'Extreme Edition' CPUs are not worth your money

kittyhawk

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The Intel 'Extreme Edition' CPUs fetch astronomical price tags (US$999 or even more) and are largely identical to the upper mainstream CPUs (which cost considerably less).

The (serious) problem with the 'Extreme Edition' CPUs is that they become obsolete very quickly. For example, the Pentium Extreme Edition 965 (a Pentium D @ 3.73GHz with hyper threading) cost US$999 back in March 2006. Just 18 months later, a PC user can get similar performance with only a Pentium Dual Core E2160 (which cost only US$89)! And the Pentium Dual Core E2160 runs much cooler and has significantly greater overclocking potential (despite it's multiplier being locked) than the Pentium Extreme Edition 965!

The exorbitant prices, along with quick depreciation and only a marginal increase in performance make the 'Extreme Edition' CPUs not worth your money. This is my opinion on the super-costly CPUs from Intel.
 

coltz

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Do people seriously care about those? Geez. Those are the ripoffs intended for people with way too much cash to burn...
 

yomamafor1

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Um... isn't that the same as FX-62, which also costs 1k at that time?

Ironically, it performed lower than E6700, which was about 500 bucks at the time...
 

japps2

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yes, I care about them. why...because I can. Yes, they become obsolete about as often as top-line videocards...but then if you're buying 2 8800 ultras and an extreme cpu...then you don't ask about price. And i have run into a lot of people running just that. Extreme systems aren't for everyone, but they do have a place. don't **** on people for wanting something like an extreme cpu, or new motherboard, or DDR3...we have feeling too you know
 

dragonsprayer

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yes and no

YES: for the most part yes - you can run almost any regualar cpu at the same speed as the extreme

No - not always (i have built and sold the fastest air cooled computers in the world for the last 5 years) - lets take the EE965, this cpu chip will run 4.4ghz on air and over 4.55ghz on water. There is no non-exteme chip that will run those speeds.

But..... you can get very clost with the non-extreme chips.

The IMPORTANT PART - why is it today its "yes" it is due to the fact you get the best results at low multipliers with the core 2 design. Where as the EE965 ran best at a multipler of 16 the C2D are best suited to 9-11x multipiers - so an E6600 or Q6600 will match a EE chip.

Now, what is the extreme speed? I ship Q6600 systems at 3.61ghz - i have posted for months the settings to run this speed (july on THG 3.61ghz is the new 4.1ghz), Dell charges 3 times the amout (as i do) for the same thing (about the same performance) in water cooling - i use air.

So my $2500-$3300 3.6ghz systems will match the $7000 dell's at much lower voltage. I run a Q6600 at 450fsb (maximum extreme mobo) or around 4ghz on air for myself. I do not sell 4ghz systems - yet! They will ship in a few months on air and water.

In many cases the exteme chip is a waste of money,why, you have to look back a few years since in the old days they had to sort the chips and pick a few good ones. The dirty secret is Intel is so good at making cpu's that once you get to the E6600 and Q6600 level, there is very little difference in max speed.

As always i am the #1 intel fan boy! bias? maybe?

For example take my top of the line gaming systems for the last 4 years - the xtreme name is over used now. I have used and continue to use the "xtreme" name - I started using the xtreme name in 2003 to repersent overclocked maximum peformance gaming systems. X= single core X2=dual core and X4=quad. I sold 4.1ghz systems before dells first overclock system a copy! I think i beat amd the x name!

2004 warpedsystems Xteme 3.8ghz
2005 warpedsystems xtreme 4.1XT 4.1Ultra 4.25ghz max speed air cooled (16x on 230fsb)
2006 wapredsystems Xteme2 dual core 4.4CF (4.4ghz 16x on 272mhz bus) air 4.6SLIghz water
2007 warpedsystems Xteme4 3.6ghz (9x on 400fsb) air cooled quad core

I am currently testing the 4ghz ddr3 air cooled computer for 2008

2004=3.0c
2005 = 3.6J
2006=EE965
2007=Q6600 go (the b3 was shipped at 3.3ghz)


so out of the last 4 years only 1 year did we use the extreme chips. The qx6700 and the q6600 ran about the same. The qx6800 was little more then good marketing. The Qx6850 was a preview of the q6600 go stepping. The new intel cpu's will be the same the $400-$600 sweet spot in mid january should run the same as the extreme if history repeats itself!

IFB#1 amd is always #2 (lets pray they do not fold)


warpedsystems xtreme warranty = lifetime labor and 3 years cpu on overclocked systems
 

NMDante

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If someone wants to spend the money for an Extreme CPU, who's to tell them they are stupid? It's their money. You can say the same thing about a lot of other things, from cars, houses, and even clothes. Who really cares?

Frankly, the EE and FX line is just a bit too much for most people, but to those who can afford it, more power to ya.
 



Meh,

Typical newbie post who doesn't really have any other topic to post about in the forum.

Nothing to see here. Move along. Move along.
 

dragonsprayer

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I want just make the point - that sometime the extreme will give better performace

with the new 1600fsb chips and the 1333fsb chips overlcocking by fsb is greatly limited.

Intel has won in three fronts: 1) oem's have a fast cpu with 1600fsb 3.2ghz quad, 2) the overlcoking of the lower 1600fsb chips is limited forcing you to buy the extreme - where as the q6600 worked 3) they have completely left amd back at the gate


as far as hawking: my company site under construction is pcgamingsystemsdotnet - so now i have hawked
 

niz

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If you're worrying about price/performance then extreme processors are not for you.
I love my C2EX but then I can afford the best without feeling remorse.
And to all those without a clue like the OP that claim extreme cpus are the same as non-extreme CPUs: have you ever actually owned one? I can overclock my system waaay better than with any non-extreme CPU due to the fact they select only the highest quality/performing chips from testing for extreme cpus and also have unlocked multiplier.
 

japps2

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it's all relative. when I was in college, I was lucky to own an AMD (and ate top romen to afford that). Now I have some money, extreme time baby. Just like cars...don't get your panties in a bunch if I drive a nicer car than you...it's not like I'm going to sell it and get a Honda Civic just because you made some bad career decisions in life.
 

Rolenio

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I'm glad for you japps2, honestly. But I feel you have some wrong priorities in your life. Maybe it's just my jealousy speaking...
 



meh - It's the same reason people buy a $12,000 open class sportbike with 140 rear wheel horsepower and capable of 9 second quarter mile times when they can spend half that on a commuter and still get far more capability than is legal/sane to use on the streets anyhow. Or why some maniac would take a '74 Chevy Monza (anyone remember those!?!?), strip and build up an L83 small block 350 which they.. ummm.... "Liberated" from an 84 'Vette, and stuff that sucker under the hood. (Think: V-8 in a Civic) Or why we have Choppers running around the streets with enough chrome on them to plate Paris (the city, not the whore). Or why the founders of a certain internet related companiy have to get NASA to allow them to park their 747 on a government owned runway because that sucker's too off the charts for the local airport.

You ask "Why"!?!? The answer is Because They Can! And for some folks, that's all the reason required. <grins and heads out to the garage>
 



heh - Open the throttle on a bike with a 139 Cubic Inch S&S. No way in heaven or hell could you accuse that mutha of being a "dead object". :love: Just you, if you dont' pay attention to where you're pointed at! ;)