When selecting boards for this roundup, our purpose was to provide not only comparisons and recommendations among the top available i875P products, but also enough raw data and insight to assist you in your own evaluation process. We considered product quality and availability track records when we approached the tier one/two OEMs and specified their high-end i875P products.
Intel is touting the i875P chipset as the current premium performance PC, high-end desktop, entry-level workstation solution for the new top-of-the-line Pentium 4 "C" with 800MHz FSB, so each board is fully featured. Although some OEMs also offer less frilly versions of their top boards, none from our test batch could be lumped into the "value" category: There are no onboard graphics options here, just oodles of USB 2.0, GbE (Gigabit Ethernet) LAN, RAID, lots of custom overclocking features, and a bit of Froot Loops coloring, too. If price is more of a consideration for you, check out the Springdale i865/P/PE/G roundup on page 60 for less lively alternatives.
 i875P Chipset Basics As we've mentioned before (see "Intel 875P (Canterwood)" on page 21 of the June 2003 CPU), the i875P is Intel's latest high-end desktop chipset. Teamed with the Pentium 4 3.0C 800MHz FSB Hyper-Threading CPU, the i875P brings balanced support for a platter of new features and performance enhancements, including optimization of memory access between the processor and system memory. In other words, it's been speed-binned to separate the more capable chips (i875P) from the merely average (i865P), and more aggressive memory timings have been enabled. Dedicated, high-bandwidth data paths for GbE LAN bypass the PCI bottleneck, while built-in Serial ATA RAID and the fastest AGP and USB standards increase not only performance, but capabilities, as well. This chipset isn't just about speed; it's about smart speed.
Northbridge. The 1005 FC-BGA package 82875P MCH (Memory Controller Hub) supports four memory modules (up to 4GB) of dual-channel DDR 400/333 SDRAM and ECC parity for workstation reliability. AGP 8X support and the option of Intel's PRO/1000 CT for GbE networking integrated with its own dedicated bus interface round out the MCH neighborhood. Not all OEMs went with Intel's GbE solution. Because other solutions cannot take advantage of Intel's dedicated bus, the performance improvements are lost.
Southbridge. The 460 MGBA package 82801EB (ICH5) and 82801ER (ICH5R) I/O Controller Hubs (ICH) feature support for eight high-speed USB 2.0 ports, six PCI 2.3 masters, AC'97 2.2-compliant 5.1 sound support, dual independent Serial ATA ports, Ultra ATA/100 IDE, and 10/100 LAN. In addition, the ICH5R has onboard RAID 0 support. As usual, Intel didn't incorporate FireWire support into the chipset.
Testing & Evaluation Here is the rhyme and reason behind how we evaluated the motherboards in this roundup.
Criteria. Intel, ABIT, AOpen, ASUS, Chaintech, DFI, Gigabyte, SOYO, and MSI all submitted boards for testing. Our evaluation and testing focused on stability first, then performance, price, features, ease of use, and finally, aesthetics. An interesting trend is that almost all board kits feature color-coordinated cables, connectors, brackets, or PCBs. Not since Tomb Raider reviews required a fashion report on Lara Croft's wardrobe have we felt so compelled to comment on relatively nonfunctional features, but that window has been installed and now everyone is looking. We've also outlined what, if anything, sets each board apart from the pack, and noted any big positive or negative elements.
Minimum board specs. Here are the minimum specs for each board: an 800MHz FSB, four DIMM slots for single/dual channel DDR400/333, AGP 8X/4X, USB 2.0, Serial ATA RAID, along with the more conventional parallel and serial ports, five PCI slots, 10/100 LAN, IDE, floppy, and 533MHz FSB support. Most also have support for GbE LAN, six-channel audio, additional RAID configurations, FireWire, and overclocking software.
Pricing. Because some of the products did not yet appear on pricing search engines such as Price Watch (www.price watch.com) at press time, we have derived price comparisons from a variety of sources, but street prices are timely and volatile, so we suggest you research your selections before making a final decision.
Methodology We did all of the motherboard testing on a system with a Pentium 4 3.0C 800MHz FSB CPU with 512MB of Corsair XMS CAS2 DDR400 memory in dual-channel mode (CAS 2.5-3-3), an ATI RADEON 9700 Pro graphics card, and a Western Digital 120GB hard drive with an 8MB cache. The hard drive was used in EIDE configuration to sidestep the current performance issue with Intel's SATA RAID application accelerator. The system was running Windows XP Professional with Service Pack 1 and DirectX 9.0. We set Desktop resolution at 1,024 x 768 x 32 and installed ATI Catalyst 3.2 drivers.
We disabled V-sync during all game testing. Hyper-Threading was enabled in the system BIOS, and the same setup was used with a clean image cloned using Norton Ghost prior to testing for each motherboard. We used the latest BIOS available for each board and selected Intel's PAT (Performance Acceleration Technology) mode. Onboard sound and LAN were disabled.
BIOS updates. Of the two boards for which we received an updated BIOS during our testing process, both showed an improvement in performance, one significantly. This bodes well for these early numbers being increased as BIOS updates are released for the other boards. For this reason, though there is a clear benchmark winner, we are not judging performance as harshly as we would a mature product that has had time for the BIOS to be fully optimized.
Meet The Motherboards The nine motherboards we tested in this roundup each offer unique features and benefits.
ASUS P4C800 Deluxe | ASUS P4C800 Deluxe. This ASUS board isn't the prettiest of the bunch, but the superb BIOS (updated during testing) and solid ASUS engineering made it the highest performer of the group, even before the update. A great entry-level workstation as well as overclocking choice, the unit was very stable and worked in "Turbo" PAT mode right off the bat. Topping 16 of the 18 test categories, the P4C800 Deluxe is the i875P roundup winner and has also become our performance choice for the i875P benchmark system. Opting not to go with Intel's integrated RAID and GbE solutions, ASUS nonetheless offers four onboard SATA ports; RAID 0, 1, 0+1, and multi-RAID configurations through a Promise PDC20378 controller; and 3COM's PCI GbE, which does not use Intel's dedicated bus. FireWire and ATA/133 support round out the package.
When buying a case for this board, consider one with FireWire and four USB ports up front. Four test boards came in higher than the ASUS at $239, so it has good relative value, but all are quite pricey. The color-coded DIMM slots (to assist proper installation), and a brown/orange PCB won't inspire window dressers, but as ASUS already knows, looks aren't everything.
ABIT IC7-G Max2 Advance | ABIT IC7-G Max2 Advance. The IC7-G ran stably in PAT turbo mode. Even with an old BIOS, no issues came up with memory or CPU, and a new BIOS improved performance by a small margin, inching the board into second position. Rear I/O panel S/PDIF/optical in/outs make six-channel audio easy to implement and leave space for four USB 2.0 ports. Using the included dual USB/ dual FireWire riser slot header extension leaves one dual internal USB header for two front-panel USB ports (cables not included). As with many of these boards, you can access a jumpered audio header to bring Mic In, Speaker Left/Right, and S/PDIF In/Out audio connections to the front panel (cables not included), but this disables the rear ports.
With Intel's optimized GbE, additional RAID solutions beyond the standard RAID 0 array, optical and S/PDIF in/outs, and three FireWire ports, this board has the best balance of features for $225. Layout is clean, tidy, and sleekly put together with black rounded cables, an aqua/purple color combination, and the very stylish aqua underwater/spaceship-looking chipset HSF (heatsink fan).
Chaintech 9CJS ZENITH | Chaintech 9CJS ZENITH. Stable, with no issues, and one of the most fully featured boards in this roundup, the 9CJS Zenith is very appealing. Performance was very good, with all scores hitting far above average. If ASUS-level performance could be coaxed from it, you would have Sharky's dream home/gaming board. Dual LAN ports (Intel integrated GbE and Realtek 10/100), similar to nForce2, are a first for the Intel platform. A CMC (Chaintech Multimedia Card) for the CMR (Chaintech Multi-media Riser) with Fire-Wire, 7.1 sound, and S/PDIF fits into the No. 7 riser slot position. A 5.25-inch drive bay CBOX3 breakout, with CPU temperature/post code display, FireWire, USB, and a six-in-one media card reader (Smart Media, MultiMedia, and Secure Digital cards; Memory Sticks; Compact Flash Type I/II, and IBM Micro Drive Flash Memory), has three front bezels: black, beige, and silver.
The Handigator infrared remote control provides mouse functionality, hot keys, and WinDVD control. Chaintech didn't go further than Intel's integrated SATA RAID 0 support but did include a compact tool set in the lofty $280 price. Rounded blue cables, quite a bit of gold on the heatsink and I/O ports, and an overall blue color scheme look better than you might think.
Intel D875PBZ | Intel D875PBZ. As we've come to ex- pect from Intel, the D875PBZ board was rock-solid stable. With not one crash over three days of drive imaging, it is probably the best entry-level workstation candidate of the lot. Good but not great performance scores were generally upper-middle of the pack, and limited BIOS options don't allow for much overclocking/ tweaking. No onboard sound, no FireWire, and only RAID 0 support make this the no-frills board of the bunch. No cabling is included for the internal USB, so you'll use what comes with your case or purchase separately.
At $189, you are getting very high-level features in a base model design, but mostly, you are buying Intel stability. i875P systems with Intel's board may have support added by the system builder, so check specs carefully for desired features. With all that space not taken up by extras, overall board layout is great. USB is weighted toward the back with six ports, and aesthetics are rather plain, certainly nothing that merits cutting a window in your case, though even Intel now dresses up formal with a black PCB.
DFI LANparty PRO875 | DFI LANParty PRO875. The glowing orange risers, sockets, ports, DIMM slots, and rounded cables of the LANParty PRO875 grab your eyeballs right through the window, and rightly so. While this slightly fussy board didn't like certain brands of memory, and benchmark scores were close to average on all tests, the onboard power and reset switches are a nice touch (especially for DIY and testing), and red status LED diagnostics help keep you informed when things go wrong. The 5.25-inch FrontX breakout box has a simple modular design, allowing for easy expansion. Dual USB, mic in, and headphone jack (line out) are the only supplied ports, but there is room for more, and you can purchase modules separately from FrontX (www.frontx.com). This is a great concept, but the beige has to go. The included carrying harness for your case seems substantial with a good handle and small shoulder strap pad. A few typos in the manual and no FireWire support aside, this is a good package with many useful features, but what will really pry the $219 out of your sweaty palms is that splash of tropical color.
AOpen AX4C Max | AOpen AX4C Max. The first AX4C Max we received from AOpen could only demonstrate the "Dr. Voice" feature by screaming "CPU ERROR!" no matter what we attempted. The replacement board had more to offer but was unstable with the updated BIOS, so we tested with the older version. Performance under these conditions was average but may improve with a BIOS update. The CPU bracket is rotated 90 degrees from Intel's board layout and fenced in on one side by large capacitors and the diagonally mounted chipset HSF on the other, making it an awkwardly tight fit for the CPU HSF retention mechanism. Riser slot header extensions provide rear panel access for FireWire, USB, gameport, and S/PDIF in/out, as long as you can spare the three PCI slots behind them.
At $198, this was the least expensive OEM board we tested, but accurate pricing info was hard to find. The main tradeoff is the Broadcom PCI GbE rather than Intel's MCH dedicated bus solution. The board's color scheme matches our fingers: black and blue with bits of red.
Gigabyte GA-8KNXP Ultra | Gigabyte GA-8KNXP Ultra. This one was fussy about power and unstable with the first BIOS, disappointing for a $430 board. We reverted to the previous BIOS, which worked fine, though most scores were average or below: another instance of improvement potential. The only board to include SCSI, the Adaptec Ultra320 SCSI interface has two SCSI ports for fast (10K RPM) hard drives. Support for SATA, IDE, and SCSI RAID provide a lot of RAID configuring options likely aimed at the workstation market, which also explains the lack of FireWire support. We were puzzled by the six DIMM slots and almost overlooked the turquoise DSP2 daughter card that provides extra CPU cooling and six-phase power, until we saw the onboard blue light. The matching turquoise PCB is so densely packed with traces, it looks silver, and the multicolor slots and brackets are reminiscent of Froot Loops.
SOYO SY-P4I875P Dragon 2 | SOYO SY-P4I875P DRAGON 2. Moderately bad stability problems with the first BIOS (even at the least aggressive CAS3 memory setting) were alleviated by upgrading, but even the new BIOS was not aggressively tuned, scoring below average in almost all categories. The BIOS did have great features, though: voltage selections for memory, CPU and AGP, and lots of overclocking. The EBox fits in either a 5.25-inch or 3.5-inch drive bay and, along with USB, FireWire, and a 6-in-1 Card Reader/Writer, includes a CMOS clear button on the unit. The board comes with RAID options, but not Intel's, and no GbE. After the weighty price of Gigabyte's board, SOYO's platinum-colored PCB with eggplant PCI and DIMM slots seems almost reasonable at $250.
MSI 875P Neo-FIS2R | MSI 875P Neo-FIS2R. This late entry got in just under the wire with stable but disappointingly low performance after a BIOS regression. Although others have gotten exceptional performance using the newer BIOS (possibly due to automatic clock throttling during benchmarks), ours was not stable enough to run. Three riser slots, rounded red cables, a red PCB, and low performance are what separate this Neo from the similarly featured/priced top ranking ASUS board. But this one does have an HSF with disco lights. . . .
As testing winds down, and we are surrounded by a rainbow of cables, connectors, boards, boxes, and manuals, it is graphically obvious that we are so far outside the realm of beige as to be in uncharted territory, which makes it all the more interesting that our top pick for the i875P chipset high-end mobo, the ASUS P4C800 Deluxe, is so short on looks and so long on legs.
by Joan Wood and Alex Ross View the charts that accompany this article.
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Memory Options
The i875P requires up to four 184-pin DDR SDRAM DIMM connectors with gold-plated contacts. It can only be unbuffered, nonregistered single or double-sided DIMMs, ECC or non-ECC RAM, 2.5V, SPD (Serial Presence Detect) memory. System memory runs in the following configurations: DDR400 with a 2.4GHz to 3.0GHz, 800MHz FSB CPU runs memory at 400MHz; DDR333 with the same CPU runs memory at 320MHz; DDR333 with a 2.26GHz to 3.06GHz, 533MHz FSB CPU runs memory at 333MHz.
Those of you upgrading from RDRAM-based system are short on luck. The i875P only supports DDR memory, and although you can populate any of the four slots (up to 4GB) with DDR266 and DDR333, the only way to get the full benefit is to go with Dual Channel DDR400, the requirement being that you must use the same sized module in slot 1 of channel A as you do for slot 1 of channel B. You can also do the same by populating slot 2 of channel A and slot 2 of channel B, which is how RDRAM used to work. Obviously it's not the cheapest solution around, but the performance gains are worth it. Some boards were fussy in terms of single-sided and double-sided memory, but we found that Corsair's XMS modules worked for trouble-free benchmarking on all boards.
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Header Extensions
The increase in the number of both onboard features and standalone plug-in devices that we are connecting to our PCs and the space limitations of the rear I/O panel, where connectors mounted on the motherboard line up with I/O shield cutouts, are making a variety of internal header extension solutions necessary. These connecting cables that plug into onboard "header" connections at one end, and incorporate some kind of case-mounting capability such as an RS (Riser Slot) bracket, front panel I/O connector, or 3.5-inch and 5.25-inch front drive bay box or cover plate at the other, are some of the creative solutions to the I/O logjam motherboard and case manufacturers are currently offering.
Headers for USB and FireWire ports, multichannel audio I/O, LAN, temperature/fan/lights monitoring/control, even game ports, can all be extended from wherever there is adequate space in the board layout and brought to the most desirable access point on the case. More frequently now, the place to be for high-traffic connections such as audio ins/outs, USB, FireWire, and smart media readers is down front. When selecting a board, don't overlook how it will function within your case and where you will actually be using all those extra goodies.
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Attaining Performance & Stability With The Fastest FSBs
It isn't easy to upgrade an aging PC. A well-informed purchase involves research, financial budgeting, and an inevitable decision. AMD or Intel, ATI or NVIDIA, CRT or LCD; the list is inexhaustible, and admittedly, the "right" choice is often veiled by marketing jargon. For instance, if Intel has done its job, you'll bank on the power of operating frequency. After all, wouldn't a 3.2GHz Pentium 4 be naturally faster than a 2.2GHz Athlon XP? On the other hand, AMD's True Performance Initiative incorporates a holistic approach to processing ability, taking frequency and IPC into consideration. But while the two manufacturers squabble over the best way to quantify raw performance, many of the more subtle architectural attributes are left unexamined. Both Intel and AMD dedicate significant resources to ensure their products pass rigorous tests on general platform and more directed architectural levels. As a result, your new system works, in most cases, without a hitch. The unfortunate consequence, however, is that it becomes difficult to appreciate improvements in process technology and the intricacies of implementing a larger cache. Significant jumps in FSB speed are transparent to most users; processor frequency remains the most marketed specification in any given PC. But that doesn't stop Intel and AMD from making continual performance-related advances. Intel recently augmented its 3GHz Pentium 4 with an 800MHz FSB, and AMD transitioned the Athlon XP 3200+ to 400MHz. AMD Redlines At 400MHz In 1999, AMD released the Athlon running on a 200MHz (100MHz DDR) EV6 bus licensed from Digital, claiming that it was scalable up to 400MHz. The past four years have seen the FSB move to 266, 333, and most recently, 400MHz. With its eighth-generation microarchitecture a few months out, what would motivate AMD to make a last-minute adjustment to the Athlon's bus? It's a two-part answer, really. AMD and Intel are running neck and neck for the performance crown, so by exposing 20% more bandwidth, AMD reaps a measurable boost without making a single architectural change. Mated to DDR400 memory, the processor and system buses are able to operate synchronously to deliver 3.2GBps of throughput. Equally important, though, is the fact that AMD's role in moving to 400MHz has consisted primarily of verifying stability. John Crank, a senior brand associate with AMD, affirmed that the job is more or less a simple one: decrease the processor multiplier to compensate for a faster FSB, and away you go. Platform manufacturers have a significantly more difficult job, though. When the Athlon XP 3200+ was launched, NVIDIA boasted the only chipset with official 400MHz FSB support. By reducing internal noise and lowering power consumption, NVIDIA's engineers were able to expose an extra 40 to 50MHz of FSB headroom within the nForce2 platform, according to Scott Baker, the product's manager. As a result, NVIDIA improved yields on 400MHz-capable chipsets that it claims have been shipping since January 2003. The easiest way to tell if your nForce2 motherboard will support an Athlon XP 3200+ is to check with the board manufacturer. Or, download the latest nForce2 driver, which properly identifies the nForce2 Ultra 400 memory controller. "But check with your board manufacturer first," Baker cautions, "because some of the older motherboards don't conform exactly to NVIDIA's design guidelines." SiS is aiming to join NVIDIA in offering 400MHz platforms, but motherboards based on its 748 chipset are nowhere to be found. VIA's single-channel DDR KT600 is even more elusive. With only one pricey processor officially featuring the new bus setting and a single platform boasting support, it remains to be seen if AMD's 400MHz FSB will ever be more than an enthusiast's novelty. Intel At 800MHz Whereas AMD deals primarily in processor design, Intel has its hands in chipset and motherboard manufacturing, as well. The consequential benefit is that it can run architectural tests and validate platforms in tandem, combining the work AMD and NVIDIA have to do separately. Floyd Goodrich, director of desktop application engineering for Intel, points out that the effort dedicated to compatibility and system validation has helped enable four-layer motherboards that run stably on an 800MHz FSB. Intel applies the results of its validation by aiding top-tier motherboard manufacturers in their design efforts. However, establishing a higher performance level is more involved than merely cranking up the FSB. Delicate signaling means that memory technology is equally important to Intel's top-end 875P. At 200MHz DDR, the memory bus is in phase with the quad-pumped, 200MHz system bus. If Intel had opted instead for dual-channel DDR333 support, the 875P MCH would have had to perform clock-synchronization, negatively impacting performance. Accordingly, Goodrich believes that the 800MHz system bus wouldn't have been nearly as effective without DDR400 memory to accompany it. The technology can be finicky, though. Early tests on a few 875P motherboards have shown that the most aggressive memory timings are unstable. Hopefully, as the platform matures, it will pick up additional speed through tighter memory standards. Performance: Putting New Technology To The Test Of course, neither Intel nor AMD would bother bolstering FSB speeds unless there were some semblance of performance to be had in the process. AMD is expected to unveil the Athlon 64 in September, and Intel is readying the Prescott core, due to ship before the end of 2003. But while both manufacturers prepare the next round of performance processor cores, they'll continue to rely on the virtues of increased system throughput made possible by today's high-speed FSBs. The only way to truly measure the benefits of a faster FSB is to evaluate different configurations using a single processor speed; in this case an Athlon XP with 512KB of L2 cache, modified to run at 1.6GHz using 266, 336, and 400MHz FSBs on an ASUS A7N8X nForce2 motherboard with synchronous memory bus speeds. SiSoft's Sandra 2003 bandwidth benchmark shows the most fundamental benefit of a quicker bus setting. Moving from 266MHz to 333MHz yields 21% more measurable bandwidth, and the transition to 400MHz adds an extra 12%. Quake III, a more tangible indicator of real-world performance, demonstrates a 4% increase at 333MHz and a 3% boost at 400MHz. The biggest improvement is apparent in XMPEG, a video encoding test, which realizes a 5% boost for each increase in FSB frequency. Interestingly enough, the same tests run on a 2GHz Athlon XP return markedly better results. Sandra 2002 shows that the quicker chip can push even more memory bandwidth, and Quake III realizes an 8% improvement. Not bad for a modification that, according to AMD, is relatively easy to implement. Considering that the NetBurst architecture is acutely sensitive to memory bandwidth, the Pentium 4 is in a position to pick up even more performance than AMD's Athlon XP. Although the 800MHz bus is theoretically capable of transferring 6.4GBps, benchmarks show the real-world throughput is closer to 5GB. And that's on a high-end Chaintech 9CJS 875P motherboard. Boards based on Intel's 865PE will likely be a bit slower because they don't include the Performance Acceleration Technology. Nevertheless, the new 800MHz FSB setting is about 7% faster than its 533MHz predecessor in Quake III. The Unreal Tournament 2003 Botmatch demo is 6% faster at 800MHz, and the XMPEG encoding metric also realizes a 5% performance improvement. Keep in mind that the two high-end processors are 3.06GHz and 3GHz models, so in order to run comparable processor speeds, a 4MHz boost to the FSB speeds up the 3GHz chip. Future Of The FSB In only a few months, AMD's venerable Athlon XP will relinquish its spotlight to an overdue Athlon 64. The chip's processing core has been deemed somewhat of an Athlon XP spin-off, but it does include a number of performance-oriented enhancements. One of the most publicized is an integrated memory controller that replaces the traditional northbridge. What was formerly known as a frontside bus will no longer exist, according to John Crank. Instead, a "system bus" will shuttle information back and forth from the processor to the memory, purportedly decreasing latencies by as much as 60% to 70%, compared to the Athlon XP. The Athlon XP employs what Crank describes as a massively parallel, single-duplexed, bidirectional bus to conduct memory transactions. In contrast, Athlon 64 includes a HyperTransport connection for full duplex communication over a faster, serialized, packet-based link. Initially, Athlon 64 will have 3.2GBpsof bandwidth in and the same quantity out, which will be linked to a single-channel, 64-bit memory subsystem with proper DDR400 support. The AGP tunnel and I/O Hub share the processor's 6.4GB of bidirectional bandwidth. With AMD responsible for memory controller performance, third-party chipset manufacturers will find themselves competing to offer the most feature-complete platform. NVIDIA will be shifting focus from its nForce2 Ultra 400 to a variant of the nForce3 Professional. Expect to see integrated Serial ATA and possibly Gigabit Ethernet for the Athlon 64. But even as AMD moves away from its EV6 FSB, Intel is leveraging the 800MHz setting as a foundation for processors to come. The Prescott core slated to arrive later this year will utilize the 800MHz bus right out of the gate, and many motherboard manufacturers are already advertising their 875P and 865 boards as Prescott-ready. Don't expect to see Intel abandoning its FSB anytime soon, either. The next generation of chipsets, known now only as Grantsdale, will add support for DDR2, PCI Express, and eventually, faster bus speeds. That's more than a year away, though.  by Chris Angelini View the chart that accompanies this sidebar.
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