X-bit labs

Surprises from ASRock 4Core1600P35-WiFi+: Good and Bad (page 3)

Category: Mainboards

by Doors4ever

[ 05/01/2008 | 08:13 PM ]

If we turn the mainboard upside down, we will see one more drawback worth pointing out: sharp ends of the processor socket contacts. They are not too tall, but you still risk closing them accidentally if you use a cooler with a metal backplate:

Another drawback of the ASRock 4Core1600P35-WiFi+ mainboard doesn’t catch your eye right away. The set of jumpers used to set the FSB and memory frequencies is located in-between the PCI Express x16 slots and is almost completely hidden beneath the installed graphics card.

The ASRock 4Core1600P35-WiFi+ model name suggests that it supports processors with 400 (1600) MHz bus. However, the user’s manual claims that you will have to reset the jumpers for that. This frequency support is unofficial that is why the memory set as DDR2 1066 will in fact work at lower frequency, namely as DDR2 960. the same is true for DDR3 1066 that will work as DDR3 960, while DDR3 1333 will in fact run as DDR3 1280.

However, only a couple of top Intel Core 2 Extreme processors officially support 400 (1600) MHz FSB these days, so I doubt that any of the ASRock 4Core1600P35-WiFi+ owners will really face this problem. I really feel bad about listing this issue as a drawback, as someone was really trying to do a good job providing support of all processor types, and we do appreciate it… However, if you have one of those widely spread processors with 266 (1066) MHz or 333 (1333) MHz bus and you decide to set the memory as DDR2 1066, you will have to deal with jumpers again. This is a real drawback, I should say, and many ASRock 4Core1600P35-WiFi+ users will inevitable have to deal with it.

Luckily, this seems to be the end of our “disadvantages” list and now we have to mention only the remaining good things. The mainboard is designed using exclusively solid-state capacitors, the graphics card doesn’t block the memory slot clips, the gap between the first and second graphics card slots is twice the size, there are three PCI slots and there was even enough room for an additional FireWire controller. By the way, it is exactly due to IEEE1394 support that ASRock 4Core1600P35-WiFi+ mainboard boasts the “+” in its name. The same mainboard but without this controller has no “+” in the model name.

I believe I have to remind you that ASRock 4Core1600P35-WiFi+ mainboard is based on Intel P35 Express chipset, i.e. it supports first revision of PCI Express x16, only the top slot of the two available works at full speed of x16, while the other one works at x4. However, CrossFire technology will work just fine here.

I would also like to point out that the board uses ICH9R South Bridge that allows building RAID arrays of hard disk drives, and JMicron JMB368 chip allows using storage devices with Parallel ATA interface. There is an additional VIA VT6308S controller that provides IEEE1394 support. Gigabit networking functionality is delivered by Realtek RTL8111C controller and 8-channel sound – by Realtek ALC890 codec. WiFi-module is built around Realtek RTL8187L and is installed into a special connector located between the PCI slots.

The ASRock 4Core1600P35-WiFi+ rear panel will please you with a pretty rare combination of outdated and contemporary interfaces. The mainboard carried two PS/2 connectors for keyboard and mouse, a COM and LPT port, eSATA, FireWire, RJ45, four USB ports and six audio-jacks.

Although there are a few peculiarities here, too. eSATA connector is initially non-operational, as it s connected to nothing. You will have to sacrifice one of the chipset Serial ATA connectors and connect it with a regular SATA cable to the corresponding internal connector next to the ATX12V, then the external eSATA will work. It may not be the finest approach when there is a SATA cable running over the entire mainboard from the lower right to the upper left corner of the PCB, but this solution definitely has its advantages.

In conclusion I have to point out a few smaller issues of the ASRock 4Core1600P35-WiFi+ that we discovered during our test session. One of them is certainly the location of the FDD connector, the absence of digital audio outs (S/PDIF) and support of only 10 USB 2.0 ports (four on the rear panel and other six as internal connectors) out of 12 that the chipset provides.