Intel Q9400: How much can I expect?

GreatUSA · Sep 19, 2016

Hi all, I'm sorry to be making a thread as I know there are many threads already, but I did a lot of searching and I couldn't find much help.

I've got a stock Intel Q9400 that I want to overclock.

I only have the Intel CPU fan it came with, but I'm going to buy a new CPU cooler very soon.

Your help would be greatly appreciated.

What can I expect from this CPU?

Mjolnir · Sep 19, 2016

It's been a while since I looked into that generation but from what I recall the Q6600 managed a solid 3.4-3.6ghz depending on the cooler, board, RAM, etc back then so I imagine something similar for that chip. What board are you using? LGA 775 cares a lot more about your board choice than todays generation.

wingman99 · Sep 19, 2016

You should be able to overclock to 3.6Ghz motherboard permitting. What do you want to use the PC for?

GreatUSA · Sep 19, 2016

Mjolnir said:
It's been a while since I looked into that generation but from what I recall the Q6600 managed a solid 3.4-3.6ghz depending on the cooler, board, RAM, etc back then so I imagine something similar for that chip. What board are you using? LGA 775 cares a lot more about your board choice than todays generation.

Your reply is appreciated!

GA-P35-DS3R rev 1.0.

To make it easier, this is the link: http://www.gigabyte.com/products/product-page.aspx?pid=2543&dl=#ov

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wingman99 · Sep 19, 2016

It just depends on the FSB chip on the P35 board and those chips did not overclock well. Your FSB is running at 1333MHz now so going higher really stresses the FSB you will just have to see. You don't need a new cooling fan to try for 3.2-3.6 GHz.

To overclock lower the memory speed then increase the FSB and core voltage when it crashes. Also you will need to increase the FSB voltage also..

GreatUSA · Sep 19, 2016

Thanks!

What's the most accurate way to check the real clockspeed of the CPU?

I'm using the app "Hardware Monitor" and it says that each of the 4 CPU cores are at 2.0Ghz even though the CPU should be 2.6Ghz...

When you say "memory speed" do you mean the RAM? I've got 6GB of RAM.

wingman99 · Sep 19, 2016

CPU-Z for clock speed of the CPU, Prime95 for load test. Yes Ram speed needs to be lowered with the memory divider in Bios before you overclock the FSB otherwise you will overclock the memory.

wingman99 · Sep 19, 2016

Enhanced Intel SpeedStep® Technology is an advanced means of enabling high performance while meeting the power-conservation needs of mobile systems. Conventional Intel SpeedStep® Technology switches both voltage and frequency in tandem between high and low levels in response to processor load. Enhanced Intel SpeedStep® Technology builds upon that architecture using design strategies such as Separation between Voltage and Frequency Changes, and Clock Partitioning and Recovery.
http://ark.intel.com/products/35365/Intel-Core2-Quad-Processor-Q9400-6M-Cache-2_66-GHz-1333-MHz-FSB

GreatUSA · Sep 20, 2016

Thanks!

I don't want to install another 3rd party app so is there another accurate way to check the CPU clockspeed?

GreatUSA · Sep 20, 2016

Also, can I follow any guide on overclocking a Q9400 or must I follow a guide that's specifically made for a Q9400 and a GA-P35-DS3R rev 1.0?

wingman99 · Sep 20, 2016

With CPU-Z you can just use the Zip file it will not install. That is what I use I don't like 3dr party apps either.

Did you read the quote above that I posted? The CPU speed not running at max speed is usually do to no CPU load and then speed step kicks in and lowers the clock speed.

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GreatUSA said:
Also, can I follow any guide on overclocking a Q9400 or must I follow a guide that's specifically made for a Q9400 and a GA-P35-DS3R rev 1.0?

You can follow any guide for C2 Q9.

GreatUSA · Sep 20, 2016

Your reply is appreciated!

If I can follow any guide for the Q9400 then why is it necessary to know my motherboard?

wingman99 · Sep 20, 2016

Because some motherboards overclock better than others like x48 chipset will overclock better than P45 and the P35 is at the bottom for overclocking because of the north bridge chip (FSB).

GreatUSA · Sep 20, 2016

Thanks, but I don't understand?

I thought the only thing that mattered was the CPU and CPU cooler, but why do I need to alter the RAM settings?

Mjolnir · Sep 20, 2016

There are more settings you need to play around with than direct CPU settings and a fancy cooler for your platform. Changing other frequencies will affect your RAM speeds. Your platform is older and was one of the generations that required a lot more tweaking to get a solid overclock than the current generation, which is more simply 'Change multiplier, add voltage, ta-da' (Not always that simple but it's a lot simpler for newer platforms than it was for LGA 775/LGA 1366 and previous platforms.

GreatUSA · Sep 20, 2016

Thanks!

I want to maintain good stability so with a $100 CPU cooler, how much could I expect? Could I hit 3.00Ghz with awesome stability? How much of a performance increase would a 3.00Ghz OC give me? 10% increase?

What's the best way to measure the performance jump once I've overclocked the CPU?

Mjolnir · Sep 20, 2016

I wouldn't really spend 100 on a cooler for that platform.. Assuming you're in US given your name - Cooler Master 212 Evo is a solid choice and is compatible to the socket, however double check the width of your case to make sure it fits (it's 159mm tall).

I think you should still be able to manage 3.2ghz with some tweaking.

Well, generally run some numbers/performance benchmarks or otherwise prior to your overclocking. Then run the same exact tests after and see the results/differences. Cinebench could be a good choice for this.

GreatUSA · Sep 20, 2016

Thanks, but my plan was to take the CPU cooler I buy with me and use it when I upgrade to the 1156/2013-3 sockets later on.

EarthDog · Sep 20, 2016

Read this guide bud... it will tell you everything you need to know. It has enough information to get you started surely: http://www.overclockers.com/forums/...lock-C2Q-(Quads)-and-C2D-(Duals)-A-Guide-v1-1

1156? 2013-3? 1156 is old (though newer than s775) and 2013-3 doesn't exist (2011-3)?

Mjolnir · Sep 20, 2016

Fair enough, but like EarthDog stated 1156 is old/discontinued, and 2011-3 is the top-end enthusiast platform which is quite expensive.

If you're planning to spend a lot more on a cooler, then make sure it fits your case. What case are you running? Better yet, fill out your signature in your profile settings with all the specs of your computer

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Intel Q9400: How much can I expect?

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