May 25, 2011 09:11 GMT  ·  By

Foxconn hasn't been too active in the retail channel in the last couple of months, but the company is now getting ready to introduce a new LGA 1155 motherboard design, which is based on Intel's latest chipset, the Z68.

The board will be called the Z68A-S and, judging by its feature set, will target entry-level mainstream systems, although it features quite an attractive design.

As all the other Z68-based boards available out there, the Z68A-S is compatible with Intel's second-generation Core processors and Foxconn allows its users to pair the board with as much as 32GB of DDR3 memory, with a maximum frequency of 2133MHz.

Outside of the four DIMM memory sockets, Foxconn's latest creation also features a single PCI Express x16 slot, a pair of PCI-E x1 slot as well as no less than three regular PCI slots driven by an ITE controller.

Below these slots, users will find five SATA connectors powered by the Z68 PCH, two supporting 6Gbps speeds, but none of these are angled to reduce cable clutter when multiple storage devices are installed.

The sixth SATA port is routed to the back of the board as an eSATA connector which is also joined by two USB 3.0 ports.

Also on the rear I/O panel, Foxconn has installed the VGA and DVI-D video outputs as well as a digital S/PDIF port that is connected to a 7.1-channel audio codec.

Sadly, the Z68A-S doesn't come with an HDMI port or with an on-board USB 3.0 header, as Foxconn most probably wanted to reduce the motherboard fabrication costs as much as possible.

Another victim of this decision is the CPU VRM, as the Z68A-S features a basic 3+1 phase design.

No details regarding pricing and availability were disclosed by the company at this point in time. (via Donanim Haber)

Photo Gallery (2 Images)

Foxconn Z68A-S Intel Z68 LGA 1155 motherboard
Foxconn Z68A-S Intel Z68 LGA 1155 motherboard specifications
Open gallery