Foxconn FlamingBlade GTI review

Is it worth using a simple motherboard for high-end processors?

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Foxconn FlamingBlade GTI
A budget X58 motherboard (as much as X58 can be budget)

TechRadar Verdict

Pros

  • +

    No-nonsense board

  • +

    good performance

  • +

    detailed BIOS

Cons

  • -

    SATA port position

  • -

    poor Southbridge choice

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Whether it's because of Intel's mighty six-core Core i7-980X processor or USB 3.0 or SATA 6Gbps technology or a combination of all or any of the three, for what ever reason, Intel's high-end X58 chipset is having a real surge at the moment.

In fact there seem to be more motherboards in the market using the chipset and the accompanying LGA1366 socket than there were when it was first announced a couple of years ago. But adding the latest technologies to an already fairly costly chip often increases the board cost to eye-watering levels.

What if you don't want all the latest bells and whistles and just want a stable X58 platform with a reasonable price tag? Foxconn's FlamingBlade GTI might be the answer you're looking for.

Compared to some X58 boards in the market, the FlamingBlade GTI may appear to be a bit basic, with just two PCI-E graphics slots, three memory slots and no RAID support, but sometimes basic isn't a bad thing, especially for motherboards.

After all, why pay the Earth for a board that's crammed full of features you're never going to use?

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