Question Questions about buying a core 2 quad q9400

[KD266]

Hello so my friend gifted me a gtx 1050ti 4GB for my birthday but i have a very weak processor (core 2 duo e8200)
Im thinking about getting a core 2 quad q9400 just for now because im low on budget
I got a 300W Psu (Is that good?)
And i havent got a cooler my cpu cools in some old way idk what it is . Can u recommend me a cheap cooler for this processor?

 

[gamerbrehdy]

Can you send us the precise specs of all your components?
Makes it a bit easier sometimes

 

[InvalidError]

While upgrading to a quad-core may help, you do have to keep in mind that most games are still heavily dependent on single-thread performance and modern CPUs have ~70% better IPC. Depending on what games you play, you may end up only going from unplayable to less unplayable.

 

[KD266]

i mean i dont play 2019 or 2018 games i play csgo or league of legends
Full specs
Core 2 duo E8200 2.66Ghz
Gtx 1050 Ti 4GB
8 GB Ram
300 W PSU
I dont know the psu brand

 

[VIVO-US]

What motherboard do you have? And are you able to remove the case's side panel to check on the PSU brand and model?

 

[Third-Eye]

i mean i dont play 2019 or 2018 games i play csgo or league of legends
Full specs
Core 2 duo E8200 2.66Ghz
Gtx 1050 Ti 4GB
8 GB Ram
300 W PSU
I dont know the psu brand

Is this a branded system like a Dell or HP desktop? Can you give us the model number if it is?

 

[KD266]

I got a d3011-a1 fujitsu motherboard

 

[atljsf]

the problem here is not if you can or can't upgrade to such cpu, the question would be if you should invest on that part and will get the performance boost you expect to get from it

we are talking about a 10 year old pc, i never try to upgrade such old pc, always have bad results, or the new cpu doesn't work, or motherboard starts to give problems, or all parts die a couple months after the upgrade

the 4 cores cpu you mention and the gpu together will use around 200 watts under load, the psu is 300 watts, but is old and i wouldn't trust it on not just dying under load

my point is, while is doable, is a better idea to consider take the new gpu and put it on a new build made with new parts, so you get a more powerful pc that will use completely the gpu and will last for more years while giving you less problems

 

[Third-Eye]

I got a d3011-a1 fujitsu motherboard

What type of case do you have? Is it slim, a mid-tower case or is it a slim tower? Can you post the actual model of the system.

Depending on what market you have access to, you could probably get a q9400 for cheap. In the US we can get it on ebay for $10-20. The problem you have though is upgrading the power supply. If it's a slim case, you will be limited to lower power slim case power supplies. Also, because it's a BTX board and not an ATX board you are very limited in new computer case selections if you need to upgrade to a standard ATX power supply to reach at least 450watt. Your 300 watt PSU should be enough for a q9400 but not with a GTX 1050ti. I personally wouldn't trust a 10+ year old 300 watt power supply with more than a 50 watt video card. The PSU most likely doesn't have a PCIE rail to supply the GTX 1050ti.

 

[KD266]

the problem here is not if you can or can't upgrade to such cpu, the question would be if you should invest on that part and will get the performance boost you expect to get from it

we are talking about a 10 year old pc, i never try to upgrade such old pc, always have bad results, or the new cpu doesn't work, or motherboard starts to give problems, or all parts die a couple months after the upgrade

the 4 cores cpu you mention and the gpu together will use around 200 watts under load, the psu is 300 watts, but is old and i wouldn't trust it on not just dying under load

my point is, while is doable, is a better idea to consider take the new gpu and put it on a new build made with new parts, so you get a more powerful pc that will use completely the gpu and will last for more years while giving you less problems

Im gonna do that for sure but i mean is it good on short term like 1 year or a little bit less bcs thats for how long imma use it than im going to upgrade it
I mean 20 euros arent that much i just need it for now

 

[atljsf]

yes, you are completelly correct, is a cheap upgrade, the first thing you have to do is find out if the bios of that fujitsu motherboard needs a update and can handle the cpu you mention, then buy and replace it

the heatsink you have now might not be enough ,so perhaps consider buy a heatsink too

remember that being a old build might do what you want for that time, or might just die in a week, after 5 or 6 years the degradation of a motherboard and a psu is considerable, 10 years or more is alot of time

sorry, i don't see the exact model of the fujitsu machine you have,to see if i can find a list of supported cpus or at least a known to work list of cpus

 

[VIVO-US]

I got a d3011-a1 fujitsu motherboard

Alright, according to Fujitsu, the Q9400 is supported by your motherboard. I see that it's a BTX motherboard though, which means no modern cooler is going to fit if you need a cooler upgrade. The Q9400 is about 50% hotter than the E8200.

 

[KD266]

Ill check that when i go to the shop to look and buy it, maybe the expert can tell me smthng

 

[Third-Eye]

Ill check that when i go to the shop to look and buy it, maybe the expert can tell me smthng

What you can do instead is get a 65 watt S model instead of the Q9400 which is 95watt. It will be within the same cooling range requirement as the E8200 you have now without needing to change the cooler. That doesn't mean it won't run hotter then the E8200, but at least it shouldn't overheat like a 95 watt would.

There are 6 C2Q 65 watt S model CPUs you could use. Q8200S 2.33Ghz, Q8400S 2.66Ghz, Q9400S 2.66Ghz, Q9505S 2.83Ghz, Q9450S 2.66Ghz and Q9550S 2.83Ghz. I would avoid the Q8200s as that is a downgrade in per core Mhz, so the minimum you should probably look for is the Q8400S. The Q9450S and 9550S have double the L2 cashe of the Q9400S and Q9500S and may give higher fps newer games, but it may only be around 5-10% higher, so it's not a big deal if you can't get either.