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Holding off for Q3 processor good idea?

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Ok, so I've been doing quite a bit of lurking in these forums and studying on what my new build is going to be for SOME time now. I know that both Intel and AMD are having price drops in April (22nd and 9th respectively), and that, basically I'm going to stick with Intel in this category because AMD is getting their a**es handed to them. HOWEVER, I'm still yet considering holding off for late-summer to fall for a processor, just simply because Intel is doing their 2nd major price cut for their higher-end quad-cores (Q6700 and Q6800). Either way, I'm planning on getting a quad-core processor, and from what my own instincts are saying.. the Barcelona project is a bit too much hype for what it may come out to be, not to mention the Agena won't be released 'till SO much later that I wouldn't want to wait that long. Having said that, I'm debating on getting a Q6600 on 4/22, or holding off for the Q3 price drop on the Q6700, considering I'm going to have to hold off until then to see what the R600 and so on is going to be like, for I'm getting a DX10 card once I see how those compare to nVidia's.

Does anyone have any idea of about what month this price cut in Q3 is going to be? Or is the difference between the two just not worth the price difference? And lastly, I know the C2D are extremely great to OC, but was wondering if the same applies for the Q6/700? I just don't know if an OC'd e6850 would outperform a q6/700 not OC'd or OC'd. I guess what I'm asking is, should I get a higher end C2D or a lower end quad-core?

Thanks for all the help everyone!

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wow... SO VERY TRUE! haha, I love that mindset. Kinda makes my decision much easier.

But I just wasn't sure because the e6850 has a higher clockspeed than any of the other quad-cores, so wasn't sure if it was really more capable in some applications. I'm still not too good w/ understanding hardware, especially processors since they've started getting extra cores.

So from what it sonunds though, a quad would definitely be a better deal in the long run. Do they OC well?

I believe a dual core overclocks better than a quad core, simply because all the cores involved need to support the higher frequency. There's no fixed rule though, it depends on the particular CPU you happen to get.

The E6850 will have a locked multiplier, if I remember right. That might complicate things a bit. Also, E6850 is a dual core, not quad.

You didn't specify what you are going to use the computer for. Right now an X6800 will do better than a Q6600 in most games, but the Q6600 will do better in certain applications that take advantage of all 4 cores. In the long term the quad cores will do better than dual cores because software developers will be able to use new game engines that will support more than 2 cores.
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anything that requires a hardcore computer, I'm doing basically :D  That's why I'm really considering quad over dual.

First off, like many here, I'm a big big gamer, and want the system that will remain most up to date the longest.

2nd off, I multi-task like crazy, typically having a game or two open at once, demanding drafting software whether it's video editing or ACAD, and of course media player going.

But I'm not afraid to invest in an expensive cooling system to ensure I can OC the hell out of everything I can get my hands on for a bit of extra performance.

Thanks for all the quick advice everyone.

if u want it now, buy it now, thats all i can say. only wait if u really dont care cuz u can be waiting forever for better products

quad core>dual core, higher clock speed dosnt really matter, esp when games already use multiple cores, and the quads run faster as a result

it does prove a point though..

But as far as waiting goes, I'm not holding off too long. Just focusing on the pricedrops. And I know the r600 will most likely kick the 8800's a**. Besides that, I'm really not too concerned w/ waiting till the Agena comes out, and waiting form april to Q3 is no biggie as, this summer I'm starting w/ my Freshman term up at UT. Should pass by pretty fast. Just wondering if I'd be better off holding off for a q6700 in Q3 or getting a q6600 or the D2C in a few weeks.

Like ryokinshin said, if you wait, there's always something new right around the corner, and that's just the way it is. If you buy your processor now, you'll be aggravated when you see prices in Q3. If you buy it in Q3, you'll be aggravated a few months later if Agena beats the pants off it or Intel drops prices again. If you wait, you'll wait forever. You have to just buy what you want, and be satisfied with it, and not be disappointed when something better/faster/cheaper comes out. Plus, since you're heading off to college, it's nice to have a system ready before you leave. It's the same boat I was in last summer when I built my PC. Sometimes, you just have to take what you can get at the time.

hah.. ok, I'm not being THAT bad about holding off for a better system now...

Is there any problem with waiting for a price drop that is coming a month later that'll be around 40% off? Or waiting for ATI's new card that'll come out roughly the same time? Everything's coming out at once, and form what I've seen "not too much" but it seems as if pci-e 2.0 is coming out ROUGHLY the same time as well, and if it's out, might as well go for it if it's an upgrade.

I'm not waiting past Q3, and will most likely stick with the April 22nd drop. I guess I'll just have to see how badly I want to update my system. It's mainly a factor of when everything'll come out, like mentioned, the pci-e 2.0 slots. I'm not investing w/ AMD seeing how, even if it IS better, it'll be much higher priced for some time, and the desktop cpus will come out much later than the Barcelona. But I WILL wait for the R600 at least.. Hopefully a better idea will be down by then about when the pci-e 2.0 slot comes into effect.

As for myself, I am building a New Sys...waiting until the price drops on the Quad-core's Extrem..so that it will be more into my budget...also waiting to see if the R600 will be better than Nvidia.
I am undecided if I will get at the end of April or wait until 3rd-Q... for Intel drop prices again....But I will have it Build by this 3-Q if it kill's me...because I am giving this PC I have Now to my Son whom is going to College this Fall
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