Attempting to isolate the platform component in any benchmarking exercise can be a daunting challenge, and as we've shown here, some simply refuse to play along. But of those that did show some level of scalability, the Gigabyte GA-965P-DS3, using either DDR2-800 or DDR2-1066, lead in the majority of benchmarks. Some of the memory testing was more even, but there were a few benchmarks that allowed the higher-bandwidth Gigabyte P965 platform to really take off. The gaming benchmarks were also very close, but the Gigabyte GA-965P-DS3 posted the highest scores in all of them, as nominal as the framerate advantages were.
The retail price of the Gigabyte GA-965P-DS3 motherboard is approximately $140-$145, which places it at the top-end of the Intel P965-based motherboard selection. Gigabyte does offer a standard GA-965P-S3 motherboard at around $115, but the higher quality of the GA-965P-DS3 does entail a price premium. When compared to other high-end brand names, we find the MSI P965 Platinum ($145), ASUS P5B ($145), ABIT AB9 Pro ($150), and ASUS P5B-E ($155), so the Gigabyte GA-965P-DS3 is well positioned against this competition.
* Please note that these prices were taken at the time of review and are not meant to reflect long-term trends.
The Intel P965 chipset is an interesting combination of performance and features, and offers a price point that will make mainstream buyers very happy. Gigabyte offers a range of P965-based motherboards, from the entry-level GA-965P-S3 to the ultra high-end GA-965P-DQ6, but the GA-965P-DS3 cuts a nice swath between these, and offers high-end features and performance, while maintaining a mainstream retail price. Sure, there are no SLI or CrossFire options, but for those looking for a hot Core 2 platform today, Gigabyte certainly delivers.
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