Throwback Thursday: The Foxconn Bloodrage X58 Overclocking Motherboard

Enthusiast computer hardware sees an ongoing juxtaposition between style and performance and there comes a time when you simply cannot live without them both.  The Foxconn Bloodrage is the epitome of this and is one of the rarest of unicorn hardware made popular by Nehalem and Gullftown overclocking. 

So what made this motherboard such a great overclocker?

Good manufacturer support and premium BIOS tuning are key ingredients when it comes to overclocking and Foxconn continued support for this motherboard long after the launch.  It also helped that Shamino was working for Foxconn at the time and his popularity in the overclocking circles added some much needed street cred for an otherwise unknown segment of Foxconn.

Needless to say it was popular because the enthusiast community trusted the hardware and there was a lot you could do with the LGA 1366 line of processors.

In terms of hardware the Bloodrage was fitted with a rather large 14 phase VRM and was one of the few boards to come with only 3 memory slots.  This decision proved crucial to enhancing memory performance despite the market demands of providing two memory banks. 

Another key feature was the inclusion of multiple Quantum Force branded North bridge cooling options that replace the large aircooled unit.  Also for those dabbling with LN2 a handy Quantum Force branded evaporator pot was included which was an industry first. 

Sadly the Quantum Force division of Foxconn was on a decline after the launch of the Bloodrage.  They had a few successful motherboard launches but decreasing margins and intense competition forced Foxconn to close their retail lines.  Shamino also left soon after to help EVGA launch their Classified line of motherboards and video cards.  These are now being driven by another famous overclockinger, K|ngp|n and are quite good.