Expansion Slots

The Foxconn BlackOps motherboard comes with three PCI Express 2.0 slots. The blue and red slots have full bandwidth with x16 lanes while the last, white slot has only x4 lanes. Like all Intel X48 motherboards, the BlackOps also supports the ATI CrossFireX technology, so you can tie up to three ATI Radeon graphics cards for greatly increased graphics processing capabilities. However, the limited space realistically restricts you to only two graphics cards if they are of the thicker, dual-slot type.

Interleaved between the three PCI Express 2.0 slots are three PCI slots. If you choose not to use the provided SONAR audio daughter card, you will need to allocate one of the PCI or PCI Express slots to a sound card like the Creative Labs Sound Blaster X-Fi Xtreme Audio.

SONAR Audio

The Foxconn BlackOps does not have any onboard audio solution. Instead, Foxconn provides the SONAR audio daughter card.

Based on the Realtek ALC885 HDA audio chip, this daughter card provides 7.1 channels of high-definition audio output and supports up to 24-bit S/PDIF output.

The Realtek ALC885 chip has a 106 dB Signal-to-Noise Ratio (SNR) for playback and a 101 dB SNR for recording. Its DACs and ADCs support sample rates as high as 192 kHz in 16/20/24-bit formats.

Unless you have special audio requirements, the SONAR daughter card is really good enough for most users. In fact, using it frees up one of the PCI or PCI Express expansion slots that would have to be allocated to a separate sound card.

Quantum Flow

The Foxconn Quantum Flow GPU cooler consists of a large 12 cm fan and a mounting bracket (not shown). As such, it is hardly as spectacular as it sounds.

It works best for low-end graphics cards that only have passive heatsinks, but it will also help keep hot, high-end graphics cards cooler by blowing away hot air and providing a continuous source of cooler air.

In the picture on the right, the fan is flanked by the SONAR daughter card and the extension tower used for extreme cooling (when filled with liquid nitrogen or dry ice).

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