Recommended CPU Cooler for Overclocked Intel Q6600 @ 3.2Ghz

Mad Professor

Mad Professor

Mad Professor

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Good Day All.

I am running a stock cooler on my Intel Q6600, I can only go as far as 2.6Ghz, but past that my GPU temps go sky wards.

I would like to run 3.2Ghz, I would also like to stay air cooled.

So could you please recommend a suitable cooler?

Thanks for your time.

Best Regards.
 
Thermalright Ultra 120 Extreme

Noctua NH-D14

Prolimatech Megahalems

...and the latest Prolimatech Super Mega

Any of these will do a mighty fine job, but none of them are particularly cheap either.

What is the rest of your cooling setup like?
 
You'll need to make sure you have enough room between your cpu socket and the cases' side panel fan.

With some pc cases you'll need to remove the side panel fan with coolers that are 150mm+ high, which most of the high end ones are.

Just something to be aware of before choosing.
 
Thanks for eveyones advise, I desided to go overkill and ordered the Akasa AK-CCX-4002HP Venom CPU Cooler.

It is due to turn up on monday, so looking forward to fitting that.

As said before I am only looking to overclock to 3.2Ghz, but how far could I push it with the Akasa AK-CCX-4002HP Venom CPU Cooler, temperature wise?
 
Most Q6600 G0 will do between 3-3.5Ghz. Getting any further than that will depend on your VID. This can be found in CPUZ within Windows.
 
I have Q6600 B3 revision, and it does 3.2 with a couple of notches on VCore. With the Akasa Freedom Tower, good cable management, and applying AS5 to Heatsink, CPU, AND the vertical line as recommended by the AS5 website, idle temps are 19 - 26, with full load @ 58C on Prime 95

I've found that any higher on this chip needs significant VCore increases, and temps go above the recommended 62 for the chip.
 
At this point in time I have my Q6600 G0, running at 2.6Ghz on stock cooler with a core voltage of 1.240volts.

CPUID Monitor, at idle has my cpu temp at 36-38c, but shows the cores at 40-44c.

Looking forward to installing the new Akasa AK-CCX-4002HP Venom CPU Cooler, Once I have I will report back my findings.
 
1.24V is not bad at all. Would imagine your chip will do 3.5Ghz+ Check out W3bbo's Quad Core database (search for it within the overclocking forum) for a better indication of how your chip might perform.
 
Hello Mad Professor :)

Mad Professor said:
I am running a stock cooler on my Intel Q6600, I can only go as far as 2.6Ghz, but past that my GPU temps go sky wards.
Click to expand...
Is that a typo? . . . do you mean CPU or GPU temps?

Intel® Core™2 Quad Q6600
  • 2394 (9x266)
  • 2601 (9x289)
What memory are you using? . . . what is its rated speed? (DDR2-666? DDR2-800? DDR2-1066 etc) . . .

Mad Professor said:
I would like to run 3.2Ghz, I would also like to stay air cooled
Click to expand...
that should be no problem at all? . . . what motherboard do you have?
 
That was indeed a typo, it was ment to be CPU not GPU.

Here are my current system details.
XFX 850W PSU.
Intel Quad-Core Q6600 2.4Ghz @ 2.6Ghz (Revision G0).
XFX 680i SLI Motherboard, Revision A2, (Latest XFX Bios P33).
2x1GB Corsair CM2X1024-6400C4 DDR2 800Mhz Memory.
XFX nvidia GeForce 9600GSO 384MB.
Seagate ST3200827AS.
Seagate ST3500320AS.
WDC WD15EARS-00Z5B1.
Samsung SH-B083L.
Running Windows 7 Home 64-Bit.
 
Hi Mad Professor :)

Mad Professor said:
  • Intel® Core™2 Quad Q6600 (G0)
  • nVidia® 680i SLI Motherboard, Revision A2
  • 2x1GB Corsair CM2X1024-6400C4 DDR2 800Mhz
  • XFX nvidia GeForce 9600GSO 384MB.
  • XFX 850W PSU.
  • Windows 7 Home 64-Bit
Click to expand...
You mention you got stuck at 2.6GHz but this is most likely due to an incorrect memory config and nothing to do with the processor . . .

I'm not familiar with the nVidia® LGA775 chipset you are using but working on the assumption it configures memory similar to the Intel® chipsets . . .

With the Core™2 Quad Q6600 running at stock 2.4GHz alongside DDR2-800 the board would use a [3:2] memory multiplier to get the memory up to speed . . . if you didn't adjust this memory multiplier and just hiked up the FSB the memory would be overclocked (which it may not like) . . . If you open up CPU-z and look in the [Memory] tab you can view what the memory multiplier is being used? . . .

  • 266(FSB) x 3 / 2 = 399 (DDR2-799)
  • 289 FSB) x 3 / 2 = 433.5 (DDR2-867)
Can we try first to get this chip running at 3.0GHz please? . . . you would need to work out how to change the memory multi in the BIOS so it reads [6:5] in CPU-z . . . the voltage should work fine on [Auto] but may need manually adjusting . . .

Intel® Core™2 Quad Q6600
  • 2394 (9x266)
  • 3000 (9x333)
  • 333(FSB) x 6 / 5 = 399.6 (DDR2-799.2)
 
I reckon if you apply the paste properly, and get the air flow right in the case, your looking at quite a high overclock. The venom appears to be the best cooler around at the moment, I think you have made a very good choice.
 
what bit don't you understand arc@css? . . . the memory multiplier?

  • FSB is running at 266MHz
  • Memory is running at 400MHz (doubled becomes 800 or DDR2-800)
so how does the memory run at 400MHz when the FSB is running at 266MHz?

266 >> 400 ?

It's the memory multiplier, in this scenario its [3:2]

  • 266 multiplied by 3 = 798
  • 798 divided by 2 = 399
or put simply:

  • 266 x 3 / 2 = 399
 
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