E8500 or Q6600?

[stormvice]

Hello. I´m upgrading my rig and now i´m stuck on a question.
Currently i´m using a Gigabyte GA-965P-DS3 1.0, Core 2 Duo E6300@2.8Ghz, 2gb OCZ DDR2 800 and a Radeon HD4870, everything on a Zalman 460W PSU
I wanna go a step further, reach 4gb of ram and change the CPU, but the budget is low. I got really upset when I saw that the 1.0 version of my mobo cannot support the E8500.

Some hardware parts in Brazil are REALLY expensive. A 150 dollars P45 board worth over 220 here.
They´re selling both Intel E8500 and Q6600 at 210~220 dollars. Worth to take the Q6600 and keep the mobo or it´s better get the E8500 and a new mobo?

It´s basically a gaming rig (using a 20" 1680x1050 LCD), but I do some video editing and play with Vmware too.

Thx

 

[outlw6669]

I would get the Q6600 and overclock it to at least 3Ghz.
Especially editing video and using Vmware, the extra cores will be nice to have.
If you cooling and motherboard are up to the task, you should have no issues oveclocking a Q6600 past a stock E8600.

 

[auscanzukus]

Depends on the ratio of time spent on each task. i.e. 2:1 gaming vs editing. Then a dualie. Vmware will love a quad.

 

[mersonix]

E8400 can be clocked higher than a E8400 and for gaming an E8400 outperforms the Q6600 (overclock it and it'll be even better). Many programs aren't written to utilize 4 cores so you end up with a 2.4ghz dual core for most tasks (without overclocking).

E8400 ftw.

 

[stormvice]

I would get the Q6600 and overclock it to at least 3Ghz.
Especially editing video and using Vmware, the extra cores will be nice to have.
If you cooling and motherboard are up to the task, you should have no issues oveclocking a Q6600 past a stock E8600.

I have a Coolermaster Hyper TX2 on the E6300 and the case cooling is average.
I have two 120mm Zalman ZM-F3 and room to add one more.

Can you tell me If the Q6600 can run with the HTX2 smooth?

 

[outlw6669]

You should have no issues with the TX2 to at least 3Ghz.
It looks to be built pretty similar to the Artic Cooling Freezer 7 Pro which would have no issues at 3.2Ghz or a little higher.
I don't think you will have any issues with it.