The D975XBX2 board is an excellent Intel board. Every conceivable feature with the exception of SLI (Crossfire is supported) which is not available on non-NVIDIA boards at the moment, is on this board, making a good choice for those wanting a solid stable board that overclocks well. Intel has improved an already impressive 975XBX board with the D975XBX2 and if you're looking for an Intel system today, this board should be near the top of the list.
As we move further into 2007, the main push of computer makers will be Microsoft's new Vista Operating System. Vista will feature improved support for dual core CPUs, memory, new video card API (DirectX 10) and more. As Vista is released in the next few days we will likely move our platforms both Intel and AMD to dual core CPUs, DirectX 10 video cards (probably the 8800GTX as ATI's R600 isn't out yet) and standardize our tests for both platforms. The 975XBX2 is ready for Vista with drivers already posted on their website.
So what differentiates the Intel D975XBX2KR from other motherboards already on the market? The first thing you get is Intel's bundling. Intel can offer a lower price to OEMs with their CPU+motherboard combos. The software that comes with Intel's retail box is comprehensive, offering such tools as Intel Audio Studio, Diskkeeper 9 Home Edition, Farstone RestoreIT, InterVideo's MediaOne Gallery, and much more to their software bundle, meaning you get value with your purchase. The overclocking on the board is nothing short of spectacular, reaching clockspeeds in excess of 20% over default, with tweaking. The video enthusiast will want to run 3 video cards for up to 6 monitor use.
