
That's always the problem with high-end equipment - the processors are fast enough to take your breath away, but the platforms are always one step behind the cutting edge. The reason for this is that server users prefer high reliability over high performance. However, Asus still believes that there is a demand for fast workstation boards that don't slow down the new Xeon like other platforms do. As a result, it came up with a dual Xeon board based on Intel's best chipset for desktop systems.
But it was about more than just giving the Xeon a platform on which it could really shine. Intel's E7505, or ServerWorks' Grand Champion Series for that matter, are nothing if not expensive. They come with complex components such as PCI-X, fat memory controllers and powerful connectors between individual components.
The big bucks don't stop there, either: ServerWorks' chipsets require you to have registered DIMMs with ECC. While Intel's E7505 doesn't balk at unbuffered RAM, the memory manufacturers will often close that open window in a flash, citing - déjà vu - reliability concerns. And it's true - registered memory helps to keep signal quality high.
However, your requirements are bound to be less stringent if you have a PC workstation or a low-traffic server. In that case, hardware problems won't be making the lives of hundreds of users difficult or impossible. They may just delay the project one lone user is working on until you fix the problem. And, if you only need 4 GB of main memory to boot, you may find the PC-DL is an ideal substitute for an expensive workstation board.

Intel has classified the 875P as a chipset for high-end desktops or entry-level workstations. That makes it a perfect choice for the kind of application Asus has envisioned here, and also shows how closely related the Pentium 4 and the Xeon actually are. Otherwise, developing a motherboard like the PC-DL would have been much more involved than it actually was.
The basic idea of the board is to enhance memory performance. Intel's desktop chipsets are prime examples of how to do it. Ever since the first 845 was launched for PC133 SDRAM, average performance has shot up considerably as memory technologies have gotten faster. Today, a fast Pentium 4 with dual DDR400 will even score better than the Xeon in memory-intensive benchmarks. You can see that for yourself in the charts.
AMD has also demonstrated how important memory performance is with the Opteron. This processor has an entire memory controller integrated into it (dual DDR333), eliminating the slow back-and-forth between the CPU and the chipset.
Overclocking Made Easy
Oh, and the 875P-Xeon tag team has one more advantage - it's overclockable. Since the chipset is officially able to run with 800 MHz FSB, but can often be overclocked to over 1000 MHz , it should be fairly easy to eke out the last little spark of performance from the Xeon with its 533 MHz FSB. Please note, however, that it isn't so much the 800 MHz system clock that will do the trick, but the enormous load placed on the processor core.


Asus uses the same spartan packaging for all its high-end boards.
Board revision: 1.04
BIOS version: 1001

If it weren't for the two processor sockets for the Xeon, you might take the PC-DL for a "standard" P4 board, much like those you find en masse at any computer store.
Even experts may find themselves doing a double-take at the board. After all, Xeon boards generally have more than just two chipset components - in addition to the north bridge and the south bridge, they almost always have an I/O bridge. The I/O bridge is responsible for the PCI-X slots, with 64 bits and 66, 100 or 133 MHz. And that's the main reason why this motherboard is so compact: there is neither an I/O bridge, nor PCI-X slots, nor a SCSI controller.
That doesn't mean that Asus was stingy with the interfaces, though. Thanks to Intel's ICH5, the board sports two serial ATA ports in addition to the obligatory ATA/100 connectors. You can set either of the controllers as primary controllers in BIOS, although you'll have to install drivers in Windows if you are using the serial ATA ports.
Furthermore, Asus has also built a Promise PDC20276 into the PC-DL, adding one UltraATA/133 and two serial ATA ports to the mix. With these additions, you can set up RAID arrays in RAID 0, 1 or 0+1 (with four hard drives).
Even the built-in gigabit Ethernet controller (82547EI) on the board is a step up from many other Xeon boards with weightier price tags. The 875P is the only chipset that allows you to connect a network controller directly to the MCH or the north bridge using CSA (communications streaming architecture). This reduces latency times and the load on the processor and the I/O bus between the MCH and the ICH5. The downside of this set-up is that it costs more; however, that isn't a real issue if you're shopping for a Xeon board.
The cooling fins on the 875P and the voltage converters next to it have been positioned so that the air flow from the front to the back of the case is as rapid as possible. The processor sockets have also been arranged so that - assuming you have the proper coolers (see image below) - the air can be easily drawn up and out by the case fan on the back.

Enter the heavyweights! Two Intel Xeon processors at 3.06 GHz and with 1 MB L3 cache each.

Four 11 GB DIMMs max out the PC-DL and the 875P chipset.

The ICH5 supports five PCI slots, two UltraATA/100 channels and two serial ATA ports. The 82801ER shown here can even handle RAID 0 or 1 to boot.

An AGP slot based on the 3.0 standard (AGP 8X) is a must-have for modern graphics boards.

The placement of the cooling fins enhances the fan ventilation.

| Intel Processors (Socket 478) | |
|---|---|
| 200 MHz FSB (Dual DDR400) | Pentium 4 3.00 GHz (3000 MHz 12-8/512 kB) |
| Intel Processors (Socket 604) | |
| 133 MHz FSB (Dual DDR266) | Xeon 3.06 GHz (3066 12-8/512 kB) |
| 133 MHz FSB (Dual DDR266) | Xeon 3.06 GHz (3066 12-8/512/1024 kB) |
| AMD Processors (Socket A) | |
| 200 MHz FSB (DUAL DDR400) | Athlon XP 3200+ (2200 MHz 128/512 kB) |
| Memory | |
| DDR400 (200 MHz) | 2 x 256 MB / 5ns / 64 Bit (Kingstone HyperX) |
| DDR400 (200 MHz) | 2 x 256 MB / 5ns / 64 Bit (Corsiar TwinX) |
| DDR333 (166 MHz) | 2 x 256 MB / 6ns / 64 Bit / ECC / Reg
Infineon |
| Motherboard | |
| Intel 875 | Gigabyte GA-8KNXP Ultra
Bios: M11 |
| Nvidia nForce2 | Asus A7N8X Rev: 2.00
Bios: 1002 Beta 004 |
| Intel 7505 | Intel SE7505VB2
Bios: 1.6 |
| Common Hardware | |
| Graphics Card | MSI FX5900U-VTD256
NVIDIA GeForce FX 5900 Ultra Memory: 128 MB DDR-SDRAM Memory Clock: 620 MHz (256 Bit) Chip Clock: 325 MHz |
| Hard Drive | 40 GB, 6L040J2, Maxtor
UDMA100, 7200 rpm, 2 MB Cache |
| Network | D-Link DFE-530TX (10/100 Mbit) |
| CDROM | MSI MS-8216 16x DVD |
| Drivers | |
| Intel Chipset | V 5.00.1012 |
| Nvidia nForce | Nvidia 2.02 |
| Nvidia Graphic | Detonator 44.03 |
| DirectX | Version: 9b |
| OS | Windows XP, Build 2600 SP1 (English) |
Quake 3 Arena




Unreal Tournament 2003

Serious Sam

Splinter Cell


3D Mark 2003



Cinema 4D XL

Mainconcept

MP3 Maker Platinum


Pinnacle Studio

3DStudio Max


Newtek Lightwave














If this article has only one message for Intel, it is this: we need a faster Xeon chipset. We don't have to look any further than the example set by Asus: the company designed its own Xeon board with the fastest desktop chipset on the market.
In many benchmarks, the 1-megaByte Xeon at 3.06 GHz can almost hold its own against the faster Pentium 4 3.20 GHz. In memory-intensive benchmarks, however, the Xeon system is not even on a par with the Athlon XP 3200+, which can draw on its 200 MHz memory clock and dual-channel DDR. In this case, though, the PC-DL's asynchronous memory clock is most certainly ensuring that the performance improvement is much less than you might imagine from just looking at the numbers.
In standard workstation benchmarks like MainConcept (MPEG-2-Encoding), Cinema 4D XL, Lightwave, 3DStudio Max and SPECviewperf, however, the Xeon makes up for its gap with the 875P chipset. Asus also scores better in the gaming benchmarks, although it is still not as fast as the Athlon XP 3200+ or the Pentium 4 3.2 GHz systems. You'll find a most dramatic improvement in performance in the file-compression benchmark with WinRAR 3.2.
Since the synthetic benchmarks (PC Mark 2002, Sandra 2003) give the PC-DL better marks than the test system with the E7505, you can also expect improvements in standard server applications.
Of course, this board isn't designed to handle extremely complex applications, as it doesn't have the fast PCI-X slots nor the DIMM expansion slots to add to your memory. After all, 4 GB of RAM are nothing for large database servers, large-format image processing, CAD depictions of an entire car, or similar applications.
But for the bulk of applications (graphics, video) and for all-purpose servers, this board is currently the cat's meow. With its gigabit Ethernet, high performance and relatively low price (not least thanks to its unbuffered memory), it offers a value that other boards would be hard-pressed to beat.