumed that unbuffered memory modules of the DDR2 SDRAM 400/533 or 667 standard will be used), the board provides two DIMM slots. The memory subsystem can operate in both single- and dual-channel modes. The maximum amount of system memory supported by the board is 2 GB.

Rice. 1. Foxconn 45CM-S

The Foxconn 45CM-S motherboard features an Intel Graphics Media Accelerator 950 (Intel GMA950) integrated graphics core that fully supports the DirectX 9 API. It has a 256-bit architecture and runs at 400 MHz. Integrated for your needs GPU uses system memory, and thanks to Dynamic Video Memory Technology (DVMT), the amount of video memory dynamically changes and can reach 192 MB. Such a graphic solution provides the ability to display an image with a maximum resolution of 2048x1536 pixels and a color depth of 32 bits, that is, it meets the requirements for working with the rapidly gaining popularity of HD (High Definition) video with a resolution of 720 or 1080 horizontal lines. It is also worth noting here that this integrated graphics core supports the so-called High Definition Hardware Motion Compensation technology, which implements hardware acceleration of playback of MPEG-2 video files, which is especially important when playing HD video recorded with a high bitrate. In addition, using the Advanced Digital Display 2 (ADD2) card installed in the slot PCI Express x16, the Intel GMA950 graphics core supports an additional graphical interface (this can be a DVI or S-Video TV Out interface). If the capabilities of the graphics core are still not enough, then the user can always install a discrete graphics card in the already mentioned PCI Express x16 slot. By the way, in addition to this slot for installing additional cards that expand the capabilities motherboard, two more PCI slots and one PCI Express x1 slot are provided.

For organization network connection Foxconn 45CM-S provides the user with a Realtek RTL8100C 100 Mbit Ethernet controller. The audio system here is implemented by a combination of the HDA (High Definition Audio) controller integrated into the ICH7 and the Realtek ALC883 audio codec, which provides the ability to play 5.1 sound. There are three audio connectors on the motherboard output panel for connecting external audio devices.

In addition to the mentioned audio connectors, the output panel of the board has two PS / 2 connectors (for connecting a mouse and keyboard), parallel (LPT) and serial (COM) ports, a VGA connector, an RJ-45 connector, and four USB port 2.0 (Fig. 2).

Rice. 2. FOXCONN 45CM-S motherboard output board

All in all, Foxconn 45CM-S supports eight USB ports - four more, in addition to the four available on the output panel, can be implemented using additional expansion brackets, for which the board has two connectors (two ports per connector).

To build a disk subsystem, the board provides four SATA II ports, one PATA connector that supports connecting up to two devices with an ATA 100 or ATAPI interface, and an FDD connector.

The system components are powered by a three-channel VRM unit.

To cool the microcircuits of the north and south bridges, aluminum plate heatsinks are used. In addition, this motherboard has two fan headers: a four-pin CPU fan header (CPU FAN) and a three-pin system fan header (SYS FAN). By the way, the company's Smart Fan Commander technology is used to control the rotation speed of the cooling fans. In addition to it, the Foxconn 45CM-S motherboard supports a number of other proprietary features, among which we note CPU Protection (comprehensive protection CPU and systems that provide automatic shutdown power supply when the processor temperature reaches a critical value) and BIOS Rescue (recovery of a damaged BIOS code using a rescue floppy disk).

N15235 appeared on the market in 2008, when socket 775 was gaining popularity. Like many motherboards, Foxconn n15235 has its own unique features in the characteristics, which will be demonstrated below.

Motherboard Specifications

The main feature that makes this motherboard unique is the presence of the G31 chipset, manufactured by Intel.

The parameters of the board may indicate that it is universal, that is, suitable for both mid-range computers and high-performance systems. It is these parameters and affordable price that made this motherboard in demand among users.

The main feature of Foxconn n15235 is that it used to be the most popular among users of Intel processors. The form factor of the motherboard corresponds to the dimensions of microATX, which allows you to assemble a small-sized system on its basis, but such a motherboard can also fit into an ATX case.

The processors supported by Foxconn n15235 can be both dual-core and quad-core. able to cope with processors of low performance, medium and high. The main thing is a suitable socket.

Supported memory and pluggable interfaces

The characteristics of the Foxconn n15235 are still amazing to this day, since it has a set of interfaces that is far from being an inefficient system. So, the presence of a PCI Express 16X slot allows you to connect a discrete video card to the motherboard in order not only to improve image quality, but also to run computer games.

The board also has two PS / 2 connectors, which are designed to connect a keyboard and mouse. Four USB 2.0 outputs that allow you to transfer data to and from a drive without using a drive. For a network connection, an RJ-45 connector and three audio outputs for connecting the corresponding equipment are implemented.

As for the characteristics of Foxconn n15235 by random access memory, then this motherboard contains two slots for placing RAM strips. The format of the supported RAM is DDR2, and the allowed maximum memory size is 8 gigabytes. The n15235 can support RAM speeds up to 800 MHz, but the bar's operating frequency is rarely higher than 500 MHz.

This review will be devoted entirely to such a computer component as the Foxconn N15235 motherboard. It is on the example of this component that the strengths and weaknesses of the products of this manufacturer will be given. This will allow you to make recommendations regarding the purchase of his products.

Brief introduction about Foxconn

Custom assembly of various electronic devices is the main specialization of Foxconn. Motherboards, graphics adapters, smartphones, mobile phones- this is not a complete list of equipment that is manufactured at the production facilities of this company. Moreover, the list of Foxconn clients includes Apple, Asus, Gigabyte, and MSI. With such rich facilities for assembly and testing of manufactured equipment, this company decided to expand the scope of its business. So there was a series of motherboards under the Foxconn brand. One of them is N15235.

What kind of PC is this motherboard suitable for building?

At the time of its release, the Foxconn N15235 motherboard was focused on installing the most productive processors. It was also possible to supplement such a computer system with a high-performance graphics adapter. All this together made it possible to create the most productive personal computers on the basis of this solution. It could be a workstation, and a graphics station, and gaming computer capable of running any of the most demanding toys in existence at the time. The same motherboard could successfully act as a link in a mid-range and entry-level PC. Only in this case, the use of such an expensive and functional computer component was not entirely justified. Its main purpose is the creation of high-performance computer systems.

The location of the elements of the system board

The Foxconn motherboard of this model is manufactured in the microATX form factor. Its dimensions are 9.6 inches by 8.0 inches. Almost in the middle of the top of the product is the processor socket LGA 775. To the left of it is the CPU, which consists of several solid capacitors and semiconductor stabilizers. Even further, at the very edge of the board, there are interface wired ports. To the right of the socket, 2 slots for installing RAM are grouped, behind which are the power connectors and IDE drives. Directly under the processor socket for installing the CPU is the chipset. Slightly below it, expansion slots are displayed. To the right of them are the south bridge, the BIOS battery and the ports for connecting SATA drives. Here, on the very edge, there is a connector for switching the front panel of a personal computer case.

Chipset and its characteristics

The Foxconn N15235 motherboard is based on a set of two chips. The description of this product indicates that the G31 from Intel acts as the northbridge in this case. Its key component is the memory controller. The TDP of this silicon chip was 17 W, and the system bus frequencies in this situation could be 800 MHz/1066 MHz/1333 MHz. In this case, ICH7 takes the role. Its main task is to connect peripherals and controller boards in expansion slots.

socket. What processors can be installed in it?

An impressive list of CPUs is supported by the Foxconn N15235 motherboard. The description of this product indicates that this list contains all chips intended for installation in this processor socket. The most productive solutions of this platform are the quad-core Core 2 Quad. A step lower from the standpoint of performance is Core 2 Duo, in which the number of computing units is reduced to two. The CPU of the Pentium Dual Core line had an even lower level of performance. They had exactly the same number of cores, but the frequencies were reduced and the cache memory was cut. The most affordable dual compute chips for the LGA 775 were the Celeron Dual Core. They had even less cache than older CPU models. Yes, and the frequency has been further reduced. The segment of single-core processors was occupied by Pentium 4 and Celeron. Any of the above models with an Intel chip could be installed in such a motherboard. But still, taking into account its positioning and level of functionality, it was preferable to use it in combination with 2 and 4-core CPU models of this platform.

Peripheral set

The list of wired interface ports on this motherboard was as follows:

2 PS / 2 ports for connecting a manipulator to a PC (it was green) and a keyboard (purple port was used for these purposes).

One COM port (its second name is serial) and one LPT port (or, as it is also called, parallel). With their help, it was possible to switch various input / output devices to a computer system (plotter, scanner, printer).

4 ports of the USB format, if necessary, could replace the COM port or LPT port for connecting similar input / output devices to a computer system.

Also, this product was equipped with one RJ-45 port for connecting a PC to a computer network.

Expansion slots

An excellent set of expansion slots was included with the Foxconn N15235 motherboard. Its characteristics indicate the presence of such of them:

PCI Express 16 X is the only and main slot for installing a discrete graphics accelerator that processes images displayed on the display.

Also, this motherboard was equipped with one PCI Express 1 X slot. The latest modifications of additional controllers (for example, a TV tuner) should be installed in it.

But to install outdated controller modifications, this product was equipped with 2 PCI expansion slots at once.

Regarding the expansion slots of this board, one important feature should be noted: if you use a high-performance video card in such a computer system that occupies 2 expansion slots at once, then it will no longer be possible to install an additional expansion controller in the PCIExpress 1 X slot.

RAM

Only modules of one type of RAM were supported by the Foxconn N15235 motherboard. The characteristics indicated support for DDR2. Moreover, it was possible to install only the strips "DDR2-667" and "DDR2-800". It was preferable to use the latest modification of the RAM, which allowed in practice to obtain a certain increase in performance. The maximum amount of RAM that could be installed in such a computer system was 4 GB. This limitation was primarily imposed by the CPU, which could address the maximum amount of RAM. The RAM controller itself was a key component of the northbridge of the chipset. It was dual channel. Accordingly, the use of two 512 MB sticks instead of 1 1 GB module made it possible to obtain an even greater increase in performance, which could reach 15 percent.

Connecting the front panel of the system unit

As noted earlier, the front panel of the case system block personal computer connects to the lower right corner of the motherboard. All necessary designations are marked next to the corresponding connectors. So, this Foxconn motherboard cannot stand out with something unusual against the background of similar products. Connection is provided for the following elements of the front panel:

Speaker (system event signaling speaker).

Power Switch (PC power button).

Power LED (indication of turning on the PC).

Reset Switch (button for forced reboot of the computer system).

HDD LED (operation indication hard drive or solid state drive).

Power supply and system board power supply

The Foxconn N15235 motherboard is connected to the power supply by two connectors at once. One of them is ATX12V which has 24 pins. The second, in this case, provides additional power to the central processing unit and consists of only eight contacts. Also, when equipping a PC with a high-performance graphics accelerator, it was necessary to connect a third power connector to it.

This article focuses on the features of the Foxconn N15235 computer motherboard. Consideration of the main characteristics of this PC component will allow us to evaluate the positive and weak sides of Foxconn's products.

A few words about the manufacturer

Foxconn specializes in the assembly of electronic devices that are widely used in today's business. This list includes samples such as smartphones, adapters, PC motherboards, mobile phones, tablets, memory modules. The manufacturer's production facilities are designed to produce a wide range of electronics.

With impressive resources for the production of electronic products, Foxconn has entered into contracts for the production of gadgets with such global development companies as Apple, Asus, Gigabyte, MSI. However, over time, it became uninteresting to produce someone else's innovations, and Foxconn decided to expand its presence in the electronic products market with the presence of products under its own brand. So users got the opportunity to get acquainted with Foxconn motherboards. The most common model that hit the domestic market is the N15235 motherboard.

Which PC builds the N15235 motherboard?

The N15235 motherboard was originally designed to create powerful productive computer machines. Also, this element was supposed to provide productive computer equipment with a graphics adapter. All together it was aimed at only one result - the creation of a new generation of computers, which in their properties differ from their ancestors in high performance in relation to the processing of electronic information.

The idea also concerned the creation of computer workstations, and graphic devices, and gaming electronic machines. The motherboard was supposed to be a kind of connecting port between old-style computers and a completely new one.

Characteristics of the structure of the motherboard N15235

The basis of the N15235 motherboard is the microATIX form factor. Dimensional characteristics of the part - 9.6 * 8.0 ''. The motherboard is equipped with an LGA 775 processor socket, which is located in the middle of the top of the board. On the left side of it, the CPU power supply system is visible, it consists of capacitors and stabilizers. On the very edge of the board, you can see the interface wired ports. On the right side you can see two slots for installing RAM. Behind them are the power connectors and IDE-drives.

The northbridge of the chipset is located under the processor socket for installing the CPU. And under it directly placed expansion slots. To the right of the slots is the south bridge, the ports for connecting SATA drives and the BIOS battery, as well as the switching connector for the front panel of the PC case.

Main features of the chipset

The motherboard is based on two microcircuits. The northbridge in this board model is G31 of the Intel brand, the main component of which is a memory controller (thermal package 17W, system bus frequency 800-1333 MHz). The south bridge is ICH7, which is responsible for connecting peripheral devices in the expansion slots.

What processors are installed in the socket?

Motherboard N15235 supports many processors modern devices designed for the LGA 775 socket. It has a wide range of chips. The board is most compatible with quad-core devices, such as Core 2 Quad, dual-core ones - Core 2 Duo, and even with Petnium Dual Core, in which the frequencies are reduced and the cache memory is cut. Also, the board is in contact with dual-core Celeron Dual Core chips, which have even less cache compared to Pentium Dual Core, and the frequency is not too high.

What can we say, even if single-core processors - "Celeron" and "Pentium 4" are compatible with this board. As you can see, the manufacturer counted on the fact that in every existing PC it can be used as efficiently as possible. But still, dual-core and quad-core variations are more appropriate for the intended purpose of operating the motherboard.

List of peripheral points

Motherboard N15235 has several ports:

- for connecting a manipulator and keyboard to a computer - two ports (PS / 2);

- COM - serial port;

— LPT-parallel port;

- USB - port - four pieces;

- RJ-45 - port for connecting a computer to a computer network.

Characteristics of N15235 expansion slots

This motherboard model is characterized by the presence of the following slots:

- PCIExpress 16 X - performs the function of installing a discrete graphics accelerator;

- PCIExpress 1 X - responsible for installing modified controllers in the form of TV tuners;

- PCI - installation of obsolete controllers for the first PCs.

If, along with this motherboard, a high-performance video card of the new generation is used, then the PCI Express 1 X port is inaccessible.

Characteristics of the memory capabilities of the motherboard

The N15235 board supports modules of the same OP type. These are DDR2-667 and DDR2-800. The maximum memory size supported by the board is 4GB. Thus, the increase in memory compared to other board options is 15%. This is an impressive amount of information that can be stored on the hard drives of computer devices.

The process of connecting the front panel of the SB

To connect the front panel of the PC system unit, motherboards are located in the lower right corner. These connectors are respectively signed, which allows you not to get confused during the connection process. This once again confirms the fact that the N15235 motherboard is nothing unusual.

And the buttons are labeled like this:

- system speaker for signaling events - Speaker;

- button for forced restart of the PC - Reset Switch;

- computer power button - Power Switch;

- indication of the functioning of the PC hard disk - HDD LED.

Power supply connection process, N15235 board power supply

To connect the PSU to the motherboard, you need to pay attention to two connectors specially designed for this:

- ATX12V - twenty-four pin;

- eight pin - replacing the first if necessary.

The main characteristics of the N15235 motherboard show that it is really designed to work in tandem with many existing models of personal computers. But unfortunately, not with everyone in the same bundle, it can show its capabilities to speed up the operation of devices and improve their performance.

It is more compatible with new PC versions than with outdated ones. But this does not mean that it cannot be used in conjunction with them and not give its results. They are, but much lower than can be seen on the latest innovative computer models.

User opinion about the motherboard N15235

Foxconn aimed its work towards the production of inexpensive, but the most functional products. The enticing technical specifications were meant to draw the attention of the end user to the new brand of computer components. And the main task was achieved by the manufacturer. The motherboard has found its application in the assembly of new generation computers. And not only found, but also entrenched in this field, as far as possible.

After all, she basically has no flaws. The only negative is the inability to combine graphics media with an additional controller. What is not essential during operation computer technology. Therefore, a very positive opinion of the majority of computer scientists working in the segment of assembling computers from components from different manufacturers has developed about it.

Comparison of price and relevance of application

The first release of the motherboard, of course, delighted PC builders. Moreover, not only were acceptable functionality motherboard, but also its price. She was available. It was the low price that prompted it to be used in many PCs based on the LGA 775.

However, at the time of the release of the N15235 motherboard, it had no analogues. It was suitable for performing work of average complexity on a PC. And it was really a big breakthrough in the future development of personal computers.

Progress does not stand still. And Foxconn itself is moving towards continuous improvement of its products. Therefore, it is not surprising that every year more profitable solutions are invented in terms of completing computer equipment. What was useful yesterday is not acceptable today. The N15235 motherboard is no exception. As good as it was when it was first released, it's outdated.

New models of motherboards with more advanced LGA 1150 or LGA 1151 connectors have appeared on the PC component market, which work great with image graphics and sound.

The outdated N15235 board model was the best that Foxconn could create to improve the performance of personal computer equipment. She managed to move the process of PC excellence from a place that other developers supported.

Despite the passed peak of demand, this motherboard is still used in practice by those who still use outdated PCs. You can buy it today for one and a half thousand rubles and at the same time perform elementary work on a computer.