Intel 865 (Springdale) Chipset: Mainstream Dual DDR

Springdale to the Rescue

Unlike the 875P, there are multiple versions of the Springdale MCH (Memory Controller Hub) in order to tailor to the needs (and price points) of multiple targets in the mainstream market segment.

The features common to all three 865 (Springdale) chipsets are as follows:

- Hyper Threading support
- Dual 64-bit DDR memory channels
- Communication Streaming Architecture bus for gigabit Ethernet

All 865 chipsets can be paired with either the ICH5 or ICH5-R chip, which handles things like the 10/100 Ethernet interface, AC'97 audio interface, USB 2.0, the PCI bus, etc… and thus enables the following features:

- 8 USB 2.0 ports
- Dual independent Serial ATA ports
- Optional Serial ATA RAID support with the ICH5-R

Now that we've gotten all of the commonalities out of the way, let's differentiate between the three members of the 865 family: the 865P, 865PE and 865G.