question: overclocking GIGABYTE GA-965P-DS3 vs. GIGABYTE GA-965G-DS3

[LongTimePCUser]

If I were to turn off the onboard video does the GA-965G-DS3 overclock as well as the GA-965P-DS3?

I am asking this question because I want to build a new system after Intel drops the price on Core 2 Duo processors, but I don't want to commit to a new video board until the ATI DX10 boards show up in June

If I get the GA-965G-DS3 I could use the onboard video which supports Vista Aero until either nVidea releases good stable Vista drivers or the ATI DX10 boards are available.

What do you think? What would you do?

 

[Diogenes2]

Intel prices have already dropped ..

Don't know the details but I hear it doesn't OC as well ..

Just get a GA-965P-DS3 and a cheap vid card ... ...

 

[vailr]

Agreed.
The GA-965G-DS3 won't overclock nearly as well.
Just get a cheap Newegg refurb PCIe video card to use in the interim.

 

[LongTimePCUser]

Can you recommend a really cheap PCIe video card that runs Vista Aero?

 

[vailr]

Open Box: BIOSTAR V7302GL16 GeForce 7300GS Supporting 256MB (128MB On board) GDDR2 PCI Express - $44 shipped:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814141028R
More examples:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/ProductLi...380048+1069609641&name=PCI+Express+x16

 

[LongTimePCUser]

Thanks vailr. I may go with your suggestions.

But, back to the original question.

The GA-965G-DS3 and GA-965P-DS3 look almost identical on paper. The reports that the GA-965G-DS3 doesn't overclock may be coming from people who can't over clock if they use the onboard video.

Does anyone have any experience overclocking the GA-965G-DS3 when they add a PCI-e video board while turning off the onboard video?

Originally posted by: vailr
Open Box: BIOSTAR V7302GL16 GeForce 7300GS Supporting 256MB (128MB On board) GDDR2 PCI Express - $44 shipped:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814141028R
More examples:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/ProductLi...380048+1069609641&name=PCI+Express+x16

 

[vailr]

Topic Title: Accidentally got DS3 965G instead of DS3 965P
Topic Summary: Is this a limiting factor when overclocking?
http://forums.anandtech.com/messageview.aspx?catid=29&threadid=1926179

 

[LongTimePCUser]

vailr,
Thanks again. That thread is exactly what I was looking for and had not found. It is really conclusive that the 965G can't overclock. I will get the 965P and a cheap PCI-e video card for the time being.

The conclusive point in the thread was this one. Apparently Intel killed any overclocking with a hardware lock in the chipset that turns off asynchronos memory timings. This is the key difference in the chipsets.

09/23/2006 04:19 PM
Gary Key
AnandTech Editor

Posts: 594
Joined: 09/23/2005
Here is the news -

Do not yell at me, burn down my house, or talk bad to my dog please.

In order to protect the operation of the X3000 graphics engine, Intel instituted a hardware lock in the chipset that turns off asynchronos memory timings. This means the boards are not going to be overclocking any where near their P965 counterparts. Gigabyte sent me another bios that is suppose to maximize overclocking but on average depending on the quality of your chipset, memory, and CPU utilized (affects the memory controller strap) they told us not to expect to much above 350FSB (at this time, they are still working with it but looking at the straps, seems impossible for it to go above 400) or so.