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

Intel 865PERL

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.