Foxconn Winfast NFPIK8AA Motherboard Review

The NFPIK8AA is a very unique motherboard in that it is one of the only ones to support a single Opteron 940 pin processor and dual nForce Pro chipsets. The additional chipset gives the user the ability to run dual video cards over 32 PCI Express lanes (16 per slot). Since 99% of all workstations used in the workstation capacity will have 2 or more monitors it isn't likely that anyone will use the dual video slots for SLI but everyone needs a stress reliever at work and what better way to take your angers than to frag a few over lunch.

The board features a sexy red PCB with an array of white and black expansion slots. Design wise most everything is either vertical or horizontal not sure what that means but does provide the user with many possibilities for customizations. The heatsink backplate is a sturdy metal bracket unlike some of the plastic ones we have seen in the past.

Our biggest gripe with any nForce4 system is the location of the MCP in relation to the video card slots. In most cases the MCP becomes completely covered by any high end video card and requires that a low profile cooler be used. Due to the reduced cooling capacity these low profile coolers tend to be noisy and failure prone. The NFPIK8AA is no different, the nForce Pro 2200 MCP is located between the video card slots and is completely covered by any video card that happens to be installed. The CMOS battery is also in a very unusual location, just hope you never need to remove it.

The chips don't have the best arraignment. The nForce Pro 2050 is located above the video slots whereas the main nForce Pro 2200 is smack between them. This makes the installation of any custom chipset cooling difficult and prone to problems. Both MCP coolers use the standard thermal pad and are spring clipped into place.

If the nForce Pro 2200 MCP was in any other location this board would be prime for a sweet watercooling setup, sadly that is the downfall of any nForce4 motherboard