Intel 865PERL

Motherboard Specifications

CPU Interface
Socket-478
Chipset
Intel 82865PE MCH (North Bridge)
Intel 82801ER ICH5R (South Bridge)
Bus Speeds
N/A
Core Voltages Supported
N/A
I/O Voltages Supported
N/A
DRAM Voltages Supported
N/A
Memory Slots
4 184-pin DDR DIMM Slots
Expansion Slots
1 AGP 8X Slot
5 PCI Slots
Onboard IDE RAID
N/A
Onboard USB 2.0/IEEE-1394
Eight USB 2.0 ports supported through South Bridge
Agere FW323 IEEE-1394 FireWire controller (up to 3 ports available)
Onboard LAN
Intel PRO/1000CT Gigabit LAN (CSA bus)
Onboard Audio
Analog Devices AD1985 Controller
Onboard Serial ATA
Two SATA connectors via ICH5R (RAID 0 & RAID 1 only)
BIOS Revision
P06

The D865PERL is Intel's 865PE-based enthusiast desktop motherboard and is probably the most interesting desktop motherboard they've offered to date.

The BIOS options are, yet again, virtually non-existent in terms of voltage regulation or FSB frequency adjustments. However there are a good amount of memory-related options to fool with. In particular you are allowed to adjust CAS Latency, RAS to CAS Delay, RAS Precharge, and Precharge Delay in the D865PERL BIOS as well as choose from DDR266, DDR320 and DDR400 memory frequencies. This isn't an uncommon combination of features for an 865PE or 875P motherboard, so the D865PERL doesn't completely disappoint in the tweaking department.

The D865PERL's onboard features are more intriguing than its BIOS options thankfully. Besides standard ICH5R Serial ATA support, the D865PERL brings Analog Devices AD1985 sound, Intel PRO/1000CT Gigabit LAN (CSA bus) and Agere FW323 IEEE 1394 FireWire support. This is a solid combination of features and very competitive at its price point in comparison to top tier Taiwanese motherboard makers such as ASUS, Gigabyte, and MSI among others.

While most users will probably be turned off by the D865PERL severe lack of tweaking and overclocking options, this motherboard is not meant for those types of users in the first place. The D865PERL is meant for enthusiasts that do not plan on overclocking but still want the latest and greatest features at a good price point (there is most certainly a niche market for these types of people). In that sense the D865PERL delivers quite well, as it is currently available online for between $115 and $125. At this price point the D865PERL is quite competitive with some of the best motherboards we've tested here today, including the ABIT IS7 and Gigabyte 8IPE1000 Pro. As a stock motherboard the D865PERL is perfect, but as anything else the D865PERL would not be in the same league.

UPDATE 6/13/2003 We forgot to mention that there are, in fact, some FSB tuning options available in the D865PERL'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.

Intel D875PBZ MSI 875P Neo-FIS2R
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  • Anonymous User - Thursday, July 24, 2003 - link

    Could anyone clarify if the information for the sound system on the Abit IS7 is correct? The article lists it as being an Analog Devices AD1985. I thought it was Realtek?

    Thanks,
    Harry
  • Anonymous User - Wednesday, July 23, 2003 - link

    What a great article!
    We're waiting for the Part 2... :B
  • Evan Lieb - Monday, July 21, 2003 - link

    I bet that the Part 1 thread would be posted by a certain date, and it was indeed posted on that date. I never anything about Part 2, because I've been thinking of adding more benchmarks and data in general to round out any and all Pentium 4 motherboard testing until Prescott arrives.

    Anonymous User #4, you should always research your recollections if you can't exactly "recall" certain events correctly. ;)
  • Evan Lieb - Monday, July 21, 2003 - link

  • Anonymous User - Friday, July 18, 2003 - link

    As I recall, Evan made a bet on the part 2 being posted a while back.... the thread was mysteriously removed though.
  • Anonymous User - Wednesday, July 16, 2003 - link

    So, what month/year will part 2 be posted?
  • Anonymous User - Sunday, July 6, 2003 - link

    I read that the Epox 4pca3+ could do a 1,85 vcore with a bois update.. If anyone know where to find this bios update, please e-mail me zimen1@msn.com
    I really can't find it.
  • Anonymous User - Sunday, July 6, 2003 - link

    I also fried my MSI 875P Neo-FIS2R when I updated the BIOS from 1.2 to 1.4. I got a replacement board, but have been hesitant to try again based on my prior experience. Based on your experience with 1.5, (and now 1.6 is available), I'm willing to take another chance.

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