AT LONG LAST, Intel is bringing DDR333 memory support to its chipsets for the Pentium 4. That means Intel's dizzying array of P4 chipsets is about to grow by two. Say hello to the 845PE and 845GE chipsets, successors to the 845E and 845G core-logic chips, respectively.

Now, you may be a little perplexed, because VIA and SiS have had DDR333 for what seems like ages now. However, Intel isn't one to jump the gun on memory standards, to say the least. They like to hang back, make sure all the standards are finalized and the interoperability is there before they do anything. Then they like to sip lemonade and kick back in the hammock for a few months. When Intel does move, however, the whole PC market moves with it.

There's not much more for me to tell you about the 845PE and GE chipsets that you can't deduce from here. But I can tell you quite a bit about Pentium 4 chipsets overall, because we've lined up nine different configurations and tested them against one another to see who comes out on top. Can Intel's new 845PE and GE chipsets match up with the latest chipsets out of VIA and SiS? Can DDR memory finally slay the RDRAM performance dragon once and for all? Would I really spend a perfectly good weekend testing core-logic chipsets and making graphs? Keep reading to find out.