Overclocking is alive and well! PCSTATS has all the
details you need to see at a glance to know which board is best. The chart we've
compiled below lists the highest overclocked Front Side Bus speeds we were able
to achieve while maintaining 100% stability.
The Biostar TP35D3-A7 Deluxe motherboard is the fastest
motherboard we've ever tested here at PCSTATS, reaching a blistering 512 MHz
FSB! Talk about fast, Intel sure has a winner with its P35 Express and if you
want to overclock, look no further! In the spirit of full disclosure, I'm
compelled to point out the obvious - all other platforms are tested with DDR2
memory.
Impact of DDR3 muted by
dual-core CPU, but Biostar put on a good show!
Biostar certainly means
business when it comes to overclocking market! The company has made a huge
splash with its Sigma-Gate videocards that allow voltage
adjustments, so we're happy to see its motherboard efforts progressing well.
The Biostar TP35D3-A7 is definitely one attractive (DDR3)
Intel P35 Express based motherboard. On paper it has a comprehensive feature
set, including two external SATA ports. What you might be more interested in if
you're a tweaker is the BIOS, Biostar has a lot of fun options here.
We would have liked to see a second PCI Express x16
slot, even it was capped at PCIe x4 levels. The Intel P35 Express technically
supports AMD CrossFire technology, and many boards in the Biostar TP35D3-A7's
class support this feature. Other than that, and a half hearted attempt at a
Port 80 card, Biostar has put together a very well rounded motherboard here. We
particularly like the fact that all solid aluminum capacitors are used in place
of the electrolytic variety.
The performance of the motherboard, or more specifically
the Intel P35 Express chipset with DDR3 memory, was interesting to say the
least. It's pretty clear from the benchmark results that there is no advantage
from using DDR3 memory when using a dual core processor over what's possible
with an equivalent DDR2/P35 Express platform. Both are very fast, and better
than what was attainable with a 1066MHz FSB processor, lets not overlook that.
Yet with dual core processors the 1333 MHz FSB seems to take a back seat to the
latency of the DDR2 or DDR3 memory. As the benchmarks indicate, a combination of
a DDR2 and the Intel P35 Express chipset is more than enough for a dual core
processor.
I think this situation will change dramatically when
quad core processors become mainstream. Once that happens memory bandwidth
required from the processor will double and DDR3 will be a lot more attractive.
Of course, it's difficult to predict exactly what will happen without a quad
core chip handy, but manufacturers certainly are betting on the DDR3 memory
standard. In any case, the P35 Express with DDR3 and a 1333MHz FSB Core 2 Duo
processor runs very well in its own right. Only when compared directly against a
DDR2 version does the DDR3 platform loose a little lustre.
The Biostar TP35D3-A7 Deluxe motherboard really shines when
it comes to overclocking. Intel's P35 Express is a great overclocking chipset
and the Biostar board was able to reach an incredible 512 MHz FSB! Just imagine
the overclocking possibilities with a board like this and a screamer like the
1333MHz FSB Intel Core 2 Duo E6750!
To be frank, for users with a 1333MHz FSB Core 2 Duo
processor in their hot little hands already, you may be better served by the
DDR2 version of this board (Biostar TP35D2-A7), particularly considering the
cost of DDR3 memory right now. Retailing for $168 CDN ($160 US, £79 GBP), the Biostar
TP35D3-A7 Deluxe is competitively priced, and its overclocking prowess should
make it a winner with enthusiasts planning on adopting the 1333MHz FSB Core 2
Quad processor and some quick DDR3 memory.
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