Thanks guys. You've hit the nail on the head. With processor reviews it's important to use system setups that are similar to what normal users would see. Most AMD users run dual-channel setups. Most Intel users run triple channel setups with the Core i7 chips. Running dual channel on a Core i7 works, but nobody sells dual channel Core i7 kits (remember that Core i7 requires lower voltage RAM so even people with existing DDR3 hardware end up buying new memory that runs under 1.65v). We went with the standard config, catering to the lowest common denominator even with our RAM speed settings. Benching with DDR3-2000 is unrealistic too. That stuff can be expensive!

Users looking for the absolute best performance will still buy Core i7s, $300 motherboards, hyperfast DDR3 and massive heatsinks. They're not the target audience for the 965BE. It's those of us that are looking for an upgrade where you might be able to carry over some existing parts like your RAM, where thinking of spending over $200 on a motherboard makes you feel guilty, and where your pockets aren't as deep as you wish them to be.

I'm glad to see AMD closing the gap. They aren't out of the woods yet, however. Lynnfield will bring a direct competitor to the game that brings some of the best parts of the Core i7 down to "normal" quad cores. It won't have hyperthreading but it should gain clock speed. And if you look at some of the benchmarks out there, Core i7 doesn't suffer much when dropped to a dual-channel memory system. Lynnfield shouldn't either.

I expect life to get much more interesting in the coming weeks.