Warp Speed with Rambus: Six Boards for PC1066

Intel D850EMV2: Stability At A High Price

View of the Intel D850EMV2.

Interfaces on the Intel D850EMV2.

In previous tests, boards from Intel were seldom included because their performance wasn't quite up to that of the competition. Nevertheless, motherboards from the chip giant are still in demand on the OEM market. The reason is that the stability and support (BIOS updates) for these boards are very much valued by companies such as Dell and Gateway. These boards are available for the end user, as well. The D850EMV2 board that we tested consists of six layers, which allows the RIMM slots to be placed next to one another.

Alternatively, Intel also offers the board with network functionality, which our sample did not have. Considering the small number of features provided, this board is a far cry from being a bargain buy: Intel's asking price is $146. In the end, however, you do get important qualities such as solidity and stability, although these are certainly not the decisive factors for overclocking freaks. In our performance benchmarks, the D850EMV2 takes last place - as a result of unambitious and unalterable timings.