Intel D865GBF 865G Motherboard Review
Springdale Goes Mainstream, With Graphics

By: Chris Angelini
and Dave Altavilla
May 21st, 2003

The Hot Hardware Test Systems Only the best from Intel and AMD   Intel Pentium 4 3GHz (800MHz) with Hyper Threading enabled Intel Pentium 4 3.06GHz (533MHz) with Hyper Threading enabled AMD Athlon XP 3200+ 2.2GHz (400MHz)   Intel D865GBF (Intel 865G) Intel D875PBX (Intel 875P) ASUS P4G8X Deluxe (Intel E7205) ASUS A7N8X Deluxe (NVIDIA nForce2 Ultra 400)   512MB Corsair XMS3200C2   ATI RADEON 9800 Pro (Catalyst 3.2 Drivers)   Seagate 120GB Serial ATA 7200RPM Reference Silicon Image Serial ATA controller card   Windows XP Professional with SP1 DirectX 9     Intel's boards offer some impressively aggressive memory timing options, however, the D875PBZ wasn't able to run any faster than 2.5-3-3-7 timings.  Similarly, the D865GBF also ran at 2.5-3-3-7 and the P4G8X was able to pull 2-2-2-5.  The nForce2 platform also didn't have any problem running aggressive 2-2-2-5 timings.   Each platform features Windows XP with Service Pack 1.  In configuring the operating system, we disable System Restore and the Automatic Updating feature.  Finally, we set all of the graphical enhancements to "Performance" in the Windows XP properties.  It should also be noted that we disabled audio and Ethernet in order to minimize the effects of these subsystems on overall performance. Memory Comparisons with PC Mark 2002 Synthetic Action

Seeing as though PC Mark 2002 is a synthetic test, it's interesting to note that the results are, for the most part, in line with what we'd expect given each platform's capabilities.  The D875PBZ is the most impressive performer, followed by the D865GBF.  The difference between the two may be a direct result of Intel's PAT technology, which can be found on the 875P system.  The dual-channel DDR266 E7205 test bed takes third and is trailed by the nForce2 Ultra 400 system.

XMPEG Video Encoding

XMPEG demonstrates the Pentium 4's prowess in applications properly optimized for the SSE/SSE2 instruction sets.  The flagship 875P takes pole position and is trailed by Intel's 865G.  Thanks to a marked bandwidth advantage, 865G is able to sustain a large lead over the E7205 chipset.  AMD's Athlon XP 3200+ trails behind all of the Pentium 4 systems.

Unreal Tournament 2003 Demo Platform Testing UT2003

The Unreal Tournament 2003 Demo numbers exemplify an important point about the current generation of Pentium 4 platforms.  Mainly, at 800x600, there are only a few percentage points between the three chipsets we've tested.  As the resolution increases and graphics performance becomes more of a variable, that performance discrepancy will disappear.  For most graphics-intensive gaming applications, processor speed and graphics capabilities continue to be the most important considerations.  Nevertheless, it is certainly interesting to see the Athlon XP 3200+ performing on par with Intel's high-end 875P platform.  Additionally, the new 865G is able to outpace the older, more expensive, E7205 chipset.

Comanche 4 DirectX 8

As expected, the D875PBZ manages to maintain a lead over the 865G system.  However, that difference is minimal.  The more significant point to take away here is that the D865GBF, priced under $140, is able to outperform the significantly more expensive E7205 board.  Comanche 4 isn't one of the K7 architecture's strong points, so it isn't a surprise to see it bringing up the rear.