Q6600, E8400 or Q9450

DevilBoy916 · 23 Jan 2008 at 12:35

Hiya gang

I am on the verge of ordering my new build, but the CPU is causing me some problems!

I was set to get a Q6600 Quad, then the wolfdales came out and spoiled my party. And now the new 4nm Quads are due out very soon, which is proper messing my decision up!

I will be gaming, and am hoping to keep this PC for at least a year or 2.
I'll be getting a 8800GTX graphics card (or perhaps a 8800GTS if the processor is more pricey).
I'll also be doing the usual surfing and downloading and stuff, and I want the PC to do things quickly in normal apps. I will probably be running a few apps at once too...

My question is this. Which processor should I go for?
I plan to overclock to a comfortable level, so its not too hot, and the CPU cooler doesn't run too loud.

Any advice?
Cheers
DB

Tooks · 23 Jan 2008 at 12:37

Based on what you've said above, the multi tasking, gaming, medium overclocking and keeping it for a couple of years, I'd say the Q6600 G0.

Will overclock on the right board very well, runs cool, and with 4 cores will help multi tasking and be ready for when games start to fully utilise 4 cores in a year or two.

You could always wait and see what the 45nm quads come out at price wise?

wellibob · 23 Jan 2008 at 12:37

E8400 is the best priced cpu out, as for quads, when they clock easy past 4 gig odd on air, then that`ll be nice.

DevilBoy916 · 23 Jan 2008 at 12:43

Wont the new 45nm quads overclock much better than the Q6600 though?
Meaning, if I spend an extra £40, I can have amuch cooler, higher mhz overclock?

Nickolai · 23 Jan 2008 at 12:49

not necessarily...
the 45nm chips will clock better run cooler and faster
but from what ive heard they are pretty much all locked to low multipliers meaning your motherboard would most likely give up first

Intel's way of making overclockers buy the ridiculous £600 version!
extra £400 for some cache and unlocked multi :eek:

DevilBoy916 · 23 Jan 2008 at 12:57

So. My options are:

Get an E8400, overclock it to near 4ghz, and get an 8800GTX card.
I'll then upgrade to a nehelm and 9800 GPU in a year or two.

OR

Wait a week or two for the Q9450, get an 8800GT, and upgrade the card at the end of the year.

God this is hard work!

badbob · 23 Jan 2008 at 13:02

Go for the dual. For 99% of people a fast dual core is all you need.

Unless you're rendering 3D work , encoding music, Photoshop with HD pictures, and HD video editting, or running processes which need A LOT of constant high processing- if so get the quad.

DevilBoy916 · 23 Jan 2008 at 13:04

I dont really. I am a general user, no graphics packages really, no HD.
I have a 22" monitor, but i suppose the GPU is more important for this.

Just internet and gaming really!

So Dual it is?

pastymuncher · 23 Jan 2008 at 19:17

DevilBoy916 said:
I dont really. I am a general user, no graphics packages really, no HD.
I have a 22" monitor, but i suppose the GPU is more important for this.

Just internet and gaming really!

So Dual it is?

No point in going for a quad then. Most of the time it will be sitting there with half of it doing nothing. Exactly why i am getting rid of mine for a E8500.

easyrider · 23 Jan 2008 at 19:22

pastymuncher said:
No point in going for a quad then. Most of the time it will be sitting there with half of it doing nothing. Exactly why i am getting rid of mine for a E8500.

You have a Q6600 @ 3.8ghz and you are getting rid for a 8500?

Madness! :eek:

bidermaier · 23 Jan 2008 at 19:24

If you change the cpu once per year get a dual.
If you want a long runner get a quad.

pastymuncher · 23 Jan 2008 at 19:29

easyrider said:
You have a Q6600 @ 3.8ghz and you are getting rid for a 8500?

Madness!

Easy, shut up. We have been through this. It was a stupid purchase in the first place and i got too taken in by you and others on here over the quads. I cannot use it to it's full potential as there are no games that make use of it. I might as well sell it while it's still worth something. The Q9300, Q9450 and Q9550 are out soon and the Q9300, clocked at 2.5ghz is priced the same as the Q6600 G0 quads. It's my money so wind your neck in!!

Anyway you are getting one so you are being a bit two faced are'nt you?

Yeggstry · 23 Jan 2008 at 21:02

DevilBoy916 said:
So. My options are:

Get an E8400, overclock it to near 4ghz, and get an 8800GTX card.
I'll then upgrade to a nehelm and 9800 GPU in a year or two.

OR

Wait a week or two for the Q9450, get an 8800GT, and upgrade the card at the end of the year.

God this is hard work!

I'm going for the latter, mostly because I'm also going to do some folding with it

musx64 · 23 Jan 2008 at 21:25

pastymuncher said:
Easy, shut up. We have been through this. It was a stupid purchase in the first place and i got too taken in by you and others on here over the quads. I cannot use it to it's full potential as there are no games that make use of it. I might as well sell it while it's still worth something. The Q9300, Q9450 and Q9550 are out soon and the Q9300, clocked at 2.5ghz is priced the same as the Q6600 G0 quads. It's my money so wind your neck in!!

Anyway you are getting one so you are being a bit two faced are'nt you?

Your right, I hardly use all cores, im also thinking about sellling mine & getting a 8000 series chip.

rapid64k · 23 Jan 2008 at 22:05

Im glad that you posed that question DevilBoy916 because im in the same boat as you. Im in the process of building a new system and I have earmarked the Q9450 and the E8500 and like your self I was not sure which to purchase but after reading the good advice given to you by the other posters it would seem prudent to go with the E8500.
what will I be using my new computer for? well surfing the internet, teamspeak, playing AA and COD4 stuff like that, burning a few back up movies but not all at the same time. so with the advice on this thread it would seem wise to go with the E8500 as it clocks in at 3.16 gig.
Am i doing making the right choice gentleman?

easyrider · 24 Jan 2008 at 00:51

rapid64k said:
Im glad that you posed that question DevilBoy916 because im in the same boat as you. Im in the process of building a new system and I have earmarked the Q9450 and the E8500 and like your self I was not sure which to purchase but after reading the good advice given to you by the other posters it would seem prudent to go with the E8500.
what will I be using my new computer for? well surfing the internet, teamspeak, playing AA and COD4 stuff like that, burning a few back up movies but not all at the same time. so with the advice on this thread it would seem wise to go with the E8500 as it clocks in at 3.16 gig.
Am i doing making the right choice gentleman?

8500 is for high clocks.

Don't get pulled in by 4.2ghz.

Q9450 @ 3.6ghz is IMO the place to be until Nehalem

As this = 4ghz Q6600

Iraklis F.C. · 24 Jan 2008 at 03:37

i had a Q6600 and sold it cause i felt that it was sitting most of the time doing nothing. id say get a dual core and clock the hell out of it .

C64 · 24 Jan 2008 at 06:39

I'd sell the quad and get the 8500 if you can sell the quad for £140 your only looking at £40 to the 8500 well worth it.

mightynimrod · 24 Jan 2008 at 06:49

I thought about selling my quad, but it's sitting pretty at 3.4 so can't see the point regardless that it's not being used to it's full potential.

Whats the point in wasting money??

C64 · 24 Jan 2008 at 07:54

Well lets say you go to upgrade in a while the quad will always be worth less than the 8500 because it's an older tech that runs hotter simple as that really.
You make back your loss overall when it's time to sell on the 8500 as it will be worth more than the quad when you do, and probably by a wider margin than £40 on a resale.