Which C2D should I get?

[tgbyhn10111]

I will be getting one of these Gigabyte P35 boards soon.

P35_DS3R
P35_DS3P
P35C_DS3R
P35_DS4

I want to be able to pretty much guarantee being able to overclock a low end c2d to around 3ghz on a permanent basis without issues. I think I will be using an e4300 c2d or a e6320. I won't go more extreme in overclocking than 3ghz. Is there any reason for me to go for the e4300 instead of the e6320 or vise versa?

I like the price of the e4300 and £30 is a lot to me.

I also heard that it will be easier to overclock the e4300 as it's got an 800mhz fsb is this true / not relevant because of the great motherboard I'm getting?

I will be using this memory:
2 x Corsair (CM2X1024-5400C4) 1024MB, DDR2-5300/5400 (667/675MHz)

Also, if I don't overclock past 3ghz, will I be OK with the standard intel heatsink? Hoping I will.

Thanks

pete

 

[Tk7]

The E4300 has a higher multiplier (x9) then the E6320 (x7), so will overclock higher on a lower FSB. You shouldn't have too much of a problem overclocking both to ~3ghz though.

You should consider getting an aftermarket cooler though, I wouldn't rely on the stock intel cooler for anything other then a mild overclock. Something like a Freezer 7 would do for 3ghz or so (this is what I use).

The memory you have should overclock fine I would have thought, although I haven't used it myself.

As you can see, I have the 965 chipset DS3P and a E6300. It was very easy to overclock my system, so you should have no problem

 

[tgbyhn10111]

thanks Tk7

how high would you clock with the stock cooler?

may have to buy a cooler at a later date when I get more money. If I do how easy is it to change heatsinks over? I'm thinking it may be difficult to get the old heatsink off without damaging the cpu or is it just the fan that I would change?

pete

 

[Jaffa_Cake]

thanks Tk7

how high would you clock with the stock cooler?

may have to buy a cooler at a later date when I get more money. If I do how easy is it to change heatsinks over? I'm thinking it may be difficult to get the old heatsink off without damaging the cpu or is it just the fan that I would change?

pete

The DS4 will have issues with aftermarket coolers because of the heatpipes around the socket can stop the cooler fitting in.

Tk7 speaks the truth, every c2d will clock to 3GHz, the E4300 can go up to 3.2GHz+ with a decent cooler.

I've used a AC7 pro with an E4300 @ 3GHz before any they are very good. You would be looking at something a little more expensive for anything over that because it starts getting warm.

 

[Hot Sponge]

You'll still be able to o'clock with the stock cooler, it'll just run a little warmer that's all. I'd go for a C2D with 4mb cache since the price difference is not that much over the lower cached ones. I'd always go for the best one you can afford. Bought my 6600 the other day for £140.

 

[Participant]

You'll still be able to o'clock with the stock cooler, it'll just run a little warmer that's all. I'd go for a C2D with 4mb cache since the price difference is not that much over the lower cached ones. I'd always go for the best one you can afford. Bought my 6600 the other day for £140.

They'll be less than £100 in 2 months!

 

[tgbyhn10111]

Thanks everyone, sorry i have lots more questions.

I can get the 6320 for an extra £23 but is it worth it for an extra 2mb cache?

Does the 6320 have a better heatsink / fan?

Should it overclock higher than the 4300?

Might it not clock as high?

Should it run cooler that 4300 if both were oc'd to 3ghz?

Will it be harder to overclock because of the higher FSB?

I assume I will have to overclock in a different way with the 6320. Will this mean overclocking my memory / other bits more etc? It's only basic corsair stuff, will it cope?

Is there any reason not to get the 6320?

Thanks

 

[Tk7]

Certain applications will benefit from the extra cache of the E6320, but for the most part you probably wouldn't notice much of a difference.

I'd guess that both processors would come with the same Intel heatsink and fan.

How high each will clock depends on a few things really. It's impossible to say how high each will go, but you're always going to get a decent overclock out of any of the Core 2 Duo range.

The main thing that will push temps up is an increase in the cpu voltage. I have my E6300 at 3ghz, using stock voltage so it's barely hotter then it was at stock mhz. The E4300 might need more voltage to get it up to 3ghz, but you'd need to overclock bit by bit to see how it affects temps.

The main difference in overclocking between the two is the multiplier. The E6320 has a lower multiplier, so it will need a higher FSB frequency to reach a higher clock. The higher the FSB, the faster it will clock your ram.

I really don't think you'd have any problem getting 3ghz out of either of them. If you wanted to go higher than that though, you'd need a better cooler.

 

[tgbyhn10111]

You guys have talked me into getting a better HSF from day 1.

Is this the one you mean TK7?
http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=HS-017-AR&tool=3

Does the above replace the stock heat sink and fan or will I still need the intel heat sink?

I read the reviews and some people seem to be ditching the thermal compound that comes with the freezer and using artic silver 5 thermal compound instead. Is this worth doing or will the stuff that comes with it be OK? I've got some Servisol thermal heatsink compund manufactured by ambersil I bought years ago for 486 systems would that be any good?

Sorry for all the questions; don't want any delays when i get all the bits together.

Also is the old HSF combo a salable item on ebay?

Thanks

 

[Tk7]

Yeah that's the cooler I use. It completely replaces the Intel cooler.

The AF7 comes with thermal paste applied, and it's pretty good stuff really. I did replace it with Arctic Silver, but it didn't make too much difference. Maybe just a couple of degrees.

My temps under full load are around 58-60c depending on room temp. When I get around to clocking higher, i will probably be replacing the AF7 for a better cooler, but up to now it has been fine for me. My advise would be to use the paste that's already on it, and it temps seem a bit high, try something better.

You should be able to sell the stock cooler on, but I don't think you'd get too much for it. Mine's still sat in the box

 

[tgbyhn10111]

Thanks TK7

You said earlier that the E4300 might need more voltage to get to the same overclock as a 6320 why is that is it a lower voltage chip to start with?

 

[Tk7]

No, it's the same voltage as all of the C2D's, 1.325v, but the higher you overclock a CPU, the more volts it may need.

You'll see people say they hit Xghz on stock volts, meaning that they were able to push the clock speed up without increasing the voltage, but you will always hit a barrier that means you need more voltage. I think the E4300 might need a bump in voltage to get it up to 3ghz, although I may be wrong.

The CPU voltage is just one of the many factors to consider when overclocking a CPU. Getting a stable overclock can mean playing around with the settings, stress testing, then repeating until you get stable. It's trial and error really, but if you follow the guides on these forums, you shouldn't have too much trouble getting started.

I'm not hugely experienced at overclocking, but hopefully this will all help you. Feel free anyone to correct anything I may have gotten wrong

 

[tgbyhn10111]

thanks TK7.