775 socket.... Yeah or nah?

Cabt

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Hi all. This forum was extremely helpful when I did my build some 4+ years ago. I used a gigabyte board that was highly recommended here that has the 775 socket. I think I am running the e2200 allendale if memory serves (no punn intended). Needless to say the old gal is showing her age, especially as I have recently tried to install Boxee on it to sister up with my Boxee box in the theater.....Ina any event, my system needs a jolt to keep up. Primary use is really just Internet. It will now hopefully serve as a media server too. I would really prefer to not spend more than a couple hundred bucks if at all possible. BTW, I am running 8 gig of RAM. So the questions are:

Is it worth upgrading the processor on my current board or is it a lost cause and will I only see a material benefit from a board and processor swap?

If I can keep my current board and upgrade the processor (fingers crossed) what is the way to go?

As always. Thanks in advance!

-Clayton
 
Assuming your current motherboard will accept a Q9400 (you need to check w/ the manufacture), it should give you a decent performance increase since it is a little faster (2.66GHz) and has 4 cores. You can purchase a refurbished Q9400 for $148.

http://www.compuvest.com/Desc.jsp?iid=1753120

If you want a new Q9400, then that brings the price up to $183, but is an OEM version. Meaning only 3 month warranty and no heatsink.

http://www.digiconcepts.com/intel_cpus_257.htm

If you want a new retail Q9400 that comes in a box with the heatsink and a full 3 year warranty, then that will set you back $340. At this point you might as well buy a current Intel Core i5 CPU, motherboard and 4 GB of RAM for more or less the same amount of money, but you will get a huge boost in performance. More than a Q9400 can give you.

http://www.amazon.com/Intel-Q9400-Processor-LGA775-BX80580Q9400/dp/B001DO1Q1O/ref=pd_sim_sbs_pc_1
 

Cabt

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I have The aftermarket heat sink I bought when I built her which I assume should do the trick. When I built it I used an oem processor anyways so I am not averse to going that route, unless someone advises different.

Thanks!
 

cmi86

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Yes your mobo supports all of the Core2 line-up so I would advise you just go ahead with the less expensive CPU upgrade to a Core 2 quad of your choosing since it does not appear this machine needs to be anything super special. A C2Q will be more than enough for any task you have listed.
 

Cabt

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$399.....That's just nuts. A little less inclined to buy a used CPU. I may be incorrect, but I would assume that some of these chips could have been pushed to their limits if used? Additional $80 for new doesn't seem like a bad investment...or am I just out of the know?

-Clayton
 

cmi86

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If you are considering buying a new CPU for $190 you might aswell just build a new rig. Dropping $100 into a 775 socket is one thing, dropping $200 is a whole different story.
 

popatim

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1: you cant overclock dell or hp, well not easily. LoL So risk of a burnt cpu is small.

2: I agree with CMI86, I wouldnt spend too much on the system. Socket 775 is pretty dead. If your going to spend $200+ you might as well get a cheap i3 system and get the same perfomance as the core2quad plus now you have an easy upgrade path in socket 1155.

3: your media server will benefit from having a fast dedicated drive for the media. Having your system files, swap files, temp files, and media files all on the same drive can lead to lots of HDD thrashing. Your core2duo should be fine in media server roll.

4: Your core2duo should handle internet ok, Have you tried wiping everything and reinstalling windows fresh so that its not clutter with remants of old stuff? I would think that it would handle internet and media server just fine, my athlon x2 240 does and you have a bit more powerfull processor than I do.
 


Yep.

If you can get the Dell PC for a decent bid, then you can just take the Q9450 out of it and install it in your mobo. You can scavenge the rest of the Dell for any usable parts that can be reused or auctioned off. However, don't bid more than what you want to spend on the CPU because the rest of the Dell is more or less scrap.

EDIT:

The Dell is now $132.50 and it's reserve has not been met. I would consider a max bid in the range of $150 - $180 because that's basically the price of a Q9400 that has been refurbished (30 day warranty) and a new OEM Q9400 (90 day warranty).
 

Cabt

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The confusion ensues. Ok....so I should be fine with a used cpu...correct (I tend to look at these things as I do sports cars...sure I would love a used M3...but the guy who had it before me probably red lined the hell out of it)? But if i wanted to build a new rig....I assume I can use most of the guts of what I currently have or no? Assuming I can...RAM, SATA drives etc, what would the cost of a new board and chip be?

If I can get away with a used chip for a while, maybe that is the way to go...I tend to to doubt I can find a new board and chip for less than two bills that is worth its weight.
 

cmi86

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Yes but when you go to look at that M3 you can still tell if shes in good running order. Even the "used" CPU's offer a 7-14 day warranty allowing you to verify the CPU is in good working order.

On the other note yes your SATA devices will be compatible as current MOBO's still use SATA. RAM maybe if it is DDR3 and GPU yes if it is PCI-e.
 

Cabt

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RAM is DDR2.....sticking with a 775 socket is sounding better...ok...so....lets assume I grab a used chip.....how do you test it to see if it is in good working order? Again with the car analogy...the timing belt may have needed to be changed at 60k but it wasnt done and now the odo reads 95k.....the car will run fine but that thing can snap loose at any moment....is there a way to actually test a cpu to know that it hasn't been beated like a rented mule?
 

cmi86

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Stress test the CPU with either Prime95 or OCCT. If the system becomes unstable (lock ups, BSOD's , artifacts, anything out of the ordinary really) Or if the CPU displays abnormally high temperatures return it asap. It's a little better than the car analogy because in this scenario you get to wring that M3's neck for a week to see if you can break it, and if you do... Oh well give it back to the guys and ask to test drive another one :)
 

specopspc

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Do yourself the favor get an i5 2500K which is unlocked for around $220-240 you have 4 cores and can overclock to 4.6ghz on air no problem. I was on the same fence as you chasing the 775 Cpu down but gave up when looking at the cpu specs & ram DDR3 1866 16gigs for $90 try that with a 775; just saying but if you get into the new i3, i5, or i7 at least go with an i5. IMHO Best of luck to you.
 

cmi86

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Did you even read the OP ?? This is not a gaming or high performance rig in any way. Its a light general use machine with a somewhat low budget. Besides the obvious that the 2500K is total overkill in this scenario it is also more expensive in it's self than any solution that has been discussed.