New Cpu? Suggestions Plz

[DarkhovaOC]

Ok, i just put this rig together a little over 2months now and everything is working fine. The only real weak point of my system is my CPU the E4600 @2.4. As some of you know i've had hell trying to get this thing to buge past 2.4ghz and i have just givin up the hope that i can. I was thinking about upgrading my CPU to get more if not all the power my 8800 GT i can. To quad or not to quad that is the question?....I don't encode i don't run Photoshop or anything else that would really justify having four cores. Do you guys think a CPU upgrade for my system would be a good thing at the this time? if so Should i go with a Beefy Dual core to get more out my games for right now or should i get the Q6600 and OC it to be ready for when future games utilize all 4 cores...like i said i just built this rig 2 months ago and dont really think i got my moneys worth yet out of this E4600 and its good cpu for what u use the computer for but in terms of games i know im not getting the FPS i know i should be getting...So To upgrade or not to Upgrade ....To Quad or not to Quad..Thanks for all your suggestions i really need some opinions here

 

[geezerone]

Have you considered an E8400? This is low power/heat and saw some review saying it was ok overclocking apparently.

 

[Albuquerque]

Welcome Geezerone

If you're having trouble with your E4400, then a quad may not be the right answer -- quads put far more stress on your hardware when overclocking. You may find that your success there is even further limited than now...

If you want a budget overclocker that's got a decent chance of getting up there, it depends on your budget. For the ~$200 market, look at an E8200 or E8400. If that's not your price range, maybe instead grab a used E6600 from the sale forums here. Both of those are excellent overclockers, and should provide you a lot of performance for your $$$ without being too stressful to your current rig.

 

[geezerone]

Welcome Geezerone ...

Thanks!

 

[DarkhovaOC]

Well the cpu just wont overclock at all it wont go not even 5fsb past its stock speeds without it restarting itself at the bios screen back to default, its not like i cant get it stable it just i think i have a overclocking dud thats all...plenty of people have overclocked on the same board i have i have narrowed it down to me jus getting a bad chip...and my budget will be around 300 for the cpu if i choose to buy one....

 

[OldSkool]

Same as the E8400 but better results : http://www.tankguys.com/product_info.php?products_id=1816

Less expensive too

 

[DarkhovaOC]

The thing with the dual core is i dont wanna put my self in a situation in like 4 months when games starts using 4 cores then i start getting buyers remorse on buying a dual core....Figure i buy a quad so i wouldnt have to upgrade for awhile

 

[Xaeryan]

The thing with the dual core is i dont wanna put my self in a situation in like 4 months when games starts using 4 cores then i start getting buyers remorse on buying a dual core....Figure i buy a quad so i wouldnt have to upgrade for awhile

E8400. For 200 bucks, you won't have buyers remorse. In my opinion it'll be a long time before you truly *need* a quad-core for better gaming. And by that time I'm sure you'll be able to get a wicked quad for cheap.
Start the E8400 stock, and if you think you need more CPU power, there's plenty of OC potential in them as others have proved. Or just OC it to begin with.

 

[DarkhovaOC]

Question....Q6600 At 3.0ghz and E8400 At 3.5gz Who gets the better FPS in todays games?

 

[Dragon Heart]

Question....Q6600 At 3.0ghz and E8400 At 3.5gz Who gets the better FPS in todays games?

E8400 . no doubt .

 

[OldSkool]

The E8400 will more than likely top 4.0Ghz, and the Q6600 generally will be 3.6Ghz on air from what I've seen as a general result.

 

[DarkhovaOC]

Looks like i'll be getting a Wolf....whats the highest (typical) OC on these chips with stock volts?

 

[||Console||]

stock volts ~ 3.8ghz on a non stock hsf

 

[DarkhovaOC]

Thanks

 

[mrgoodwords]

Don't sweat getting a Dual Core if you are worried about games. Keep in mind that most game companies realize that the majority of people who buy the games don't have the latest hardware. I work for EA as an animator and we build ALL our games for mid-range users. There are exceptions but you aren't going to be prohibited from playing a game because you have a dual core...

 

[geezerone]

Found this review of the E8400

... I work for EA as an animator and we build ALL our games for mid-range users. There are exceptions but you aren't going to be prohibited from playing a game because you have a dual core...

So all games will run at highest settings with a single core too? Wonder when a dual-core will become the norm, guess not for a good few years yet.

 

[Albuquerque]

Some of the newest games will still use a dual core, and if nothing else, your operating system can use it to offset other background OS tasks while you're playing. So a dual core is still warranted in most games, even if the game doesn't directly use it.

Quad however is a different story; game manufacturers really still aren't there yet. Only a scant few games even claim support for more than two CPU cores, and those games still play fantastically with "only" two CPU cores.

 

[DarkhovaOC]

Um i seem to have gotten my cpu to overclock to 2.8ghz thru the software gigabyte has and even tho its isnt a bios overclock do u think i should run this oc 24/7 if i t turns out to be stable?...

 

[DarkhovaOC]

http://valid.x86-secret.com/show_oc.php?id=339619

 

[Albuquerque]

Sure, why not? Sometimes you just need to approach it from a different angle is all.

Some angles are harder than others