With the release of the E8400\E8500\ect over this next week, expect a lot of questions to crop up on these forums, from undereducated people like me. Sure some people here actually LIKE to give noobies advice, but the common questions usually get annoying for the forum masters here, who have to sift through hundreds of similar posts to get to something really new and exciting to read.
Welcome the E8400 preparation thread! A thread dedicated to informing people on what the heck they need and why, to run the E8400, also to easily and safely overclock it. The E8500 or others can be discussed too, but bear in mind that the E8400 IS the sweet spot in pricing, considering it should be $40-60 cheaper (US), and is only 100mhz slower, and a .5 less multiplier, when both overclocked to their max, they will probably end up being the same speeds lol. To go lower then the E8400 only saves you $10-20 bucks, and is a more significant loss in stock speeds and lower multiplier.
X-bit labs and Expreview easily got a 4ghz overclock on the E84\E85, so there is little doubt that will probably end up being the target of most overclockers. 4.5 is probably doable for many though. Unfortunately the reviews did not do a very good job specifying to noobies what is really needed to get these speeds.
(UPDATE 1-26-08, got my E8400 running, will answer some of my own questions now)
QUESTION TIME~! party party!
1-- What kind of Mobo should the E8400 be used on, and what about compatibility?
Exprieview used a P35 flashed to support the E8400, Xbit labs used a X38. The price difference between an average P35 and a X38 is $100! So no doubt many people (like me) would prefer to use the P35.
1a--
There does not seem to be any P35 motherboards that can support a wolfdale unless flashed (updated). Can most motherboards be flashed without me needing another intel chip inserted until it is updated? I really don't want to buy anther CPU just to flash, cause then I might as well get a X38, but then again.....
1b--
Do the X38 mobos even support wolfdale out of the box, or do they also need to be flashed?
1c--
IMO the P35 is about as good for a wolfdale as a X38, but that is only based on the bits I've read. Will the X38 be a much better overclocker, or have other features I might need? (this question is mainly asked for others' sake).
answer--- Looks like most P35 mobos have decent-good support for the wolfdales! Some can also be flashed without needing a older CPU in first.... My Gigabyte P35-DS3L (rev. 2) mobo didn't even need to have a bios flash! It worked just fine with the E8400 out of the box!
2-- What RAM!?
I am leaning on DDR2 800mhz (pc6400) as it is cheaper then that hooker down the street. But, for overclocking, especially 4 or higher ghz, is the DDR2 800 going to be a bad choice? The price difference going up to even the DDR 1066 is pretty large.
2a-- Does anyone with a wolfdale need DDR3? Will it give a performance boost worth the huge price (allow me to answer that---- hell no!)
2c-- How much ram? For users of vista 32bit, is 2gigs enough? I know 4 gigs will not be fully recognized, but do some games (say crysis) need more then 2gigs at all?
answer--- I ended up getting 2gb of XMS2 (pc6400) ram, and it is working just fine for my needs, though I have yet to OC it. However, many people report great OC's using DDR2 ram.
3-- What Thermal Paste?
There is a lot of choices here, and I am assuming paste is paste, and doesn't matter too terribly much which one is used, nor what method of spreading just as long as you apply some (personally I'll do a very even spread across the chip with some plastic card). Of course this is being asked for 2nd opinions.
answer--- stock heatsink\fan came with pre-applied thermal paste just as others here mentioned. You won't need any paste unless you want to add a 3rd party cooler.
4--Mr. Scott! How much power!?
For normal humans who only use 1 video card (not 2 or 3 you sickos) how much power should a person need? 600watt power supply sufficient? The wolfdales use less power then the old Core 2's or quads, so I am assuming most people will do just fine with 550-700watts?
answer--- my thermaltake 500W PSU is so far working just fine with the E8400, 1 HD, 1 DVD, few leds\fans, and 8800GTS, so 500W or higher should be plenty for most people.
5-- What Case?
Ok common gamebro! Really?.... YES REALLY! There is a crap load of case options in case (bad joke intended) you haven't noticed. And for fools like me who wish to overclock not only the CPU but perhaps also the RAM and GPU, shouldn't I look for a case that is very efficient in cooling? (and uber cool looking of course).
answer--- My el-cheapo Xion Solaris case is keeping everything cool enough so far, and it was only 30 bucks after rebate! Love the green color on the black case. I call it my X-COM case, as the symbol on the side looks close to the X-com symbol (one of the best games of all time w00t!) =D. I did want that Antec 900 pretty bad though lol..... I think the important thing is making sure whatever case you get, it has more then just the 2 back fans. Side fans, top fans, front fans, underfans.... Well, you get the idea-- the more air the better!
6-- What Heatsink\Fan?
Ok enough of this tunic tower, or liquid cooling nonsense . Will a person REALLY need anything other then the stock heatsink\fan to get a high overclock on the cold running wolfdales? Seriously, I don't want a huge ridiculous hunk of expensive cooling metal in my case unless I really need it lol. I'd look very dumb if I was bragging to my friends "yeah I got my E8400 at 4.2ghz with my $100 tuniq tower, I am soo cool" then to hear my bud say "you dumb#$$, I got mine to 4.5 on the stock heatsink\fan!)
answer--- The stock HSF is working very well, and is absolutely silent! Some people are reporting healthy 4+ghz OC's on em, but sure a (good) 3rd party cooler will do even better.
Conclusion--
Loving my E8400 so far, and I haven't even OC'ed it yet! With my 8800GTS (g92), 2gb ddr800 ram, and vista ultimate 32bit- It handles Crysis very well even with everything on very high except shaders (high) and AA (0) (1680x1050 resolution). DS3L is a great board too IMO! Wonderful features though I don't think it has raid, nor SLI\xfire, but it works like a champ, and the sound options\controls are soo good, I don't even want to install my old Audigy Gamer sound card!
Oh also- wanted to say, WOW! The E8400 CPU is soo tiny! I could swear my old AMD 3200xp chip is 2x the size!
Thanks to everyone who posted thus far, the advice was very helpful. It was a rough couple of weeks waiting for this long awaited CPU, but it was worth it!
Message edited by gamebro on 01-26-2008 at 11:37:18 AM
Great post. I was getting tired of looking through the various posts to see which etailer had the best deals right now. As of 1/14/08, the best deal I can find in the US for the E8400 is at www.pcsforeveryone.com for $199. The shipping seems reasonable as well, as it is $8 for me for UPS ground.
Sorry I don't have any answers, just wanted to post where I found the best deal thusfar. As far as the mobo support, I'm curious about this as well. I was planning on getting the DS3L, but so far the only BIOS update is for Yorkies, and that was a while back.
Also, as far as MFG#s go, I'm pretty sure this is how it is...
OEM Order Code: The actual part number used in ordering an Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) processor, sometimes referred to as a tray processor, that is sold to an OEM manufacturer or distributor intended for installation.
Box Order Code: The actual part number used in ordering the processor from an Intel distributor. The boxed processor comes in a sealed box with a 3-year warranty from Intel.
Well bare in mind this thread wasn't made to discuss the E8400 vs anything else, rather to inform people of what parts they should buy, and why. Also to help people out with cooling\overclocking questions ect regarding the new Wolfdale duel cores.
But I'll answer that for ya anyways before I run off to work-- The E8400 will smoke the Q6600 in anything that isn't properly optimized for multi core support (especially 4 cores). Considering it's much faster clock when both are taken to maximum overclocks, and $200 price tag, IMO the E8400 is a much better value for MOST people but not all. This is true until the quad core penryn's come out. Then people need to buy based on their needs, quad cores are better at certain things after all.
Well bare in mind this thread wasn't made to discuss the E8400 vs anything else, rather to inform people of what parts they should buy, and why. Also to help people out with cooling\overclocking questions ect regarding the new Wolfdale duel cores.
But I'll answer that for ya anyways before I run off to work-- The E8400 will smoke the Q6600 in anything that isn't properly optimized for multi core support (especially 4 cores). Considering it's much faster clock when both are taken to maximum overclocks, and $200 price tag, IMO the E8400 is a much better value for MOST people but not all. This is true until the quad core penryn's come out. Then people need to buy based on their needs, quad cores are better at certain things after all.
Thanks for taking the time to answer. Sorry if it was OT.
But I am certain that will be a very common question. Might as well get it in the archives for those who search!
don't ask me why, but I like the Asrock P35 + wifi. get more info at www.asrock.com, maybe there's a review already at www.ocworkbench.com
I have a Sharkoon 450w PSU, Its serving me very well: 4 hard drives, Athlon 64 X2 65w, Asrock K8upgrade NF3, ATI 1950GT, 2 sound cards, 1 capture card, 2 DVD burners. Superstable system all day long
My brother's A64 X2 rig is similar to mine, has an Antec Earthwatts 380w PSU, with a 8800GTS instead of the ATI. Superstable too.
Just to give some info, the PSU rate indicates the max amount of watts that the PSU can provide, summing all connectors. That doesn't mean that a single connectors can supply that amount, but part of that amount.
So, what happens when a PSU gets a load over the rate? it starts to heat up like a beast til it just burns or a overload protection gets activated.
What thermal paste? well, check newegg's user opinions, if you like them. There are people so worried about its temps that they post the result, usually good thermal paste makes your CPU temps to go lower. Don't use too much, only a thin layer is needed.
Heatsink: If you don't overclock: keep the stock. If you like silent stuff, go to newegg. I personally recommend anything that looks-like or is zalman.
Message edited by thefumigator on 01-14-2008 at 10:48:39 PM
Should be a massive supply of chips for the first month, so it shouldn't be too hard to get one if you don't hesitate too long. Hopefully there will be plenty of E8400's to meet the demand.
Would my rig -:see sig :- actually see a noticable increase in gaming performance with a X38 mobo 4GB 1066 RAM and the E8400 o/c'ed?
Would the X38 mobo PCI-E 2.0 give my CF 3870's more room to breathe?
Or does the CPU clocked to over 4Ghz+ help?
I only ask because i've entered the realms of 24" gaming and have found it a massive hit in high stress games performance ie.Crysis 41fps Very High to 17fps Very High.
Hmm, I was hoping to see more information on the mobo issues, but apparently nobody knows!?
Everyone is just gona buy a E8400 and hope the mobo they buy works with it I guess Ok, I'll just buy some mobo that looks good, and hope to God it can flash with a floppy or USB, without needing a working CPU in it first.
one ABIT mobo is known to be able to "recognize" the cpu long enough to flash the bios. dont remember exactly what board. x38 should natively be compatible with wolfdale, as the fsb is naturally 1333, or whatever
If you want SLI - 780i
If you want CF - X38
If you just want a mobo with a single Card - Asus P5K-E 0906 BIOS
Board should post without a problem to flash the FSB. It just might give a CPU Microcode error.. I know the Asus board has 45nm support out of the box... but the 0906 is the only official 45nm BIOS and mine came with 0706. 0602 was the best for OCing (vDrop).. but 0906 has some great options.
RAM? I'd get 4 GB of Transcend DDR2-800 w/ a Corsair Dominator Memory Fan.
Paste? MX-2 or Shin-Etsu X23
600W is plenty. Personally I like Ultra X3's for modularity. (I have a 600W and 1000W, both are great).
Case? I have a CM-690 and love it. For a bit more flashy an Antec 900. I prefer bottom mounted PSUs.. but it does mean you will need an EPS12V extension (8 pin CPU connector).
The stock fan is a Celeron fan.. It'll do some mild OCing. I'd get a Tuniq Tower ($45) and call it a day.
Video Card wise I would get an 8800 GTS (G92) for now.
If you want to know how to OC, etc.. Come to the OC forums, we'll teach you how from the ground up on Video Cards, Memory, and CPU.
^FYI: The BIOS is stable as far as I am concerned (just flashed it about ~30minutes ago). Will do some testing over the weekend. I had the E2180 OCed to 3.2Ghz stable on the last BIOS so I have to reset the settings and run some stress testing.
Message edited by Shadow703793 on 01-17-2008 at 02:10:27 AM
Lionblade_@msn.com 