Verdict and Conclusion
All-in-all, I find Intel’s DP67BG motherboard to be a decent performer that produced good results in all of our benchmarks. The motherboard is designed to showcase the unlocked potential of the Sandy Bridge processors and it shows. When matched with an Intel Core i7-2600K processor, the DP67BG motherboard really flies, producing excellent results in all of our tests.
PC Mark scores were incredible at 15078, while the ScienceMark 2 score was also extremely high at 2370.48. This is all thanks to the Intel Core i7-2600K processor, which is truly a real performance CPU for the enthusiast. The rest of the tests are graphics based and are semi-determined by the graphics card we used, and in this case it was a Geforce GTX 460 OC. Still, it was evident to see that the combination of both CPU and motherboard from the Intel have produced a winner here.
The stability of the motherboard is rock solid, thanks to the use of solid capacitors, which are clearly visible on the PCB. And as far as connectivity is concerned, the Intel DP67BG is absolutely packed with connectors. Including … eSATA, FireWire, 8 x USB2.0, 2 x USB3.0, gigabit ethernet, SPDIF optical output, and an array of audio connectors. However, there’s no connectors for PS/2 keyboard and mouse … I suppose we need to move on to USB 😉
What I particularly like about this motherboard, are the extras you’ll get, such as the onboard reset and power on/off buttons, back-to-BIOS switch, as well as the 2-digit diagnostics LEDs. Other interesting feature include the “skull” shape design which is etched onto the PCB. This lights up with blue LEDs as soon as you switch the system on. It’s all aesthetics … but it’s what makes this motherboard stand out. It is afterall, a part of Intel’s Extreme Edition Series of motherboards.
There’s one thing which I hate to say, but for overclocking … the Intel DP67BG was a little disappointing for me. Although the BIOS does have some options for overclocking, I felt that it was a little limiting. For example, using the unlocked multiplier option, we were only able to increase it from the default of x34 to a maximum of x38. With a different motherboard such as one from Gigabyte, you should be able to get unlocked multipliers beyond x45. That said, the Intel DP67BG does offer other advanced BIOS options, including bus speed increase from 100Mhz to 120Mhz, voltage adjustments for both CPU and memory, XMP profiles, memory timings and options for processor features.
So is the Intel DP67BG motherboard worth considering? Well, of course. If you pair it with a nippy Core i7-2600K processor, then it’s definitely a good all rounder that offers decent performance and plenty of features. Intel branded motherboards aren’t usually the first choice with higher-end users or enthusiasts, but if the price is right then why not?
Prices of the Intel DP67BG motherboards are unclear, but we expect it to cost around the USD $200-250 mark. It’s an OK price, but for me … I would also consider other brands too.
Final words. Through Intel’s board partners, I think they’ve done a pretty good job with their DP67BG motherboard. Overall, it’s a good all-rounder that offers decent performance with some very interesting features. It’s definitely the kind of motherboard that can be used to showcase the true potential of Intel’s new Sandy Bridge processors.
SCORE
8/10
