I whole heartedly agree with their final summary.....
For those who aspire to find the holy grail of 4GHz using a dual-core 45nm processor, we think the E8400 and a 9X multiplier is the sweet spot based on current test results. We will go into additional detail on the E8500 in an upcoming article that will feature "RDWI" - no, that is not a new driving while intoxicated offense, but detailed information about optimum tRD scaling windows.
In the end, we believe that a balanced and optimized platform is much more important than one that shows off high FSB speeds at the expense of performance, thermals, and stability. After all, would you rather have a balanced dance partner that can perform a variety of dances from ballet to hip-hop, or do you want someone that only looks good tap dancing after a few Red Bulls but quickly burns out?
