Core 2 Duo vs Core 2 quad: Sad 2015 gaming machine

ninjosh97 · Jul 3, 2015

Hi everyone.
So here's my situation. I have a vostro 200 minitower with:
Core 2 Duo E8500
6gb DDR2, 667mhz RAM
MSI GeForce GTX 750 Ti 2gb OC Edition

So. I have the Vostro 200 with the Foxconn G3MM02 motherboard, which won't support core 2 quads (Correct me if I'm wrong).

My dad however has an Optiplex 745 that he would be willing to trade with me (I keep the gpu of course). I've seen online that it can use a Core 2 Quad q6600 and no higher, is that true? There are a few C2Q q9550's on ebay right now for $50.

Lastly, is it even worth the trouble? I know this isn't a great gaming machine, but it's all I have, and I'm wondering if moving to a quad core, that has slightly worse single core performance is worth it.

Thanks!

Remixex · Jul 3, 2015

The GTX 750 Ti is great card for 768p gaming, however the rest of your build is not doing it a lot of favours.
Sad news are you need to buy a new MOBO for 2 reasons
1.-CPU sockets
2.-DDR3 RAM
Both are very needed, you'll have to spend quite some money sadly
Do you have a budget?
Answering the question, i'd save those 50 bucks, it's not worth the trouble

cdabc123 · Jul 3, 2015

i dont think it is worth doing a dual core i tried in a optiplex preformed almost the same as the quad core.

delaro · Jul 3, 2015

Vostro 200

The FoxConn G33M02 motherboard, will support up to;
Wolfdale Dual Core, E8500, 3.16G, 6MB, 1333FSB, 65W, E0
Wolfdale Dual Core, E8500, 3.16G, 6MB, 1333FSB, 65W, C0

Tthe FoxConn DG33M03 motherboard will support up to a;

Yorkfield Quad Core, Q9550, 2.83G, 12MB, 1333FSB, E0
Yorkfield Quad Core, Q9400, 2.66G, 6MB, 1333FSB, R0

The Optiplex 745 will support up to;

Kentsfield Quad-Core 2.66GHz QX6700
Kentsfield Quad-Core 2.66GHz Q6700
Kentsfield Quad-Core 2.4GHz Q6600

The Core 2 Quads are only a viable upgrade when you have Overclocking potential which neither of these do, for Gaming terms a E8500 3.26ghz is the best you will get. Core 2 Quads are still viable in games today with a good motherboard, a Overclocked Q9550 or QX chip will run the same fps you will get out of most FX chips and I3's.

bambiboom · Jul 3, 2015

ninjosh97 :

ninjosh97,

The highest rated Vostro 200 on Passmark

Rating = 1541 / CPU = 2028 (Pentium E5700 @ 3GHz) / 2D = 408 / 3D = 3217 (GTX 750ti) / Mem = 822 / Disk =1685

Highest rating in each category:

CPU = 2631 (Core2 Duo E8600 @ 3.33Ghz)
2D = 581 (GT 640)
3D = 3712 (GTX 750ti)
Mem = 881 (4GB)
Disk = 2114 (OCZ Vertex 2)

The Highest Rated Optiplex 745:

Rating = 1591 / CPU = 3564 (Q6700) / 2D = 412 / 3D = 757 (HD 5670) / Mem = 715 / Disk =1685

Highest rating in each category:

CPU = 3901 (Core2 Extreme Q6800 @ 2.93Ghz)
2D = 455 (HD 5450)
3D = 1795 (GTX 650)
Mem = 891 (8GB)
Disk =1685 (Intel 520 120GB SSD)

I can see the difficulty in deciding. By these numbers, it's a kind of odd result as the two highest rated systems have such a similar overall rating. The good news is that Optiplex can use the Core2 Quad Extreme 6800 but it's at 2.93 instead of 3.33GHz. The higher CPU score is due to the quad core getting through more cycles which may or may not translate into better gaming performance. The one thing that's clear is that the GTX 750ti is a keeper and a good SSD is worthwhile.

Something to make the whole picture more complicated is to look into Optiplex systems a generation or two later such as the 780:

Rating = 2476 / CPU = 46344 (Q9650) / 2D = 504 / 3D = 3684 (GTX 750ti) / Mem = 1145 (16GB) / Disk =2427 Crucial MX100 256GB

Highest rating in each category:

CPU = 6285 (i5-2400 @ 3.10Ghz) No. 2 = 5933, No 3 = 5284 No. 4 = 4679, the Q9650
2D = 681 (GeForce 210)
3D = 3684 (GTX 750ti)
Mem = 2197 (8GB on i5-2400)
Disk =2976 (Kingston SV300S37A120G SSD)

There are other Optiplex to look at - as they're newer, the potential relaly opens up. Here's a 990 with an i5-2400 sold for $210:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Dell-Optiplex-990-3-1GHz-Intel-Core-i5-2400-4GB-RAM-250GB-HDD-/121673875523?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item1c54540043&nma=true&si=m2YDQRoQWUBE8puu4ouR%252Fg%252FmJdQ%253D&orig_cvip=true&rt=nc&_trksid=p2047675.l2557

An Optiplex 990 with an i7-2600 3.4GHZ running at 3.8 and GTX 750ti:

Rating = 3895 / CPU = 8715) / 2D = 768 / 3D = 3749 (GTX 750ti) / Mem = 2253 (8GB) / Disk =2644 (Adata Pro SP900 128GB)

So my question is whether you could sell your current system for say $80-100- keeping the GTX 750ti and add $100-$150 to it, which could lead to a system useable for a much longer time. This is spending only a reasonable amount more than upgrading the current system as a new CPU + motherboard could cost the $100 or more easily.

I've upgraded a four or five old systems and the results can be surprisingly good and satisfying, but they were gifts or lying around and not also really good investments. I like to see old systems remain useful by improvement, but there is a tipping point when maximizing the potential is too costly for the benefit and value. The cost is better spent by jumping forward to a newer technology.

Cheers,

BambiBoom

HP z420 (2015) > Xeon E5-1660 v2 six-core @ 3.7 / 4.0GHz > 32GB DDR3 ECC 1866 RAM > Quadro K4200 (4GB) > Intel 730 480GB (9SSDSC2BP480G4R5) > Western Digital Black WD1003FZEX 1TB> M-Audio 192 sound card > Logitech z2300 > Linksys AE3000 USB WiFi > 2X Dell Ultrasharp U2715H (2560 X 1440) > Windows 7 Professional 64 >
[ Passmark Rating = 5064 > CPU= 13989 / 2D= 819 / 3D= 4596 / Mem= 2772 / Disk= 4555] 7.1.15

ninjosh97 · Jul 3, 2015

Dang. I meant to select your message as the solution. Sorry man.
Thanks for writing such a detailed reply, I never considered selling the system, but that makes good sense. I'll look into that.
I was originally hoping to build a new system, but I didn't want to spend $400+, since I'm trying to buy a car at the end of the summer, but $100-200 I can probably swing.

Thanks again!

bambiboom :

ninjosh97 :

ninjosh97,

The highest rated Vostro 200 on Passmark

Rating = 1541 / CPU = 2028 (Pentium E5700 @ 3GHz) / 2D = 408 / 3D = 3217 (GTX 750ti) / Mem = 822 / Disk =1685

Highest rating in each category:

CPU = 2631 (Core2 Duo E8600 @ 3.33Ghz)
2D = 581 (GT 640)
3D = 3712 (GTX 750ti)
Mem = 881 (4GB)
Disk = 2114 (OCZ Vertex 2)

The Highest Rated Optiplex 745:

Rating = 1591 / CPU = 3564 (Q6700) / 2D = 412 / 3D = 757 (HD 5670) / Mem = 715 / Disk =1685

Highest rating in each category:

CPU = 3901 (Core2 Extreme Q6800 @ 2.93Ghz)
2D = 455 (HD 5450)
3D = 1795 (GTX 650)
Mem = 891 (8GB)
Disk =1685 (Intel 520 120GB SSD)

I can see the difficulty in deciding. By these numbers, it's a kind of odd result as the two highest rated systems have such a similar overall rating. The good news is that Optiplex can use the Core2 Quad Extreme 6800 but it's at 2.93 instead of 3.33GHz. The higher CPU score is due to the quad core getting through more cycles which may or may not translate into better gaming performance. The one thing that's clear is that the GTX 750ti is a keeper and a good SSD is worthwhile.

Something to make the whole picture more complicated is to look into Optiplex systems a generation or two later such as the 780:

Rating = 2476 / CPU = 46344 (Q9650) / 2D = 504 / 3D = 3684 (GTX 750ti) / Mem = 1145 (16GB) / Disk =2427 Crucial MX100 256GB

Highest rating in each category:

CPU = 6285 (i5-2400 @ 3.10Ghz) No. 2 = 5933, No 3 = 5284 No. 4 = 4679, the Q9650
2D = 681 (GeForce 210)
3D = 3684 (GTX 750ti)
Mem = 2197 (8GB on i5-2400)
Disk =2976 (Kingston SV300S37A120G SSD)

There are other Optiplex to look at - as they're newer, the potential relaly opens up. Here's a 990 with an i5-2400 sold for $210:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Dell-Optiplex-990-3-1GHz-Intel-Core-i5-2400-4GB-RAM-250GB-HDD-/121673875523?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item1c54540043&nma=true&si=m2YDQRoQWUBE8puu4ouR%252Fg%252FmJdQ%253D&orig_cvip=true&rt=nc&_trksid=p2047675.l2557

An Optiplex 990 with an i7-2600 3.4GHZ running at 3.8 and GTX 750ti:

Rating = 3895 / CPU = 8715) / 2D = 768 / 3D = 3749 (GTX 750ti) / Mem = 2253 (8GB) / Disk =2644 (Adata Pro SP900 128GB)

So my question is whether you could sell your current system for say $80-100- keeping the GTX 750ti and add $100-$150 to it, which could lead to a system useable for a much longer time. This is spending only a reasonable amount more than upgrading the current system as a new CPU + motherboard could cost the $100 or more easily.

I've upgraded a four or five old systems and the results can be surprisingly good and satisfying, but they were gifts or lying around and not also really good investments. I like to see old systems remain useful by improvement, but there is a tipping point when maximizing the potential is too costly for the benefit and value. The cost is better spent by jumping forward to a newer technology.

Cheers,

BambiBoom

HP z420 (2015) > Xeon E5-1660 v2 six-core @ 3.7 / 4.0GHz > 32GB DDR3 ECC 1866 RAM > Quadro K4200 (4GB) > Intel 730 480GB (9SSDSC2BP480G4R5) > Western Digital Black WD1003FZEX 1TB> M-Audio 192 sound card > Logitech z2300 > Linksys AE3000 USB WiFi > 2X Dell Ultrasharp U2715H (2560 X 1440) > Windows 7 Professional 64 >
[ Passmark Rating = 5064 > CPU= 13989 / 2D= 819 / 3D= 4596 / Mem= 2772 / Disk= 4555] 7.1.15

delaro · Jul 3, 2015

Only the Desktop version will accept that chip and that is only if you have the right motherboard as there are two. All the others will take up to a Q6700/QX6700. I know this is trivial but I serviced Dells for 15 years and I have seen more than my share of the 745's. You are right with the 990's they make a cheap gamer @ $250 and under.

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Core 2 Duo vs Core 2 quad: Sad 2015 gaming machine

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