Is It worth it?

[cowcrusher]

Hey guys, I have a E6400 processor with an Msi P965 platinum mobo, 2gigs of croshair ddr2 800mhz ram and 7600gt gpu (upgrading to dx10 card at end of year) also a 600watt thermaltake psu. I was wondering if it would be worth it to go with the new processors coming out (fbs1333) I was thinking about the 3ghz model and a Gigabyte mobo http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813128047 . Is it worth it for the performance? Also I have a friend who would buy my mobo,cpu,7600gt and an old 500 watt psu once I decide to get the upgrades. depending on the price I sell my stuff to him I might not lose any more money or I might lose around 20-100 bucks.

 

[o1die]

1333 cpus are only a few points faster. If your setup is stable, I wouldn't do it unless you have the cash in hand. I used to build 2 systems a year, but can't sell my used stuff anymore with Fry's and Dell nearby.

 

[cowcrusher]

1333 cpus are only a few points faster. If your setup is stable, I wouldn't do it unless you have the cash in hand. I used to build 2 systems a year, but can't sell my used stuff anymore with Fry's and Dell nearby.

but won't the 3ghz processor with a bigger cache and a little more preformance boost do a lot better than my E6400? or could I just oc my processor pretty well with a new cooler like a coolit or thermalright ultra 120 extreme? Also kinda off topic but sorta on topic, does cache make that much difference? (kinda pissed me off that the E6420 came out a little after I got my processor) Also would it be more worth my money just to get a E6600 or E6700 and use my mobo I have already? I can pretty much guess that oc'ing my processor would be best.

 

[cowcrusher]

btw I am talking about the Core 2 Duo E6850 not the 1k dollar Extreme one.

 

[leo2kp]

The extra cache will give anywhere between 3% and 10% increase from what I remember. I'd personally go for the cheapest 1.3GHz FSB 4m chip and OC from there. 3+GHz is easy on any 4m cache Intel these days

 

[cowcrusher]

The extra cache will give anywhere between 3% and 10% increase from what I remember. I'd personally go for the cheapest 1.3GHz FSB 4m chip and OC from there. 3+GHz is easy on any 4m cache Intel these days

hm then I definitly would like a 4m chip, Wouldn't I get a longer lifespan out of a E6700 or E6600 with my current msi mobo oc'd to 3ghz than a say E6420 oc'd to 3ghz? Also the price cut charts I see only list the fbs1333 chips, does anyone know what the price of the E6600 or E6700 will be? (my guess is the E6600 is more bang for your buck too due to the prices I see on them right now)

 

[MattyMustng]

I personally am in pretty much the same situation. I have an e6400 and are planning to upgrade after the July 22 Intel price drops. I am deliberating between an e6850 and a Q6600. I originally thought that the Q6600 would allow me to do more, still be faster than my current processor, and have better support for multi-threaded apps. I also assumed that the e6850 would be better for gaming (since I have an 8800 and several DX10 games). Crysis is going to be multi-threaded so a Q6600 would be better for that. But, after reading the Tom's Hardware CPU comparisons I was slightly turned off of the e6850 (especially considering the future possibilities for a quad). Reference these: http://www.tomshardware.com/2007/07/16/cpu_charts_2007/page34.html#3dmark_06. These are the 3dmark06 and PCmark scores. I orignally figured that the e6850 would take the Q6600 in 3dmark and the reverse for PCmark. But actually, 3dmark shows a somewhat considerable advantage to the quad, ESPECIALLY in the CPU test. In the CPU test (which is to be expected) the quads have no match. CPU test under PCmark also shows a win to the quad, but the in the memory test the e6850 beat all. Thus, I am now highly considering the quad core, especially considering that I run Vista (for which multiple cores is useful) and that you will begin to see more and more apps that can take advantage of four cores. The Q6600 and e6850 are going be the exact same price after the drop: an amazing $266. This is why I wouldn't consider any other processors. The e6850 is the best dual core by far and the Q6600 is half the price of the Q6700 while, clearly, still offering amazing performance. For $266, that is hard to beat. Now, I am not sure about your motherboard, but my Asus P5B-Deluxe has a bios update that allows me to run the e6850 in "FSB1333 mode." Your motherboard may have such an update as well, in which case, purchasing a new motherboard now would be essentially pointless. You can always do so later. Here are the new Intel proc prices after the July 22 drop (which is gonna stick it to AMD):

Quad Cores -
QX6850 (1333 FSB): $999
QX6800 (1066): $999
Q6700 (1066): $530
Q6600 (1066): $266

Dual Core (4mb L2 Cache)-
e6850 (1333): $266
e6750 (1333): $183
e6550 (1333): $163
e6540 (1333): $163

Dual Core (2mb L2 Cache)-
e4500 (800): $133
e4400 (800): $113

Dual Core (1mb L2 Cache)-
e2180 (800): not sure
e2160 (800): $84


You can obviously buy the Q6600 or 6700 without any change of motherboard or updating. Personally, I suggest the Q6600 or e6850. I am not sure about price drops of the current e6600's or e6700's but I am sure they are to drop as well. But, with the price of either that extremely fast dual core or the quad, I would go with one them. Can't beat it for that price. Also, there will be some August 26 price drops, but you can be sure that they won't halve the prices again! Great time to buy a new processor, even with a new line leering around the Christmas corner. Hope this helped.

 

[DuncanMcCloud]

I have an e6400... i overclock it to a nice freq at 2560Mhz, i like it there and the temp is nice at 40 deg cel. I have 2 gigs 800Mhz. I had a 7600gt, but got an 8800gts 640mb...the gfx card upgrade is soooooo much better. The 7600gt was holding the cpu back.

I say overclock your cpu (get some nice cooling) and oc it to 2.8Ghz if u have to (should be stable there without fiddling with the core voltage).

Get a new cpu later when AMD decides to do something...

 

[cowcrusher]

So Mustng will that new line of intels be around christmas or after? because most of my upgrades will be around christmas time due to some instruments I have to pay off right now. Also damn that quad does look pretty sexy on those charts also if that quad can run on my current mobo I might buy that if nothing crazy comes out when I'm ready to buy (which most likely it will)

edit: damn I just noticed that my msi can't run quad. But depending on the lineup when I want to upgrade I will check the processors, I don't like the P965 chipset so I would want to move to another board anyway, this mobo I wanted for the fbs1333 can run that quad if I decide that is the best. But by some of the game benchmarks it is iffy, the E6750 or E6850 seems better for now but who knows by the time I buy the games might have quad patches to make the computer run like a beast

 

[andybird123]

the difference in performance at the same speed setting is only a couple of percent, just overclock that E6300 to 3.5ghz and be happy

 

[cowcrusher]

the difference in performance at the same speed setting is only a couple of percent, just overclock that E6300 to 3.5ghz and be happy

hm I guess so, just a 4m cache would be nice especially since I record music and I'm getting into coding/3d design and this processor runs kinda hot but I'm guessing it is stock cooling. Also it is an E6400 I'm still debating on which cooler to use though, the stock runs idle at 52c (not oc'd) and the rest of the comp is usually at 27-32c but I'm guessing it is just what the stock cooler runs all the cpu's at.

 

[MattyMustng]

So Mustng will that new line of intels be around christmas or after? because most of my upgrades will be around christmas time due to some instruments I have to pay off right now. Also damn that quad does look pretty sexy on those charts also if that quad can run on my current mobo I might buy that if nothing crazy comes out when I'm ready to buy (which most likely it will)

edit: damn I just noticed that my msi can't run quad. But depending on the lineup when I want to upgrade I will check the processors, I don't like the P965 chipset so I would want to move to another board anyway, this mobo I wanted for the fbs1333 can run that quad if I decide that is the best. But by some of the game benchmarks it is iffy, the E6750 or E6850 seems better for now but who knows by the time I buy the games might have quad patches to make the computer run like a beast

I think originally the new line was due out late Q4 of this year. Now, it may be pushed back to Q1 of next year. The main advantages are: faster clocks (in excess of 3 ghz), 45nm process, higher cache (features 6mb for dual and 12mb for quad), and all of them will be FSB1333. If you are thinking of upgrading your motherboard it would be best to go with a P35 chipset - then you have the latest technology and abilities to use current FSB1333 chips and future ones. The nice P35 motherboard's really aren't much more expensive than the P965's. At any rate, if you are going to upgrade at Christmas I don't know what to suggest. From what it looks like now, the new lines won't be out until Q1 2008. But, at Christmas you will probably have a better idea than you do now.

 

[Kamrooz]

I skipped most the replies so I apologize for that. Overall you all already have C2D's.....6400...6300...Whichever it is I don't think it'd be justified to change NOW when in 3-5 months Penryn will be out. Your systems are already good performers compared to what most people have. I got a 3.2 prescott and waiting till the end of the year for x38/penryn/g92...But since you guys got a c2d duo already that already runs leaps and bounds over my prescott...Why upgrade to a 1333 fsb processor?..They aren't that much better then the 1066 counterparts. Just wait till penryn..It'll be more justified and an actual decent performance boost from going to a current gen c2d to another one.

 

[cowcrusher]

I skipped most the replies so I apologize for that. Overall you all already have C2D's.....6400...6300...Whichever it is I don't think it'd be justified to change NOW when in 3-5 months Penryn will be out. Your systems are already good performers compared to what most people have. I got a 3.2 prescott and waiting till the end of the year for x38/penryn/g92...But since you guys got a c2d duo already that already runs leaps and bounds over my prescott...Why upgrade to a 1333 fsb processor?..They aren't that much better then the 1066 counterparts. Just wait till penryn..It'll be more justified and an actual decent performance boost from going to a current gen c2d to another one.

sounds good I wasn't sure if the penryn was going to come out around the time I upgraded to a g92 But my upgrades are going to be at the end of the year as I believe I stated so I will be upgrading to something better than the fbs1333 processors I might even wait a little longer for that other processor I heard about that is a little after penryn

 

[cowcrusher]

I just contacted MSI seeing if the new and the quads are supported on my older revision of this board and they all are!!! Just still if the penryn is going to be that much better and be affordable in 3-5 months then I can wait (just has to be affordable lol)

 

[jaguarskx]

The extra cache will give anywhere between 3% and 10% increase from what I remember.

That 10% is for DivX encoding. iTunes gets the next highest boost of 9.1%. Overall, the average performance increase is only 3.5%.

See the link to Anandtech's review:

http://www.anandtech.com/cpuchipsets/intel/showdoc.aspx?i=2795&p=4