How much boost will oc give?

[maskarat]

how much should i be expecting from oc'ing q9550 to 3.65 ghz? i couldn't find the benchmarks, also in another way to ask,how much fps boost should i see while at 3.65ghz vs stock while playing games like gta 4?
system:
8gb ddr2 800
1 gtx 285

also would it be more beneficial if i upgrade to i7 920 with gtx 285 or 2 way sli with 285's with q9550?

 

[jonpaul37]

this is a tough one, the Q9550 is a great CPU on a dying (not dead yet) LGA 775 platform. On the other hand, the i7 920 is a fantastic CPU that is more future-proof.

Both are very Overclockable, so not much debate there. OC the Q9550 to 3.6 and you'll see a good increase, not staggering, but definately noticeable. The FPS boost in GTA4 would maybe be in the double digits, (perhaps 8 - 15 FPS increase)

Now, clock-for-clock, the i7 920 is better than the Q9550 and you can easily hit 3.8 on air, but in my opinion, they are both great CPU's. That said, more GPU power is going to yield the best results, but at what expense?...

If it were me and i was in position to upgrade my platform from LGA775 to i7, i would, but that's just me, LGA775 still has a couple good years left but the i7/x58 motherboard will have a longer life.

If you NEED raw power now, go with Q9550 and OC to 3.6 or higher for a nice boost, then add the 2nd 285 for an even nicer boost.

If it is longevity you are looking for, get the i7 and wait a little bit to add another 285 (when you have the extra $$$)

 

[OvrClkr]

3.65ghz vs stock ??

That is an extra 800Mhz, meaning you will see a significant boost in performance. You will not notice a major performance gain if you decide to upgrage to a 920 unless you are planning on doing some extreme overclocking...

Your quad at 3.65Ghz is more than enough for your games....

If you want to get your moneys worth do not buy another GTX 285. They are overpriced and easily beaten by AMD's 5850. You will not notice much of a performance increase by adding a second 285 if you are comparing what you paid vs. what you get....The second 285 will give you an extra 20 frames give or take... If you are ok with spending 350.00$+ for 20 frames then I say go ahead... If not then save your cash

My suggestion would be to wait till Nvidia launches their 3xx series and then decide....

http://www.guru3d.com/article/radeon-hd-5770-review-test/18

 

[pluke the 2]

how much should i be expecting from oc'ing q9550 to 3.65 ghz? i couldn't find the benchmarks, also in another way to ask,how much fps boost should i see while at 3.65ghz vs stock while playing games like gta 4?
system:
8gb ddr2 800
1 gtx 285

also would it be more beneficial if i upgrade to i7 920 with gtx 285 or 2 way sli with 285's with q9550?

Mask,

Depending on your financial situation, I was in your same spot, and I sold my Q9550 (OC @ 4.00) w/ two GTX8800's in SLI for a Intel I7 Rig that I built from scratch w/ +++ $$$. Sold my system for 800.00 and saved up every penny from 2 paychecks and bought a full system for around $2200.00

 

[jonpaul37]

it is a tough call overall, more of a preference call really, OC has a good point, OC the snot out of the 9550 & wait for Nvidia's Fermi to come out...