Intel D975XBX (Bad Axe)

[Sandog]

Thanks goes to wicked71 for this 975 board pic.

http://cache-www.intel.com/cd/00/00/...410_247410.jpg

...and welcome to the thread wicked71

[bingo13]

Originally Posted by wicked71

Do you still think board(d975xbx) is goin to be out in 2/06? Since Intel released the chipset earlier than expected to first-tier mobo companies, could it be out before the end of the year?

End of December/early January in retail, test samples due next week.

[TQ]

Originally Posted by Sandog

Thanks goes to wicked71 for this 975 board pic.

http://cache-www.intel.com/cd/00/00/...410_247410.jpg

...and welcome to the thread wicked71

That's real purty...

[Sandog]

My first impression is you can tell Asus is probably building these from the IDE connector hanging off the side . Also they seem to have done away with the auxillary power connector. The PCIe slots seem spread apart nicely and there appears 3 regular length slots. I was expecting something more from the regulator area but it will do. Also the board looks very crowded.

[wicked71]

Originally Posted by bingo13

End of December/early January in retail, test samples due next week.

Excellent news thank you! I still wish the would go back to the 875 and offer a version without on-board sound.

[bingo13]

Just a little preview from some friends......

[Sandog]

Originally Posted by bingo13

Just a little preview from some friends......

That's not a Presler is it? The multiplier seems locked at 16 and it only shows 1MB of L2.

Besides it says Smithfield.

[Belisarius]

Originally Posted by Intel_User

I bet "with platform refresh" means its like 865/875 and Prescott situation, where you couldn't run Prescotts with earlier 865/875 mobos but with the updated versions. So, basically it can be said that 975X supports Conroe, but not until the updated versions are out. I believe 975X is just a more feature rich version of the 955X chipset with fixes to the errata and such. The really new chipset I think is the Broadwater chipsets which are being named 965, possibly coming with better memory controllers. Only superiority of 975X over 965 is that 975X would support dual graphics and more enthusiast options, probably 965 is better with memory performance though.

As you see here: http://www.anandtech.com/mb/showdoc.aspx?i=2605&p=2

The 975X chipset only supports DDR2-667 while Broadwater is gonna support DDR2-800.


Presler EE is 5-10% faster than Smithfield EE.


So I recommend people if they can wait they should wait for Conroe support or just get Broadwater.

I can run DDR2-800 already

Well it don't concern me too much whether it can or can't (i'm getting a Presler and sitting it out till late next year, and weigh it up from there), but I hope for those who purchase a 975X now, that Intel doesn't shaft them in this regard, with support for Conroe.
And as for broadwater supporting higher clocked DDR2 compared to 975X now, it does raise the question yet again, are Intel shifting to a single chipset and running multiple platforms, starting with Broadwater as has been stated in a few articles recently, and doing away with the "higher" and "lower" end chipsets? Even though it has a smaller numbered naming convention.

Suppose like you say could be an early release 975X to sell a few at xmas, and then they update the whole platform come mid next year to coincide with the Conroe launch.

[bingo13]

Originally Posted by Sandog

That's not a Presler is it? The multiplier seems locked at 16 and it only shows 1MB of L2.

Besides it says Smithfield.

The Presler is coming....just an indication of a CPU that never reached 4.1 before and is now stable at 4.4. The FSB at 14x reaches 305.

[Sandog]

Man everytime I go into BIOS something is missing. I wanted to try x16 and 276MHz FSB and found I can't adjust the FSB because the option is not there anymore. Strange.

[Intel_User]

Man everytime I go into BIOS something is missing. I wanted to try x16 and 276MHz FSB and found I can't adjust the FSB because the option is not there anymore. Strange.

And you say Intel will relax overclocking standards further.


I wonder what's the reason 945 supports 1066FSB?? Are Intel gonna ditch the chipsets without making CPUs that support 1066FSB??

I think there IS A POSSIBILITY that regular Conroe will run on 945, since I hear 1066 and 1333 for FSB speeds, and 1333 can be reserved for Conroe EE.

So you people who get EE's are really screwed every time, while the people running cheaper Pentium D's and 945's may support Conroe .

And as for broadwater supporting higher clocked DDR2 compared to 975X now, it does raise the question yet again, are Intel shifting to a single chipset and running multiple platforms, starting with Broadwater as has been stated in a few articles recently, and doing away with the "higher" and "lower" end chipsets? Even though it has a smaller numbered naming convention.

I think the real reason for that is that 975X IS the supposedly the higher end chipset than Broadwater, why else would Intel make 975X around Conroe time??

Though Broadwater would have better memory controllers and such, 975X would have support for Crossfier/SLI, while Broadwater don't, enough to justify the lower numbering scheme.

[Belisarius]

Originally Posted by Intel_User

Though Broadwater would have better memory controllers and such, 975X would have support for Crossfier/SLI, while Broadwater don't, enough to justify the lower numbering scheme.

yeah true, still a kick in the teeth for 975X owners who pay a premium for the product.

[TQ]

If I understand things correctly, I'd go with Broadwater and buy a GTX 512 and forgo the silliness and complexity of SLI/Crossfire...

[Belisarius]

Well I hope Merom/Conroe/Woodcrest are better than Yonah

http://www.anandtech.com/cpuchipsets...oc.aspx?i=2627

Beats current A64 3800+ (also 2Ghz) in some, but loses some....badly, considering it is running 667mhz bus, no memory controller, but 2MB higher latency L2 cache, not too bad I suppose compared to A64. Guess it's pre-retail also, and the other hardware wasn't mentioned. But still a reasonable clue as to what to expect

[TQ]

Dang man, you miss the point. Yonah is a low end solution from Intel. If it does as well as it does being low end just think how bitchin' Conroe will be.