After an exhaustive search for information on 650i chipset compatibility with the new 45nm Penryn quads coming in Jan, it looks like the best proc for this board is going to be the Q6600. (For those who don't know, it looks like the 650i and 680i chipset motherboards will support the 45nm dual-core Penryns but NOT the 45nm quads.) I definitely want a quad core CPU, thus the Q6600 is the best choice. I'll have the money allocated next Friday, but I'm wondering... should I wait until intel releases the Penryn quads in Jan in hopes of a price drop on the Q6600. Is anyone anticipating a drop in price on the q6600? I'm affraid of waiting for a price drop just to see a price spike instead if the q6600 becomes a commodity item (say, when they fly off shelves in the wake of people realizing they can't upgrade to a Penryn quad).
I think it makes sence to wait and see if there's going to be a price drop on the q6600. Expecialy when Penryn's release for the main stream market is only 1 to 2 months away.
I think for a cheaper option a p35 motherboard would be a valid choice - many people are getting some very good overclocking with the q6600 from the p35 boards. I think you will see a drop in price but when the new penryns come out but not so large that it would not close to a good before christmas deal. I guess its an issue of how much money saved vs how long you have to wait.
Historically Intel has pulled off price cuts around February, usually in conjunction with the launch of new processors.
I'm nearly 40 years old... spent $4K on my first 286 computer with 10 MB hard drive and 1MB RAM... and I've learned the hard way if you can wait, then wait. Yes, there'll always be something better, but that's not a reason just to spend money if you don't have to. But when you are feeling like an upgrade because your computer really isn't keeping up with you, make sure there's not a price cut around the corner, and then don't hesitate to act.
I just chimed in because I have a Q6600, on an Abit IP35 Pro (P35) mobo. I have it clocked to 3.2GHz with only a slight Vcore increase and it runs great.
I think for a cheaper option a p35 motherboard would be a valid choice - many people are getting some very good overclocking with the q6600 from the p35 boards. I think you will see a drop in price but when the new penryns come out but not so large that it would not close to a good before christmas deal. I guess its an issue of how much money saved vs how long you have to wait.
You can pull close to 3.7-3.8 on air easily...
3.6 GHz on a Blood Iron for me, but the motherboard isn't stable anymore. I'll have my P5K-E tomorrow!!
