hmm, so 975 is actually just better?
i think i remember someone saying 965 was better for lower-clocked e6300/400 processors...of course that was just one person and it may just be bollocks.
at least most 975 boards have two LAN ports built in.
if you dont mind, what are the pros and cons of 975 Vs 965 in sort of lay-mans terms...i've read some comparisons but none really hit home with any advantages of either (PCIe x16 functionality seems to be the only deciding factor in most boards)
As far as the chipset goes, the main advantage of a 975 is the number of PCI-E lanes.
The motherboards based on the 975 are marketed as high-end. They have more features like multiple LAN ports, extensive passive chipset cooling using fancy heatpipes, high phase count voltage regulation, headers for off-board audio and wireless built in, not just 2 but 3 PCI-Ex16 slots ( 16,16,8 ), etc.
Both the 965 and 975 chipsets overclock very well. How well each motherboard containing these chips overclocks depends on the OEM and the BIOS development done to accomodate this.
Intel brand 965 boards do not have much to offer overclockers.
Intel's 975 BadAxe overclocks well but is not very user friendly to do so with.
Other brands of both 965 and 975s may overclock both well and easily.