Benchmark Analysis

If you anticipated a pitched battle between the Pentium 4-2.53 GHz and Athlon XP 2100+, then we apologize. At 2.4 GHz, the Pentium 4 moved ahead of the fastest Athlon XP, and its subsequent transition to even higher clock speeds and the 533 MHz front-side bus, just made the gap wider. In order to compete at this level, AMD needs to release their Thoroughbred processor and fast, especially given that the SiS 645DX proves quite soundly that DDR333 can easily compete with PC800 RDRAM for high-performance gaming supremacy.

The performance of the i850E is extremely impressive, and some aspects of the Intel D850EMV2 motherboard go well beyond the actual benchmarks. Basic Windows XP application use is lightning fast, disk performance is top of the scale, and overall stability is virtually unmatched. We threw everything we had at it, including a 24-hour+ benchmarking torture test, and the board was more than up to the task. For high-end business PCs, the i850E should be right at the top of the list and is a great match for the 533 MHz Pentium 4 models.

That said, the biggest surprise of our benchmarking had to the super performance of the MSI 645E Max 2, 645DX-based motherboard. This MSI board is a real beast, and easily pumped out some of the fastest 3D game scores we've ever seen. Stability is also excellent and with DDR333 in hand, the SiS 645DX is the fastest gaming platform we've yet seen for the new 533 MHz Pentium 4 processors.

Just keep in mind that the i850E was tested with standard (though high-end) PC800 and the situation may be quite different once PC1066 RDRAM is brought into the equation.

Conclusion

There is no doubt that the Intel Pentium 4-2.53 GHz is now the most powerful desktop processor available. It surpassed the Athlon XP 2100+ in every single benchmark test, and even the Pentium 4-2.4B gave the Athlon XP 2100+ a good schooling. The platform selection for the new 533 MHz Pentium 4 also looks strong, and both Intel and SiS offerings tested out very high on the performance and stability charts. If performance is the name of the processor game, then for now at least, Intel is king.

Pros:

• Exceptional Performance with both RDRAM and DDR
• Runs Cool for 2.53 GHz
• Older Pentium 4 Models Bound to Decrease in Price

Cons:

• Expensive
• PC1066 Still Very Scarce
• Upgrades may Require a new Motherboard

Ratings: