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 |
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3D Mark 2001 SE |
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Synthetic
DirectX 8 Gaming |
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Even at
1024x768, 3D Mark demonstrates the same results we've
seen from all of the other gaming benchmarks.
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Content Creation Winstone 2003 and Business
Winstone 2002 |
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Simulated
Application Performance |
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We
recently replaced Content Creation 2002 and Business
Winstone 2001 with Content Creation 2003 and Business
Winstone 2002, the most recently released benchmarks
from PC Magazine. We'd like to say that the
transition was a smooth one, but Content Creation 2003
is quite possibly the most finicky, unstable benchmark
we've ever battled. Nevertheless, weeks of
troubleshooting and repeated installations later,
we've managed to glean a few numbers from the metric.
As we saw in the gaming tests, Content Creation 2003
favors the RDRAM-equipped i850E system, while the
D845PEBT2 takes a last-place finish. Business
Winstone shows the ASUS i850E and i845PE board
switching spots by a tenth of a point, though the
Intel board finishes in the back of the pack.
CONCLUSION:
In this
case, performance benchmarks are a tad deceiving.
Intel's D845PEBT2 finishes in last place in our tests,
but in each scenario, the point spread is miniscule.
The fact that Intel is competing against ASUS on a
performance level, speaks volumes about its apparent
decision to appeal to hardware enthusiasts. However,
Intel stopped short with this board where we would
like to see it. The board may offer a host of
connectivity features and some minor memory timings,
but it really needs a more comprehensive BIOS and
functional overclocking settings, to compete
aggressively against products from more popular
motherboard manufacturers.
Intel's
edge lies in the stability associated with its
motherboards. Aside from our attempts at
overclocking using the "Burn-in Mode", we didn't
encounter a single issue with reliability. If you
aren't planning to modify your system in any way, the
D845PEBT2 is definitely a top-end contender, thanks to
the plethora of features built onto the board and its
stability. Intel's use of a three-phase power
solution means it should also last until your next
platform upgrade.
Intel's
first "enthusiast" motherboard may be a departure from
similarly labeled boards from other manufacturers, but
it will satisfy those looking for a fully featured
board that doesn't compromise stability for high-end
performance. If you are looking for something a
little more flexible with regard to overclocking,
check out
ASUS' P4PE, which we've tested the Intel board
against, or, if you prefer a simpler Intel board,
consider the Intel D845PESV, that can be found for
about $25 less than the D845PEBT2.
- Stable board,
Intel quality
- Feature-rich
(S-ATA, IEEE 1394, 10/100 Ethernet)
- BIOS options
allow some memory tweaking
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- BIOS options
still lacking
- Not quite up
to the performance level of competing i845PE
boards
- No AGP 8x
support
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