Memory tests and HEXUS.PiFast
The NVIDIA chipsets one-up their Intel equivalents in both memory
bandwidth and latency, with the EVGA 132 CK-NF79 winning both tests
quite conclusively.
Of course, the Intel DX48BT2 was hampered by its memory support into running looser timings than the NVIDIA 790i Ultra, which will account for a lot of the performance difference, but even the two DDR2 boards running at the same memory speeds and timings gives the nod to NVIDIA.
HEXUS.PiFast performance is more of an even spread. The two DDR3-equipped systems lead the pack with a surprisingly slight difference between the Intel DX48BT2 and 132 CK-NF79, given the disparate memory-timings. The DDR2-equipped DFI board is slightly slower, but the MSI P7N, running the same memory speeds, is even slower, suggesting the Intel chipsets are able to overcome a latency and bandwidth penalty by using a more-efficient real-world optimisations.