I3-2100T vs X4-615E to replace Q6600

[BerMM]

I currently have a Q6600(G0) on a DG45ID with 2GB DDR2 800 Tracer RAM, a GTS 250, 2x 250GB Scorpio Black, and a 600W ModXStream Pro. I've been very happy with it, but I'm looking to modify it to run even cooler. I'm looking for any advice on how to do that on a budget.

I've noticed that the i3-2100T and X4-615E are rated at 35w and 45w compared to the 95W of the Q6600, but will require a new motherboard and ram. This is a bit more than I'd like to spend, but I have enough spare parts to complete another system with the Q6600 and sell it. I'd like to mess with vmware, multitask web stuff, play some star trek online and duke 4ever @ 1080p. According to PassMark the candidates score as follows: i3-2100T: 3244, X4-615E: 2970, Q6600: 2992. I'm a bit surprised that the hyperthreaded dual core beat both quad cores, though it does have faster memory access than the Q6600 and better cache scheme than the AMD.

So how bout it, will this significantly cut down on my heat without seeing a big impact on performance? And which is more recommended, the i3 or X4?

 

[o1die]

Not that much. The cpu heat is only a small part of your overall temp in your system. The i3 and x4 E series reduce energy consumption, but you'll never save enough to pay for them. I would try selling your old components first before ordering. q6600 cpus are still popular and yours should move quickly. Of the two, the 2100t is the better choice.

 

[BerMM]

Saving electricity is a minor goal. Primarily I want to run the air conditioner less this summer (for comfort reasons). I was looking into Atom D525 minis for my day to day stuff and only powering up the Q6600 for occasional gaming and other heavy duty things. I was also wanting a RAM upgrade for the Q6600, and DDR3 is just as cheap as DDR2, so that cost doesn't matter. Considering what I should get for the Q6600 + 2GB tracer + 7800GT + DG45ID + VF1000BWS lanbox + X-Finity 2G 600W PS, I should be money ahead and not needing to leave the AC running just to have my PC on.

 

[BerMM]

Best answer selected by bermm.