Digital Home Thoughts: The Dynamic Duo: Intel's Core 2 Duo E6700 CPU & D975XBX2 Motherboard

1000 mbps of Blazing Networking Speed...Sort Of
The on-board gigabit Ethernet port is a bit of a mystery: I benchmarked transferring a 6 GB file from the Intel D975XBX2 to another machine on my LAN with an NVIDIA nForce gigabit Ethernet port (with a Netgear gigabit hub in the middle), and it maxed out at 48.9 MB per second when pulling down the file from the other computer - nice and fast (though 391 mbps is still a far cry from 1000 mbps). However, when moving that same 6 GB file (with the name changed) from the Intel D975XBX2 machine to the other machine, the transfer proceeded at a painful 2 MB per second. After a reboot I tried again and still only managed to get 7.62 MB per second. I tried reversing the approach: I initiated the transfer of the file from the other machine, pulling the 6 GB file from the Intel D975XBX2 machine. The results were much better, with speeds of 37.3 MB per second.

This was turning into a real head-scratcher, so I then tried copying the file from the Intel D975XBX2 machine a Windows XP-based Shuttle SN95G5 computer with a 100 mbps Ethernet port. I saw speeds of just over 10 MB per second, which is normal for a 100 mbps port. Not having another Windows Vista-based computer with a gigabit Ethernet port with which to test, I can only conclude one of two things: it's either some sort of conflict between the Intel Pro 1000 NIC and the NVIDIA nForce NIC, or it might be a driver-related issue. Either way, it's annoying that I'm going to have to initiate transfers to the Intel D975XBX2 machine from another machine. Things grew a bit more curious when I used the included StressTest by PassMark Software to do a 100% system-wide test: the network test had 48 errors with a description of "bad packet: checksum incorrect". That's 48 bad packets out of well over one million, so statistically it's not critical, but it's still curious.

All in All....
I'm impressed with the combination of the Intel Core 2 Duo E6700 CPU and the Intel D975XBX2 motherboard: the CPU is very fast, easily beating out comparable AMD offerings, and the motherboard is functional and flexible. It's worth pointing out that a couple of years ago, having any sort of overclocking options on an Intel motherboard was an impossibility - so the changes that Intel made regarding this policy and the options they give an enthusiast on the D975XBX2 motherboard are appreciated. Other than a missing eSATA port, I can't fault the motherboard for much of anything. I'm surprised there was no manual detailing all the BIOS options, but ultimately forum searches on hardcore hardware sites allow you to found out anything you want. The combination of these two products is tough to beat, and I'd have no hesitation reccomending them to anyone looking for a fast, stable system.

Jason Dunn owns and operates Thoughts Media Inc., a company dedicated to creating the best in online communities. He enjoys mobile devices, digital media content creation/editing, and pretty much all technology. He lives in Calgary, Alberta, Canada with his lovely wife, and his sometimes obedient dog. He wishes overclocking was less black-art-voodoo.