Best non-overclocking c2q

[Tim6996]

Hi, i am about to purchase a new cpu to go with a 780 or 790i motherboard, this setup is for gaming and i was wondering what quad core i should get. It it between the Q9300 2.5ghz (half the cache), the Q6600 2.4 ghz and the Q6700 2.66 ghz... i am more leaning to the 6700 because i am not looking to overclock the cpu at all, this has the best speed for not being overclocked. any suggestions or tips?

 

[Vertigon]

Well Tim if you read around the forum alot of people are complaining about Q6 series core temps, be it legitimate or not. If your not going to overclock this won't be an issue unless you live in a very very hot climate. Before you decide which cpu to get read Toms GPU vs CPU upgrade articles since you are not going to overclock and you are building it for games.

"However, games are not 100% dependent on the graphics card; the Geforce 8 and 9 require a basic level of power, otherwise they are unable to exploit their 3D potential. The speed of the CPU should lie somewhere between 2600 and 3000 MHz; any lower, and the new graphics chips lose considerable performance.

There is no obvious advantage to quad cores over dual cores, at least according to the graphics-based benchmarks. In order for the Q6600 to compete with the dual core E6750, the same clocking rate is recommended. If you wish to combine an E2160 with a Geforce 8800 or Geforce 9, you will need to overclock. Without a clock rate of at least 2400 MHz, you will lose a considerable amount of graphics performance, because the card is not fully loaded."

I WOULD oc a Q6600 to 3Ghz and spend the savings on good 1066Mhz ram personally.

 

[doomturkey]

I'd say go for the Q6700, you aren't OCing, so the extra 167mhz should make it a little faster than the Q9300. Forget the 1333mhz FSB and whatnot, it hardly makes a difference (FSB is getting eliminated by intel soon anyways, cause its not efficient) Q6700 should be great for your needs. And I'm sure the stock cooling should be adequate with that chip, if not just buy an aftermarket.

Or, you could go with a phenom 9850 0_o....
Sorry I love my AMD. Had to say it. >_<

Anyways ya, maybe look at some benches but I would think the Q6700 edges out the 9300.

 

[jonisginger]

9850 hahahaaaaaa

i have a a 6000+ and I bet it spanks it in everyday apps.

 

[halcyon]

Hi, i am about to purchase a new cpu to go with a 780 or 790i motherboard, this setup is for gaming and i was wondering what quad core i should get. It it between the Q9300 2.5ghz (half the cache), the Q6600 2.4 ghz and the Q6700 2.66 ghz... i am more leaning to the 6700 because i am not looking to overclock the cpu at all, this has the best speed for not being overclocked. any suggestions or tips?

If you can afford the Q6700 get it. Whether you overclock it or not, it is the fastest chip...and should you later decide you'd like to overclock it, it has the highest potential. Vertigon mentioned the temperature issues that many are noting. However, I think that applies, only, to the newer 45nm quads...in your case, the Q9300 (which I'd not recommend you get given the choices you mentioned).

Q6700

 

[Reynod]

Q9450 ... best for the price considering your not going to OC it anyway - has more cache and runs cooler than any of the other 6 series chips.

Too many issues with 6 series temps ... you will need to make sure the case is clear of obstructions, has a beefy cooler, and decent fans otherwise.

The 9 series cores run cooler ... less hassle.

If your an enthusiast go for a 6 ... if you want less hassle get a 9.

Simple choice.

 

[halcyon]

Q9450 ... best for the price considering your not going to OC it anyway - has more cache and runs cooler than any of the other 6 series chips.

Too many issues with 6 series temps ... you will need to make sure the case is clear of obstructions, has a beefy cooler, and decent fans otherwise.

The 9 series cores run cooler ... less hassle.

If your an enthusiast go for a 6 ... if you want less hassle get a 9.

Simple choice.

Q9450 wasn't one of the aforementioned choices, and if the OP is aware of the Q9300 I can't imagine that he'd be unknowing of the Q9450.

...but I have a Q9450 myself and...it is a beast.

 

[halcyon]

Speed is not the only consideration when purchasing a processor.

EDIT: To elaborate...

One might also consider any current issues/problems with a processor (i.e., the 45nm's DTS issue might make one consider a Q6600 or Q6700 over a Q9300 or Q9450)

 

[night_wolf_in]

Well the best non-overclocking C2Q would be the fastest one right? Duh

^yeah, that answer it. fastest. with the highest capacity of cache built in.

 

[A_Dying_Wren]

QX9650? if u have a virtually unlimited budget. Otherwise Q9300 or Q9450.

OR E8400 but its dual-core. Beats some quads at even quad-optimized apps.

 

[Tim6996]

Well i have an 8800 gt and i'm looking to sli it on the 780i now because the 790i only supports ddr3 ... so i want the most out of my sli'd 8800 gt's

the rig right now is a 2.13 ghz c2d 3gbs of ddr2 pc6400 ram, 8800gt stock mobo 750 watt psu 250 gb hard drive.... everything else doesnt rly matter soooo wht cpu do i want to maximize the sli'd 8800gt's and which motherboard should i get for the most out of my rig???

 

[ovaltineplease]

you already got your answer in the post above, read the gpu vs cpu article if you really require details.

for current games 2.6ghz+ is sufficient for 8800 series

 

[geofelt]

Work with the interractive cpu charts on Tom's. For games, the E8400/E8500 will beat all but the fastest and most expensive quads.
Only if your game is one of the few multicore optimized like fsx, will a quad be better.

 

[Tim6996]

Well i was wondering what ram i should get for the 780i any suggestions?

As far as i know it supports pc6400 ddr2 1200mhz any ram with those specs that is cheap?

 

[geofelt]

If you are not overclocking, then any speed ram and core processors will perform about the same in real applications(vs. synthetic benchmarks) DDR2 -800 will do just fine. Get 4gb in a 2x2gb configuration. Spend the savings on a higher clocked cpu instead.

 

[Tim6996]

well my vista is 32 bit so i was thinking 1gbx3... if you didn't know 32 bit os's can only support 3 gbs and 64 4 gbs. I want to spend mony anyway xD but... i also want to get the best out of my video cards and my cpu ...

 

[geofelt]

3gb is probably not worth it. To get dual channel speed, you need to have a symmetrical ram configuration. For 3gb, you would need 2x1gb plus 2x512mb. This would probably cost more than a single 4gb kit. With 4gb, you should see about 3.4gb.

 

[Tim6996]

So si should buy a single 4 gb stick of ddr2 with 1200 mhz fsb or 1gbx4 with 1200 mhz or either 1 with any mhz( 800 1066) ???

 

[geofelt]

Best is 4gb in a 2x2gb matched kit of ddr2-800. Second choice would be a 4x1gb kit.

 

[Vertigon]

Tim try and match your RAM to the CPU/FSB speed. If your not going to overclock you dont need to worry about low latency 4x1GB stuff. Just get reliable 2x2GB (kit) and you dont even need to worry if they have heat spreaders. Have you decided which cpu to get? Because if your going to buy high speed dd2 you might as well get ddr3, here the prices have dropped dramatically.