Foxconn H61S Mobo model from 2011
Foxconn H61S Mobo model from 2011
Hey everyone, I got a foxconn H61s with an i3 2120 dual-core and some DDR3 from a friend. It’s working fine so far, but I’m having trouble finding detailed info about the motherboard. I stumbled on the manual on a random site, but it doesn’t cover CPU compatibility well. Since I’m new to Intel (just used AMD since '04), I think the 1155 socket can technically fit Sandy Bridge and Ivy Lake models—though the latter might need a BIOS update. Foxconn isn’t offering updates anymore, so I assume only Sandy Bridge is supported. My question is, can I use any Sandy Bridge CPU in there? Or am I limited to the lower-end 65W TDP models? I know I can’t overclock, but can I still run a 2600k and it just runs at normal speeds? TIA
Probably. 30w shouldn't cause major issues. The differences between sandy and ivy bridge are minimal right now, so skip the extra stuff. A 2600 non-k should handle most tasks without much trouble if you just need some threads. For a non-gaming setup, 2120 should manage everything smoothly—it's roughly as quick as any laptop CPU from the past five years. Adding an SSD for the OS will keep it running efficiently for word processing, spreadsheets, browsing, light video editing, 2D gaming, or older 3D games.
Great, thanks! It wasn’t meant to be a full setup, just to repurpose a PSU and an SG13 case I had lying around. My friend bought me the motherboard/CPU/RAM package for £30 and I installed a 240GB SSD inside. So far, it’s been working well with Windows 10. I plan to use it in my campervan for streaming Netflix and other things when we’re connected to 230V. The temptation is there, but since it seems like a bit of a waste for my needs, I won’t actively search for it unless I find a good price on something around 2600.
Find a basic, affordable GPU that supports hardware encoding. I plan to handle media streaming and encoding myself since the HD 2000 graphics in the i3 can’t process modern content well.
I haven’t tried anything beyond launching w10, installing updates, and checking everything. Eventually I’ll upgrade the GPU in my nr200p build and switch to the rx570 on this one, but I won’t rush unless the iGPU in the i3 is really surprising... that’s the only way to know!
Absolutely, you'll notice it depends on using the CPU since the HD2000 in the i3 doesn't support the VP9 codec. You can still push it to H.264 using h264ify in Firefox, though it won't be perfect. At least 1080p should work. Or go with 720p if that's better.