865PE/875P Motherboard Roundup June 2003 - Part 1: 20-way Shootout

Intel D875PBZ

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.