Motherboard Showdown!

GenoXide

BSOD
Messages
88
This thread is in the processors section because it will be focusing on how well the motherboard, and it's various chips process, as well as how well it performs with the boards highest supported CPU.

Here I have taken Intel's best motherboard and AMD's best motherboard, and put them in a head to head showdown. This is not so much focused on the CPU so much as it is the Northbridges, Southbridge, transport technology, video card bus width/speed, and various other things.

Now, on with the thread!

For Intel we have the...

ASUS P5WD2-E Premium ATX Motherboard.
Price: $219.99
Currently fastest supported CPU: Pentium D 965 Extreme Edition

Specs:

Supported CPUs: Intel Pentium EE/Pentium D/Pentium 4 HT
FSB: 1066/800MHz
CPU Technologies: Hyper-Threading
North Bridge: Intel 975X
South Bridge: Intel ICH7R
DDR2 Slots: 4
DDR2 Standard: DDR2 800
Maximum Memory Supported: 8GB
Dual Channel Support: Yes
PCI-Express Slots: 2
PCI Slots: 3
PCi-Express x1: 1
Other: Universal PCI-Express slot @ x2 speed
PATA: 2 with support for 4 devices
SATA 3.0GB/s: 8
SATA RAID: 0/1/0+1/5 Matrix RAID
Max LAN Speed: Dual 10/100/1000MB/s



For AMD we have the...

DFI Lanparty UT CFX3200-DR ATI XPRESS 200 CrossFire 3200 ATX Motherboard

Price: $229.99
Currently fastest supported CPU: Athlon 64 FX-60

Specs:

Supported CPUs: Athlon 64 FX/Athlon 64 X2/Athlon 64
FSB: 1000MHz Hyper Transport (2000 MT/s)
North Bridge: ATI CrossFire Radeon XPRESS 3200
South Bridge: ULi M1575
DDR Slots: 4
DDR Standard: DDR 400
Maximum Memory Supported: 4GB
Dual Channel: Yes
PCI-Express Slots: 2
PCI Slots: 3
PCI-Express x1 Slots: 2
PATA: 2 x ATA100 up to 4 Devices
PATA RAID: RAID 0/1/0+1
SATA: 4
SATA 3.0GB/s: 4
SATA RAID: 0/1/0+1/5
SATA 3.0GB/s RAID: 0/1/0+1
Max LAN Speed: 10/100/100MBp/s



From the looks of it, I think that the ASUS P5WD2-E Premium wins, mainly because of the SATA II support. All of it's SATA connections are at a max of 3.0GB/s, unliek the DFI Lanparty which only has 4 at 3.0GB/s. Not to mention that the support for RAID 5 is better as well.

Both boards clearly offer the best CPU each manufacturer has to offer, wether it be the Athlon 64 FX-60 or a Pentium D 965 Extreme Edition, you'll get blazing fast speeds. Both boards offer CrossFire, which is nice, plus, the ASUS P5WD2-E offers a universal PCI-Express slot, meaning, you can have 3 PCI-Express video cards in it if need be. I think this is a great feature because the Ageia PhysX might be able to use this port and connect to the GPUs via it, enabling much better performance in games.

Other then that, the only other improvement the ASUS offers over the DFI is that it supports higher memory capacity, 8GB versus 4GB, yes, 8GB and 4GB are very unrealistic, however, when takign all specifications into account, you have to look and compare them all. So for that reason, the ASUS also pulls ahead even further.

Another thing the P5WD2-E offers is compability for the Intel Conroe CPU. Meaning that you can switch from your Pentium Extreme Edition to the Conroe without so much as a BIOS flash. Very handy for those who want to take that route.

Although the DFI mustn't go unnoticed. It is a very capable board and will offer anyone pursuing the Socket 939 route a very good boost in performance. Compatibility for SATA and SATA II as well as a Dual LAN @ 1000MBp/s is very nice. not to mention that it has RAID for both SATA and SATA II, this is handy for those who only have a SATA drive and not a SATA II drive.

Once the numbers are crunched I think that the clear winner here without a doubt is the ASUS P5WD2-E Premium. Discounting CPUs, and souly focussing on the motherboards, this is a very nifty board that offers tons of upgrade potential, not just now, but for the future, as we see with Conroe. So for those who want best performance now can get it, or those who want to have it then upgrade to somethign even better can do that as well.

So, if anyone else wants to point out any other specifications I may have missed that they deem important, please, post them, or, if you want to simply argue your point, please feel free to do that as well. As these are the best two boards from either Intel and AMD, it should be interesting to see how AMD and Intel users alike view and share their opinions on these very to fine motherboards.

[EDIT] Due to a request, I shall give my input on hwo the CPUs might fair against each other given the maximum hardware allocated by the motherbaord, which means, with the ASUS P5WD2-E Premium we will try to give the best representation with 8GBs of DDR2-800 memory. And on the DFI Lanparty UT CFX3200 we will use 4GBs of DDR-400 memory.

Given the other maximum hardware allowed, we will throw in a PPU chip into the PCI-Express Universal slot of the ASUS P5WD2-E and a PPU into the PCI slot of the DFI Lanparty UT CFX3200. Of course, both are equiped with the currently fastest ATI CrossFire cards; Sapphire Blizzard X1900XTX cards. :D

Given this representation, I think it is very clear how interesting a motherboard showdown can be! Given that the ASUS has over twice the memory capacity of the DFI Lanparty and well over twice the bandwidth, I think that even though the DFI has an FX-60, and with the Pentium D 965 EE not to far behind, that it's greater memory bandwidth and sheer capactiy will outbeat the FX-60 while running well over 300 programs, should the Operating System handle it. Yes, that's right, 300 programs, ranging from games to Photoshop to Calculator and Internet Explorer and Mozilla Firefox.

I myself have run upwards of 50+ programs on my Pentium 4 2.8GHz, so a 965 EE and a FX-60 should have no problem dealing with it, considering they will be coupled with Western Digital Raptor-X 150GB SATA hard drive in RAID 0. Yes folks, that's 8 WD Raptor-X's on the ASUS and 8 on the DFI Lanparty. That there, is fast stuff! plus, with 4GBs of DDR-400 on the DFI and 8GBs of DDR2-800 on the ASUS, this should pose as absoltuly no problem whatsoever for these boards.

I think that this example gives a very good and accurate representation of just what infact these motherboards can handle and do. Coupled with the best hard drives, best memory available, best CPU, best video card, that you can see how much these machines can handle. I think that 300 programs myself is close to nothing for these, but oh well.

Liek I said, we will use the fastest, best hardware currently available on these systems when doing a showdown. So, on with the show!

I think that the ASUS P5WD2-E wins no questions asked. With 8 WD Raptor-X's in RAID 0 and 8GBs of memory, the Pentium D 965 Extrme Edition should conquer all 300 programs in a matter of minutes, if not seconds. ;) Though the DFI should be able to keep pace for pace with the ASUS. All in all, I think that given the ASUS's higher memory capacity and bandwidth, not to mention with the edition of a PPU chip, that it will run games at the highest resolution possible and with every setting maxxed out.

All in favor? Say I! ;)
 
Also, if anyone would like to compare any other motherboards, please feel free to do so. if you want, you can PM me the motherboards, and I can compare them, or, you can do it on your own. In either case, please, compare motherboards, their chipsets, their technologies, anything. This is a showdown folks, post a motherbaord, and state why it is better. :D

Thanks for the reply Arrizx. Much appreciated! ;)
 
Lol id give you another rep point for that edit, but I cant. Sad. Dude, what me to change the title, as its not exaclty a mobo thread anymore?
 
The ASUS P5WD2-E Premium is the best motherboard for Intel processors currently. It overclocks SO well...awesome. :)
 
Yes, Windows XP only addresses 4GBs of memory, which is why I said, "If the OS allows." If this was Windows Vista, however, I think we'd be able to use all 8GBs of memory on the ASUS motherboard.

However, I want people's inputs on the motherboards, what are their pros and cons. The reason I selected the ASUS P5WD2-E over the other Intel 975X motherboards is because it has support for DDR2-800, all the others have DDR2-667. Thus making the ASUS a better board when it comes to performance.

So, I just wnat everyone's general opinion on this 'showdown' and I want peopel to post a showdown of their own with a realistic or even ficticious setup, such as the one I suggested. In either case, please post a motherboard showdown or give your input as it is greatly desired. :)
 
GenoXide said:
snip.....Another thing the P5WD2-E offers is compability for the Intel Conroe CPU. Meaning that you can switch from your Pentium Extreme Edition to the Conroe without so much as a BIOS flash. Very handy for those who want to take that route. ...snip


This information is incorrect. Current 975x motherboard DO NOT support conroe. Conroe needs a different amount of current than the netburst cpus. There needs to be modifications to the voltage regulators to support Conroe. There will be a Revision 2 of 975x with motherboard makers stamping a Rev. 2xx on their motherboards. The new chipsets coming out to support Conroe are 965x which should hit shelves around June/July and 985x, which i have no news on yet. It should be still in development.
 
Oh I apoligze, from some reviews of the board they stated that with a simple BIOS flash that you can run the Conroe. My mistake. :(

In either case, the motherboard itself is still very amazing, wether suport for Conroe or not. Link it with a Pentium D 965 Extreme Edition, along with maximum support memory and the WD Raptor-X's and you have yourself a very nice and fast machine. :)
 
Back
Top Bottom