Applications
3D Studio Max is CPU-bound, so performance differences between chipsets are usually negligible.
Audio
Lame and Ogg audio conversion are also CPU bound: if you're looking for better application performance, a faster processor would be a better choice.
Video
The nVidia 650i SLI chipset falls to the bottom in both DivX and XviD video conversion, while Foxconn's moderate-budget board begins to look like a real performance contender. Gigabyte's GA-P35C-DS3R is also at the top, beating the company's high-end GA-P35-DQ6.
