X-bit labs

Gigabyte GA-P35-DS3L (rev. 1.0) Mainboard Review (page 8)

Category: Mainboards

by Doors4ever

[ 01/04/2008 | 04:36 PM ]

Here are the benchmark results:

As you see, Gigabyte GA-P35-DS3L mainboard doesn’t yield to the competitor. On the contrary, it is even faster in some cases. Moreover, it may be faster even in the nominal mode. Gigabyte GA-P35-DS3L package claims that it supports DDR2 1066 and it is really so. The mainboard set correct memory timings and 1066MHz frequency on the first boot-up.

However, it is not that hard to read the timings from the modules SPD, almost all mainboards out there can do it. However, Gigabyte GA-P35-DS3L also increased the memory voltage to 2.1V – the default voltage for the Corsair Dominator TWIN2X2048-9136C5D memory we are using in our platform. Although this voltage setting is also recorded in the profile, very few boards can actually read and set it correctly. We were really impressed. So, if you compare the Gigabyte GA-P35-DS3L mainboard in nominal working mode against the same abit IP35 Pro, Gigabyte will most likely be faster, because the abit mainboard would set the “standard” 800MHz frequency for the memory, while GA-P35-DS3L will set it to 1066MHz with the same timings.

Frankly speaking, had the tests been completed at this point, Gigabyte GA-P35-DS3L would have received the highest possible score from us. There are no ideal products, all mainboards have some drawbacks, but we simply forget about them with all the advantages we have just discussed. However, there was one more test Gigabyte GA-P35-DS3L had to pass.