Foxconn WinFast NF4UK8AA-8EKRS nForce4 Ultra Motherboard Review

Thanks to NVIDIA’s excellent new nForce4 Ultra chip, companies like Foxconn can offer feature-rich yet affordable mainboards that offer excellent performance. That is the case with the NF4UK8AA-8EKRS, which can be had for around $130. Couple it with a socket 939 processor for $200 or more depending on how fast you want to go, and you have yourself a very solid foundation for a system. Foxconn really surprised and impressed me with the NF4UK8AA-8EKRS. You can tell the company is trying to appeal to enthusiasts with tweaking and overclocking options in the BIOS. I honestly didn’t expect that from Foxconn, but I hope they keep it up. Hopefully, we’ll see a multiplier option in a BIOS update.

Although the board layout isn’t perfect, there is a lot of room around the CPU socket for large coolers. As I mentioned a few pages back, I fit the chunky Thermalright XP-90 on there without any problems whatsoever. RAID fans will really appreciate the NVRAID application and the ability to mix PATA and SATA drives in single RAID array. Additionally, support for four SATA II ports, two FireWire ports, eight USB 2.0 ports, gigabit LAN and 7.1 sound helps make this board worth $130. We can’t forget about the NVIDIA Firewall either. ZoneAlarm users should feel comfortable replacing ZA with this highly capable firewall. Just like ZA, the NVIDIA Firewall asks you if you want to grant access to programs that are trying to get out to the Internet or come in from the Internet. The Network Access Manager is a cool, local web site that gives you the power to administer and manage your firewall. The on-chip firewall definitely adds value to the nForce4 Ultra package.

Final Score: 8 out of 10 and the Bjorn3D Seal of Approval

Pros:
+ Good perf ormance
+ Plenty of clearance around CPU socket
+ Affordable
+ Nice features (NVRAID, Firewall, etc)
+ Decent onboard sound
+ Nice HSF on nForce4 chip
Cons:
- No multiplier option in BIOS
- Long video cards may cause hassles
- Only three fan headers

Foxconn WinFast NF4UK8AA-8EKRS nForce4 Ultra Motherboard
Bjorn3D