Which CPU Q9300 or Q6600 @ same price

saltydog806saltydog806 Bowie MD
edited December 2008 in Hardware
Micro Center has intel's Q9300 on sale for $179. I had been looking at getting the Q6600 at the same price. I do fold, want to overclock and play the newest games. The chip will be going on a Gigabyte X38-DQ6 mobo.So which should I buy? The sale ends this Sunday so I need to decide soon.


HAPPY HOLIDAYS ALL

Comments

  • TBonZTBonZ Ottawa, ON Icrontian
    edited December 2008
    I would be inclined to say the Q9300 without even researching it. Actually, are you intending to overclock or run stock?
  • saltydog806saltydog806 Bowie MD
    edited December 2008
    TBonZ wrote:
    I would be inclined to say the Q9300 without even researching it. Actually, are you intending to overclock or run stock?
    Overclock
  • TBonZTBonZ Ottawa, ON Icrontian
    edited December 2008
    Q6600 as it has a proven track record in getting great results in o/c'ing. If you were to run stock then I would buy the Q9300 for the 1333Mhz FSB and 45nm architecture.
  • BuddyJBuddyJ Dept. of Propaganda OKC Icrontian
    edited December 2008
    On an X38 board, the Q6600 is your best bet. The chip's high multiplier, coupled with X38's low max FSB mean you'll get the better gains than the other processor.

    If you had a P45 board, the Q9300 would be a better choice. 45nm chips run cooler and P45 boards can push crazy high FSBs -- more than enough to make up for the low multiplier.
  • saltydog806saltydog806 Bowie MD
    edited December 2008
    Buddy J wrote:
    On an X38 board, the Q6600 is your best bet. The chip's high multiplier, coupled with X38's low max FSB mean you'll get the better gains than the other processor.

    If you had a P45 board, the Q9300 would be a better choice. 45nm chips run cooler and P45 boards can push crazy high FSBs -- more than enough to make up for the low multiplier.
    So if I were planning on changing to a P45 board in the next 12 months what would you advise?
  • BuddyJBuddyJ Dept. of Propaganda OKC Icrontian
    edited December 2008
    I'd get the Q9300.
  • LeonardoLeonardo Wake up and smell the glaciers Eagle River, Alaska Icrontian
    edited December 2008
    Overclocking? Q6600.

    Stock or only moderate overclocking? Q9300.

    Q6600s overclock like crazy, but you need good cooling and a quality power supply.

    Q9300 is 45nm - less power draw and potentially cooler running. It also has 6MB L2 cache, which is 50% more than the 4MB of the Q6600. L2 is very important for SMP Folding@Home.

    You are going to have a great processor with either choice. Keep in mind, the Q9300 at stock will fold as well as the Q6600 with a moderate overclock, but you can overclock the Q6600 to 3.5 or higher with the right motherboard and good cooling.
  • ThraxThrax 🐌 Austin, TX Icrontian
    edited December 2008
    In a p45 board, the 9300 will run rings around the 6600. The P45 was born to overclock Yorkfields.
  • mas0nmas0n howdy Icrontian
    edited December 2008
    Leonardo wrote:
    Q9300 [...] also has 6MB L2 cache, which is 50% more than the 4MB of the Q6600. L2 is very important for SMP Folding@Home.

    Q6600 has 8MB L2. (I know you know this, Leo. Late night? :D)
    Buddy J wrote:
    On an X38 board, the Q6600 is your best bet. The chip's high multiplier, coupled with X38's low max FSB mean you'll get the better gains than the other processor.

    If you had a P45 board, the Q9300 would be a better choice. 45nm chips run cooler and P45 boards can push crazy high FSBs -- more than enough to make up for the low multiplier.

    I think Buddy pretty much nailed it.
  • LeonardoLeonardo Wake up and smell the glaciers Eagle River, Alaska Icrontian
    edited December 2008
    Q6600 has 8MB L2. (I know you know this, Leo. Late night? :D)
    I was just testing to see how alert you guys were. :eek3:
  • saltydog806saltydog806 Bowie MD
    edited December 2008
    Leonardo wrote:
    I was just testing to see how alert you guys were. :eek3:
    ;D Right;D

    Thanks for the info folks. I decided to get the Q9300 at the sale price however they are now sold out.:rarr:
  • LeonardoLeonardo Wake up and smell the glaciers Eagle River, Alaska Icrontian
    edited December 2008
    they are now sold out.:rarr:
    No big surprise. A Microcenter or Fry's, if there were one in Alaska, could sell their entire inventory in two or three days. Since CompUSA left a year ago, we are left with BestBuy (gag me!) and mom and pop shops with obscene prices and even worse selection. The flip side is that Craigslist's computer section is becoming stronger by the day. Computer enthusiasts (not counting the all those selling 150,000 old Dells) buy online and sell on Craigslist.
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