865PE/875P Motherboard Roundup June 2003 - Part 1: 20-way Shootout
by Evan Lieb on June 12, 2003 10:57 PM EST- Posted in
- Motherboards
Intel D875PBZ
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Motherboard Specifications |
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CPU
Interface
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Socket-478
|
|
Chipset
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Intel
82875P MCH (North Bridge)
Intel 82801ER ICH5R (South Bridge) |
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Bus
Speeds
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N/A
|
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Core
Voltages Supported
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N/A
|
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I/O
Voltages Supported
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N/A
|
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DRAM
Voltages Supported
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N/A
|
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Memory Slots
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4 184-pin
DDR DIMM Slots
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Expansion Slots
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1 AGP
8X Slot
5 PCI Slots |
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Onboard IDE RAID
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N/A
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Onboard USB 2.0/IEEE-1394
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Eight
USB 2.0 ports supported through South Bridge
No Firewire |
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Onboard LAN
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Intel
PRO/1000CT Gigabit LAN (CSA bus)
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Onboard Audio
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N/A
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Onboard Serial ATA
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Two
SATA connectors via ICH5R (RAID 0 & RAID 1 only)
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BIOS
Revision
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P06
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As you can clearly see from the table above the Intel D875PBZ has virtually nothing to offer in the way of BIOS features. This isn't in the least surprising as Intel has been very conservative about what BIOS options they let users tweak since they started making enthusiast desktop motherboards last fall. There are two features Intel lets you tweak, both of them memory related.
The first set of memory features you can tweak are the actual memory timings. Intel allows CAS Latency, RAS to CAS Delay, RAS Precharge, and Precharge Delay adjustments as low as CAS 2-2-2-5. Thankfully the D875PBZ is able to withstand these low latency timings with good memory modules such as Corsair's LL series and Kingston's HyperX series. Other memory modules weren't able to operate quite as low as the two previously mentioned modules, but that's not the fault of the D875PBZ of course.
The other memory option you're allowed to adjust is memory frequency. With an 800MHz FSB processor installed you can choose DDR266, DDR320, and DDR400 frequency options. Their ratio equivalents would be 3:2, 5:4, and 1:1 for those who don't already know. The D875PBZ's memory options are pretty good actually, not much worse than some of the average 875P motherboards out there.
What is clearly lacking in the D875PBZ's BIOS are its voltage adjustments and overclocking options. However, you do not buy an Intel motherboard for overclocking, you buy an Intel motherboard for reliability and support. Overclocking is not something that Intel is keen on including with any of their enthusiast desktop motherboards anytime soon.
Unfortunately the onboard features are nothing to write home about either. The most notable feature is support for Intel's own PRO/1000CT Gigabit LAN via the CSA bus. Other than that there's no onboard sound, IEEE 1394 FireWire (like there is with their 865PE derivative) or anything else of note.
Obviously the negative aspects of the D875PBZ from an enthusiast's perspective center on the lack of significant overclocking potential and voltage adjustments. However there are enthusiasts out there that are willing to fork over significant cash for a motherboard that does not center on overclocking or overvolting as long as it promises stability. If that's the case the D875PBZ is still only a decent choice, there are much cheaper alternatives from the Taiwanese manufacturers that have proven to be quite reliable at stock speeds. If anything, we'd suggest Intel's D865PERL before we'd ever think of suggesting their D875PBZ.
UPDATE 6/13/2003 We forgot to mention that there are, in fact, some FSB tuning options available in the D875PBZ's BIOS through a "Burn-In" mode option. The adjustments are only available as high as 4% of the FSB in 1% increments however. AGP/PCI adjustments are available as well, up to 73.60MHz/36.80MHz.
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18 Comments
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Zak - Sunday, January 18, 2004 - link
I bought IS7 after reading this article and I've been having problems. Random resets, then BSOD after changing XP recovery settings. Over the past few months it worsened. In the begining it like once a week maybe. I wasn't concerned, bad driver I thought. Now it won't run more than an hour without BSOD. I have Corsair XMS DDR400 in it. I've played with memory settings for weeks, timings and voltages as well, reinstalled XPPro several times, updated BIOS, got all newest drivers and run out of ideas... I've put a stick of DDR333 because that's all have to test and I still get the same random BSOD, even durnig XP installation. I have no PCI cards in this box. Mushkin calls this board problematic and attributes the memory problems to forced implementation of PAT that is not normally present in 865. I may try getting it replaced by NewEgg but I don't suppose it'll help. I'm thinking about getting a 875 board instead. Zak.Anonymous User - Friday, October 24, 2003 - link
I would like to see part II of the roundup of the 865 chipset. I wonder what is the delay?Anonymous User - Monday, October 13, 2003 - link
I thought Part 2 would be out by now at least... There are good new boards out there I'd like to see... Shuttle AB60R (cheap and full featured) and Abit IC7-MAX3 (OTES for mobo power area). I am still looking forward to seeing this, eventually, right guys?Anonymous User - Tuesday, October 7, 2003 - link
Any comments on newer motherboards? Why hasn't supermicro been tested since 2000?Looking to compare supermicro
Intel s875wp1-e and Super P4SCE (SuperServer 5013C-I (SYS-5013-CI)) for a $50k cluster
Thanks
syzygyus@yahoo.com
Anonymous User - Friday, August 29, 2003 - link
Evan, how in the world is #4 going to research your statement when the articles/review comments forum gets purged/is gone now ?Anonymous User - Saturday, August 23, 2003 - link
Any word on Revision 2 of the Gigabyte 8knxp ultra board yet?Anonymous User - Sunday, August 10, 2003 - link
I bought the is7 after I read this article. It had many problems. I ended up having to ram this board twice. If you read the abit forum boards you will see alot of problems I am fairly surprised after all the tests this board was put through nothing ever went wrong. I will not buy another abit product period. I will stick to gigabye i've built 6 systems with Gigabyte and yet to have any problems with them. Save for the chipset fans having a low life.Anonymous User - Friday, August 8, 2003 - link
I bought the Abit IS7 and am completely pleased. One note is that many of the IS7's appear to be getting shipped with the gigabit lan as opposed to the sales brochure stated 10/100. (mine has the gigabit)Anonymous User - Tuesday, August 5, 2003 - link
How could it be that the Asus p4c 800 de luxe is more expensive then the asus p4p deluxe but in the testresults it is slower?I would think i am misinformed by the computershop?
And the p4c deluxe got a gigabit lan on board, despite mentioning in the summary of this Mb it has not.
PixelDoc - Sunday, July 27, 2003 - link
Error Re: Gigabyte GA-8KNXP MoBoThis MoBo has 4, not 2 SATA connectors, 2 controlled by ICH5R and 2 more contolled by the SIL3112 chip.