comparing Intel MB features

**mansoons25** · 08-04-2009

Hi,

I'm trying to compare the Intel motherboards that I should be going for my cyber/game cafe and could you please let me know what these means:

1. How do we select Chipset as many variations available like Q35, G35, G33, G31, Q965.

2. In select models intel specs says that LAN Support "10/100 LAN". Whereas in few models it says "Gigabit (10/100/1000 Mbps/sec) LAN Subsystem using the Intel 82566DM Gigabit Ethernet Controller"
Does it mean that Gigabit Ethernet Controller Card to be bought seperately along with the motherboard so that LAN functions?

3. Typically how many USB ports would be required

4. Is intel Express BIOS Update required while selecting MB

5. How important is to have higher FSB like 1333MHz compared to 1066MHz

Thanks

**Baltazar** · 08-04-2009

In personal computers, the Front Side Bus (FSB) is the bus that carries data between the CPU and the northbridge.

Depending on the processor used, some computers may also have a back side bus which connects the CPU to the cache. This bus and the cache connected to it is faster than accessing the system memory via the front side bus.

The bandwidth or maximum theoretical throughput of the front side bus is determined by the product of the width of its data path, its clock frequency (cycles per second) and the number of data transfers it performs per clock cycle. For example, a 32-bit (4-byte) wide FSB operating at a frequency of 100 MHz that performs 4 transfers per cycle has a bandwidth of 1600 megabytes per second (MB/s).

The number of transfers per clock cycle is dependent on the technology used. For example, GTL+ performs 1 transfer/cycle, EV6 2 transfers/cycle, and AGTL+ 4 transfers/cycle. Intel calls the technique of four transfers per cycle Quad Pumping.

Many manufacturers today publish the speed of the FSB in megatransfers per second (MT/s), not the FSB clock frequency in megahertz (MHz). This is because the actual speed is determined by how many transfers can be performed each clock cycle as well as by the clock frequency. For example, if a motherboard (or processor) has a FSB clocked at 200 MHz and performs 4 transfers per clock cycle, the FSB is rated at 800 MT/s.