Intel 925X & 915G Express Chipsets Review - Page 11

Benchmark Analysis

The system benchmark results were about where we anticipated, with the 925X and 915G Express chipsets posting very similar numbers when a dedicated PCI Express video card was used. Strangely, the memory and subsystem performance scores were not where the 925X Express took its lead, but instead it posted noticeably higher results in the CPU-centric benchmarks. The Intel 915G Express with GMA 900 graphics did take a significant toll on some system benchmarks, especially some of the memory intensive and video encoding tests, while not having an impact on others.

The 3D game tests also showed the 925X and 915G Express chipsets posting very close performance results, but once the GMA 900 integrated video was brought into the equation, performance fell significantly. In some games, like Quake 3, X2 Demo and Unreal Tournament 2003, the GMA 900 graphics produced acceptable framerates, while in others these dropped well below playable limits. Perhaps the most troubling aspect of the 915G's integrated video is the lack of hardware T&L, which didn't allow a few of our game benchmarks to run, and will have an effect on some retail 3D games. DirectX 9 compatibility is all find and dandy, but gamers need these features in hardware.

Conclusion

The 925X and 915G chipsets both proved to be high-end performers with a lot of upward potential. The combination of DDR2 memory and PCI Express x16 graphics and x1 peripherals really gives these new platforms the bandwidth needed for today, and into the future. While the new PCI Express chipsets do have an eye for the future, there's really not a noticeable performance advantage compared to current Socket 478 platforms, at least on an 800 MHz front-side bus.

The 925X and 915G Express performance comparison is much closer than with the previous i875P/i865PE line-up, and the Intel 915-based chipsets are looking like the best overall deal, especially since these have DDR support as well. The Intel GMA 900 graphics of the 915G Express chipset is also a nice upgrade compared to the i865G, but we're still not at a point where all gaming requirements are satisfied.

Intel 925X Express Ratings:

Pros:

• Dual-Channel DDR2-533
• PCI Express x16 Graphics

Cons:

• Similar Performance to 915G Express
• DDR2-only Support

Ratings:

Intel 915G Express Ratings:

Pros:

• Dual-Channel DDR2-533/DDR400
• PCI Express x16 Graphics
• Similar Performance to 925X Express

Cons:

• Intel GMA 900 Graphics Performance and Features

Ratings: