Q9550 with the EVGA 680i? Will it work correctly?

[Spitfire7]

Here are my current old specs first.

My Specs:
Core 2 Duo E6600 2.4GHz
EVGA 8800GT Superclocked (Core 700, Mem 975)
2GB Corssair XMS2 DDR2 800 (4-4-4-12)
700w OCZ GamerXStream PSU
eVGA 680i Mobo
320GB Hard drive 16MB cache 7200RPM
Windows XP


Here is my MOBO info from EVGA
http://www.evga.com/products/pdf/122-CK-NF68.pdf


I want to upgrade my CPU to the Intel Quad Core Q9550 2.8GHz. It can be seen here. http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819115041
What is the difference between the Q9550 and the Q9450 seen here at the bottom http://www.newegg.com/Product/ProductList.aspx?Submit=ENE&N=2010340343%201051707842%201050727216%201051122421&name=1333MHz. They are the same price. Just makes me wonder if the lesser one may be better still since its the same price.

So back to my question... Will I get full potential with my Mobo, Memory, and new Q9550 CPU setup?


P.S. When installing a new CPU, all I have to do is shut down, unplug computer, then put in new CPU right? Maybe resetting Bios back to default first too? Please let me know.

 

[Vikingex]

Is that the new Quad Core range? The Yorkfield? If so I don't think they are compatible with the 680i range, at least not with EVGA.

Just out of interest, why are you upgrading? Are you getting a new graphics card aswell? If you want a gain in FPS, then just upgrade that GPU to a 4870 1GB costing roughly £180. That will give you more of a boost then a CPU upgrade.

Or if you are doing both GPU + CPU upgrade, then maybe just settle for the the Q6600 which is about £100. That can be overclocked to at least 3.0Ghz on air and default stock cooling, without going above 60C on load. Or you could just overclock your current processor, which isn't that bad.

 

[outlw6669]

No, the 680i chipset does not support the 45nm quads.
IMHO, you should overclock your current Q6600 to 3.0Ghz and get better performance for free.

 

[Spitfire7]

Is that the new Quad Core range? The Yorkfield? If so I don't think they are compatible with the 680i range, at least not with EVGA.

Just out of interest, why are you upgrading? Are you getting a new graphics card aswell? If you want a gain in FPS, then just upgrade that GPU to a 4870 1GB costing roughly £180. That will give you more of a boost then a CPU upgrade.

Or if you are doing both GPU + CPU upgrade, then maybe just settle for the the Q6600 which is about £100. That can be overclocked to at least 3.0Ghz on air and default stock cooling, without going above 60C on load. Or you could just overclock your current processor, which isn't that bad.

Well, I am playing Flight Simulator X and that game is mainly a CPU driven game. I am very happy with my 8800GT and every other game like COD MW, Crysis, GRID Racing all work beautifully with my setup, but for some reason FSX sucks.

When I checked, there was a drastic improvement from the Q6600 to the Q9550 without having to mess with overclocking at the moment. Then when I feel, I can overclock the Q9550 and still be ahead of the game in the future if I am not happy with the long awaited GTA4 or Far Cry 2.

Out of curiosity why do you say the Q9550 is not compatible with my EVGA 680i Mobo? I checked and the 680i has a FSB up to 1333. I believe that is the only thing that matters right? Or were you reffering to something else that makes it not compatible? Please continue to help, thank you.

 

[Spitfire7]

No, the 680i chipset does not support the 45nm quads.
IMHO, you should overclock your current Q6600 to 3.0Ghz and get better performance for free.

Ooooooooohhhhhhhhhh Noooooooooooo, are you serious? I dont have a Q6600. I have a Dual Core E6600. So what is the best CPU that I can get for my EVGA 680i Mobo? That really sucks!!!!!!!!

 

[Spitfire7]

So what Quad CPU can I get that runs at 1333, with possibly 12MB cache, and minimum of around 2.8Ghz give or take?

My board info says it supports Core 2 Extreme, Quad Core, Dual Core with FSB of 1066 and 1333.

 

[Vikingex]

Ok yeah Flight Simulator X is quite CPU driven, but honestly your graphics card will be a huge bottleneck if you upgraded to a Q9550. You are better off matching your components with each other.

So I recommend either overclocking your current E6600, buying a Q6600 or buying the 4870 1GB. If you need help overclocking let me know.

As to the Q9550, apparently it was due to the material change that caused it to be unstable with the 680i. It might boot up, but it will be extremely unstable as tested by Anandtech. Seriously do not go there, it will be a waste of $300.

 

[Spitfire7]

So what Quad CPU can I get that runs at 1333, with possibly 12MB cache, and minimum of around 2.8Ghz give or take?

My board info says it supports Core 2 Extreme, Quad Core, Dual Core with FSB of 1066 and 1333.

What do you mean by bottle nicking. I have heard of the term and I understand what it means, but why? Is that Q9550 processor too good for that card? Is that what you mean?

Ok, then lets start with the overclocking. I have no clue. I have tried and it got me no where

 

[Vikingex]

No offense but it is not the right time for a major overhaul of your PC. That is because everything has been released for 2008, there won't be any major developments until 2009 where we will start seeing the new Intels. Best CPU for your motherboard is without a doubt the Q6600. It is easily overclocked and very cheap. I have the following setup:

EVGA 680i
Q6600 - overclocked to 3.2ghz
6GB - DDR2-800
4870 - 1GB

Out of interest, what resolution are you running at?

 

[Spitfire7]

No offense but it is not the right time for a major overhaul of your PC. That is because everything has been released for 2008, there won't be any major developments until 2009 where we will start seeing the new Intels. Best CPU for your motherboard is without a doubt the Q6600. It is easily overclocked and very cheap. I have the following setup:

EVGA 680i
Q6600 - overclocked to 3.2ghz
6GB - DDR2-800
4870 - 1GB

Out of interest, what resolution are you running at?

I am running at the 1680x1050 on my 22in. Like I said, I am pretty happy with my 8800GT I just need to CPU upgraded for games like FSX. Ok so the Q6600 is the best for my mobo. Lets try just overclocking my current E6600 first. THat I will need help with.

 

[outlw6669]

Sorry, I saw the 6600 and just assumed there was a "Q" in front of it

Yeah, there is an incompatibility with the newer 45nm quads and your 680i chipset.
Your motherboard will support all 65nm dual and quad cores along with the 45nm dual core CPU's.

I still think you would be much better off overclocking what you have before spending the $$ upgrading the CPU.
3.0Ghz is easily obtained and should give you a significant boost in performance.
As you are already planning on upgrading your CPU, might as well go balls to the wall with overclocking first and see what you can get for free.

If, after overclocking, you are still not happy with the performance, there are only a few upgrade choices I could recommend.
The first and my personal preference would be a Q6600 (the exact same as yours but with 2 extra cores) overclocked 3.0Ghz+. The second being a E8400. The E8400 is one of the new 45nm dual cores running at 3.0Ghz. While it is compatible with your motherboard, it will only give you a very few % increase in performance compared to your current E6600 @ the same speed.

 

[Spitfire7]

Sorry, I saw the 6600 and just assumed there was a "Q" in front of it

Yeah, there is an incompatibility with the newer 45nm quads and your 680i chipset.
Your motherboard will support all 65nm dual and quad cores along with the 45nm dual core CPU's.

I still think you would be much better off overclocking what you have before spending the $$ upgrading the CPU.
3.0Ghz is easily obtained and should give you a significant boost in performance.
As you are already planning on upgrading your CPU, might as well go balls to the wall with overclocking first and see what you can get for free.

If, after overclocking, you are still not happy with the performance, there are only a few upgrade choices I could recommend.
The first and my personal preference would be a Q6600 (the exact same as yours but with 2 extra cores) overclocked 3.0Ghz+. The second being a E8400. The E8400 is one of the new 45nm dual cores running at 3.0Ghz. While it is compatible with your motherboard, it will only give you a very few % increase in performance compared to your current E6600 @ the same speed.

Thanks for the help outlw. You are right, I think I will overclock my current E6600. The biggest question is, will my current specs run the new GTA4 on max or High settings overclocked or not? Keep in mind I am currently running CODMW and Crysis all on the highest max graphics with the DX10 patch at wonderful FPS.

So how do I overclock my CPU corectly? Can I just use the windows based nVidia overclocking program?

 

[Spitfire7]

I am going to see if I can send my 680i back because my on board HD audio went out a while ago. I do have the lifetime warranty and maybe I can then upgrade to the 780i at that time.

 

[outlw6669]

Such a minor overclock can be done very easily but defiantly do it in the BIOS, windows based overclocking sucks!

In the BIOS change the following fields:

FSB: 266Mhz => 333Mhz
CPU Voltage: Auto => 1.4v (safe and should be enough voltage until you test for stability)
RAM: Manually set to 800Mhz, timings and voltage

Save and restart.
That's it, you now have an overclocked system!

As further steps, you should test for stability with dual instances of Prime95 in windows.
Keep an eye on your temps with Coretemp making sure they do not stay much higher than 75c.
If everything is stable, lower your CPU voltage one step and retest.
Continue in this fashion until you start getting errors, then raise your CPU voltage two settings.
You should be able to run this overclock at your CPU's VID with no issues.

If you want to know a little more about overclocking your CPU, check out the C2 Overclocking Sticky.

 

[Spitfire7]

Such a minor overclock can be done very easily but defiantly do it in the BIOS, windows based overclocking sucks!

In the BIOS change the following fields:

FSB: 266Mhz => 333Mhz
CPU Voltage: Auto => 1.4v (safe and should be enough voltage until you test for stability)
RAM: Manually set to 800Mhz, timings and voltage

Save and restart.
That's it, you now have an overclocked system!

As further steps, you should test for stability with dual instances of Prime95 in windows.
Keep an eye on your temps with Coretemp making sure they do not stay much higher than 75c.
If everything is stable, lower your CPU voltage one step and retest.
Continue in this fashion until you start getting errors, then raise your CPU voltage two settings.
You should be able to run this overclock at your CPU's VID with no issues.

If you want to know a little more about overclocking your CPU, check out the C2 Overclocking Sticky.

Wow, you make it sound so easy. So I take it that would be overclocked to 3.3MHz? Now should I start small and work my way up like I did with my GPU, or just go for it and there shouldn't be any problems? I dont want to fry my CPU so if this may be pushing it, then let me know.

Also, what did you mean by manually setting my RAM. I believe it is already at 800MHz and I have already overclocked it to 4-4-4-12. If that is what you mean, then never mind.

 

[outlw6669]

No, changing your FSB from 266Mhz to 333Mhz will put your CPU at 3.0Ghz (333Mhz * your CPU's multiplier of 9).
It really is that easy to get a basic overclock.

As for the RAM, RAM speed is determined at a ratio to the FSB.
If you change the FSB witout changing the ratio and your RAM will be running faster than it is capiable.
If you have already locked in the timings and voltage, all you will need to set is the RAM speed after changing the FSB.

 

[Spitfire7]

No, changing your FSB from 266Mhz to 333Mhz will put your CPU at 3.0Ghz (333Mhz * your CPU's multiplier of 9).
It really is that easy to get a basic overclock.

As for the RAM, RAM speed is determined at a ratio to the FSB.
If you change the FSB witout changing the ratio and your RAM will be running faster than it is capiable.
If you have already locked in the timings and voltage, all you will need to set is the RAM speed after changing the FSB.

So I checked out my BIOS and it wasn't as easy as it sounded. For some reason I cant change my CPU FSB. I can change my multiplier which is 9x right now, or my SLI-Ready Memory which says CPUOC 0% - MAX or EXPERT. Then when I select EXPERT it allows me to change my 1066 FSB. That is the only thing I can change. Now is that what I need to change?

 

[Spitfire7]

I didn't save anything, but in my windows overclocker I increased the reference clock from 267 default to 333. That then put my CPU core Frequency at 2,997 MHz and my FSB at 1,332MHz and my Memory bus Frequency at 999 DDR2 MHz. I am not able to change the Memory settings in my windows overclocker. So now I need to find a way to drop my Memory back down from 999 to 800 right?

 

[outlw6669]

Wow, your BIOS looks like a PITA to work with.
Take a look at your Motherboard's Manual pages 97 and 98.

Go to Advanced Chipset Features => FSB & Memory Config.
Change the FSB and Memory Clock Mode from Auto to Unlinked.
You will then be able to change your FSB to 1333Mhz QDR (QDR is Quad Data Rate or your real FSB * 4. IE 333Mhz = 1333Mhz QDR) and set your RAM to it's propper 800Mhz.
In Advanced Chipset Features => System Voltages you will be able to change your CPU voltage.

 

[Spitfire7]

Yeah it doesn't seem the most user friendly, even though when I bought this they said its one of the best for overclocking and easiest to use. Ok I will try that. Wish me luck.

 

[Spitfire7]

Hey what is my SLI-Ready Memory CPUOC? I have it currently at Enabled at 0%. Should I and can I do anything with that to get a little more juice out of it?

 

[Spitfire7]

So I checked my BIOS, which voltage do I increase to 1.4? My options are CPU Core and CPU FSB.

 

[Crashman]

Yeah it doesn't seem the most user friendly, even though when I bought this they said its one of the best for overclocking and easiest to use. Ok I will try that. Wish me luck.

"They" Lied. The Striker Extreme was a better board. In fact all the nVidia reference boards have been mediocre. I've tested all of them. And worse still, people were saying that the EVGA 680i reference motherboard was better than the ECS or Biostar, even though it was the same board, made by the same manufacturer. The only thing better about EVGA was the warranty.

So use that good warranty.

Fanboyism was really bad: Someone would spend a couple hours getting a great overclock out of some other motherboard, then an EVGA fan would spend weeks working on his system until he finally beet that result. The only reason any of those boards held any records at all is because fanboys put soo much more effort into it.

 

[outlw6669]

Hey what is my SLI-Ready Memory CPUOC? I have it currently at Enabled at 0%. Should I and can I do anything with that to get a little more juice out of it?

The SLI memory option is a marketing ploy from nVidia to get you to purchase more SLI certified components.
If your RAM was a SLI certified set, which it is not, it would have an extra profile with slightly lowered timings.
As your RAM is already running with low timings and has no extra profiles, I would leave this setting Disabled.

So I checked my BIOS, which voltage do I increase to 1.4? My options are CPU Core and CPU FSB.

Yes, 1.4v would be a good place to start.
It may need a little more to become stable but odds are that you can lower it a bit with stability testing.
The option you want to change would be the CPU Core Voltage.
As you are not overclocking the motherboard you can leave all the remaning settings, with the exception of the Memory Voltage, on Auto. The Memory Voltage should be set as Corsair recommends, 2.1v I believe.

I totaly agree Crashman.
The ability of these motherboards where WAY over hyped.
A few cherry picked boards to world class overclockers and touting the results does not make a great board.
It seems to be nVidia's policy.
If they can't make a product that is faster/better than their competition/last generation product, over hype some factitious benefits until the masses believe they have a new champion.

 

[Spitfire7]

The SLI memory option is a marketing ploy from nVidia to get you to purchase more SLI certified components.
If your RAM was a SLI certified set, which it is not, it would have an extra profile with slightly lowered timings.
As your RAM is already running with low timings and has no extra profiles, I would leave this setting Disabled.



Yes, 1.4v would be a good place to start.
It may need a little more to become stable but odds are that you can lower it a bit with stability testing.
The option you want to change would be the CPU Core Voltage.
As you are not overclocking the motherboard you can leave all the remaning settings, with the exception of the Memory Voltage, on Auto. The Memory Voltage should be set as Corsair recommends, 2.1v I believe.

I totaly agree Crashman.
The ability of these motherboards where WAY over hyped.
A few cherry picked boards to world class overclockers and touting the results does not make a great board.
It seems to be nVidia's policy.
If they can't make a product that is faster/better than their competition/last generation product, over hype some factitious benefits until the masses believe they have a new champion.

Outlaw,

So I can put the FSB voltage back down to default 1.2? When I increased the CPU voltage the PCI-E and the FSB all went up to 1.4 as well.