I heard from a friend that you can overclock the q6600 to 3.0 on the stock hsf

is this true?

im going to be using arctic silver 5

if not 3.0, whats the highest i can go with stock hsf + as5?

Im using antec 900 case

Depends on the temperature of the CPU

http://www.tomshardware.com/forum/ [...] ture-guide

I havent gotten the mobo or the ram or cpu yet, but here are what they are

mobo: ABIT IP35 Pro LGA 775 Intel P35 ATX Intel
cpu: q6600 @ 2.4(not sure which step)
memory: G.SKILL 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 800 (PC2 6400)

and....here are the configurations im planning to do to get it 3.0

fsb: 333
pcie freq.:100
dram freq.:800
dram command rate: 2t
dram timing control: manual
memory timing: 5-5-5-15
cpu voltage: 1.35v
dram voltage: 1.9v <-------- need suggestions on this part especially
fsb termination voltage: 1.2v
north bridge voltage: 1.25v
south bridge voltage: 1.05v
cie support: disabled


any ideas about how hot cpu will run? dont want to get it above 55

which programs can i use to monitor cpu temperature? cpu-z?

my 6600 is b3 stepping not as overclockable as the G0 stepping but it will do. Each processor is just a little different so you have to try test it out, maybe you get 3.0+ or maybe not.

You definitely need a really good aftermarket heatsink if you plan on keeping it that way in any case. With only a stock heatsink it will get above 55 easily.

with an evga 680i mb I managed to get it up to 3.24 GHZ by increasing the fsb while keeping the voltages set to auto.

Its all a matter of trial and error, even if someone else got it using some settings it might not work as well for you or you might do much better.

Oddly enough Vista reports my machine as Q6600 @ 2.4 (3.24 GHZ)

Don't OC your ram unless you've got lots of air blowing in there cause that will heat up really really quickly.

If you are going to spend ~$200.00 on the motherboard get a X38/X48.
P35 is older technology than X38/X48.

The voltage depends on what you are buying. If you overclock the memory (timings or speed) you may have to increase the voltage. It is safe to bring the voltage to 2.2v, no further.

I'd also recommend going with Corsair Dominator DDR2 1066. OC friendly and comes with a nice fan to keep it cool.

I believe it's possible (if yours is G0), but you'll only know after doing so and considering if temps are low enough. But to be realistic, unless your room temps are low, I'll say you'll get about 2.8 with decent temps.
One more thing, I read a review (don't remember where, but it was reliable) stating that the thermal paste Intel Stock HSF uses is very good, so if you're not spending on an aftermarket HSF, Why spend on a solution that I doubt will get you more than a degree? unless you're getting it for free.
About your CPU Voltage, You should try to lower it as much as you can after making sure it's stable.