core 2 duo e6400 good performer even without overclocking?

[inteloutside]

i'm planning to get an e6400, unfortunately, i don't know how to overclock a cpu . also, i fear that i might fry it when i experiment with it. so, will an e6400 run games such as quake 4, FEAR, oblivion 4, and the upcoming c&c tiberium wars without overclocking it, stock speed?? is it going to run smoothly without framing??? no problem with running the games listed above?? here the rest of my system specs:

eVGA geforce 7600 gt
asus p5b deluxe
2 gig of ram
160 gb seagate sata
500 watts psu

or should i get a penitum d 950 instead?? it has a faster clockspeed than the e6400, by the way, does the clockspeed even matter? i'm a bit of a noob when it comes to hardware..

 

[ryokinshin]

clockspeed dosnt matter when dealing with a different architechture

the 6400 is as good as a fx62 stock

 

[Newf]

i'm planning to get an e6400, unfortunately, i don't know how to overclock a cpu . also, i fear that i might fry it when i experiment with it. so, will an e6400 run games such as quake 4, FEAR, oblivion 4, and the upcoming c&c tiberium wars without overclocking it?? is it going to run smoothly without framing??? here the rest of my system specs:

eVGA geforce 7600 gt
asus p5b deluxe
2 gig of ram
160 gb seagate sata
500 watts psu

or should i get a penitum d 950 instead?? it has a faster clockspeed than the e6400, by the way, does the clockspeed even matter? i'm a bit of a noob when it comes to hardware..

An E6400 will run just great without overclocking. It is FAR FAR more powerful than a D950.
Any issues you have with games stuttering will be due to your videocard.

 

[evilr00t]

Overclocking is as simple as changing a BIOS setting in the P5B Deluxe.

...anyway, it'd just about be a crime not to overclock the E6400. Expect at least 3.0 (faster than the X6800!) out of your chip, though you will need good RAM to run it that fast

 

[inteloutside]

will 1 gig of ram ddr2 do it??

 

[evilr00t]

The amount of RAM doesn't really matter for overclocking... the maximum speed the RAM can run at matters.

With the optimal FSB to RAM ratio of 1:1, the RAM will be running at the same speed as the FSB. So, at stock, your E6400 would be running a 266MHz QUAD pumped bus (1066=266x4), and your RAM would be running a 266MHz DOUBLE pumped bus (533=266x2).

If you wanted to overclock to 1333MHz on the FSB (base clock = 333MHz), your CPU would be at the same speed as the E6700 (333*8=2667, E6700). Your ram would be running at 667MHz (333 * 2). This is extremely easy to do; just raise the FSB speed to 333MHz from 266MHz, while being sure to get DDR2 667.

If you were a real hotshot and wanted to overclock to 1600MHz on the FSB, you'd have a 3.2 GHz C2D and would need DDR2 800, or good luck and DDR2 667. Unfortunately, DDR2 800 has a hefty premium.

Since DDR2 533 and DDR2 667 are almost the same price, you should opt for DDR2 667 if possible. You can try going over 1333MHz on the FSB to overclock the RAM if you want more performance; most sticks have some headroom.

 

[1Tanker]

will 1 gig of ram ddr2 do it??

1GB of RAM should suffice. Most games get by with 1GB, BF2 can hog RAM..and 2GB is a good idea when running it. If you're planning on going with VISTA, 2GB may be a good choice, as it's a RAM sucker. GL

 

[joefriday]

1GB of RAM should suffice. Most games get by with 1GB, BF2 can hog RAM..and 2GB is a good idea when running it. If you're planning on going with VISTA, 2GB may be a good choice, as it's a RAM sucker. GL

Good point. 2 GB of ram if you plan on running Vista.

 

[Heyyou27]

clockspeed dosnt matter when dealing with a different architechture

the 6400 is as good as a fx62 stock

It's not quite there, but it's close.

The E6400 will perform fine at stock speeds.

 

[Newf]

Overclocking is as simple as changing a BIOS setting in the P5B Deluxe.

Yep, it sure is.

...anyway, it'd just about be a crime not to overclock the E6400. Expect at least 3.0 (faster than the X6800!) out of your chip, though you will need good RAM to run it that fast

Not a crime. The VAST MAJORITY of computer users do not overclock. Expecting them to do so is the crime. Always try to think in terms of the person you are responding to, using your advanced computer knowledge to help them.

inteloutside wrote:
i'm planning to get an e6400, unfortunately, i don't know how to overclock a cpu . also, i fear that i might fry it when i experiment with it.

You feel the need to OC. Inteloutside really does not need to, nor does it seem to be the right time yet.

 

[evilr00t]

But... but... all that untapped potential put to waste!

 

[YO_KID37]

Try telling that to Dell and HP and all those other "Computer" companys dude. They'll go.

"Overlclocking?? what's that it's only 10:03 Right now, I don't think i need to waste any more of my time buy going Daylight savings"