CPU Recommendation - LGA 775 Socket

Stonerose92

Posts: 51   +0
Hi guys. I'm looking for a new processor for my current desktop computer. I have accepted defeat and realize my current processor isn't suitable for 2013 anymore.

Problem is, I haven't the faintest idea where to start. So I'm looking for a quick recommendation. I'm on quite a low budget and ideally I'd like to scoop something up on ebay.

This is my basic info via. speccy

Operating System
MS Windows 7 Professional 64-bit SP1

CPU
Intel Core 2 Duo E6550 @ 2.33GHz 53 °C
Conroe 65nm Technology

RAM
4.00 GB Dual-Channel DDR2 @ 400MHz (5-5-5-18)

Motherboard
ASRock G31M-VS2 (CPUSocket) 28 °C

Graphics
DELL E193FP (1280x1024@60Hz)
AMD Radeon HD 6670 (ASUStek Computer Inc) 34 °C

Hard Drives
233GB Western Digital WDC WD2500JS-22NCB1 ATA Device (SATA) 40 °C


This is my mobo compatability page: http://www.asrock.com/mb/Intel/G31M-VS2/

It mentions compatibility with, Intel[FONT=Arial]®[/FONT] Core™ 2 Extreme / Core™ 2 Quad / Core™ 2 Duo / Pentium[FONT=Arial]®[/FONT] Dual Core / Celeron[FONT=Arial]®[/FONT] Dual Core / Celeron, supporting Penryn Quad Core Yorkfield and Dual Core Wolfdale processors

I don't know where to start.

Also, I don't think I'm using a lot of power, my PSU's output is pretty low, the cpu doesn't consume a lot of power does it, I mean, changing it won't cause a massive change, unlike the GPU or HDD?

Thanks for reading! Hope you can help. Cheers (y)
 
According to your mobo, the best you can get is a Core 2 Quad Q9650. I wouldn't spend more than $50 on this total, as your entire system is getting on in terms of age.

If you can't find the above CPU, go further down the list.
 
You're near a dead end here.

The two biggest categories of changes are the 45nm shrink and a quad core.
The Q9650 mentioned above includes both a 45nm shrink and doubles the core count, in addition to faster stock speeds and more cache.

If what you need only needs two cores, sometimes E7xxx processors can be found on ebay or similar for less than $15. They'll also easily overclock to 4Ghz+, even if you have poor cooling.

The other thing is just upgrading to a quad core; the Q6600 is worthy of mention and it's not too hard to find used ones as well. I'm not too fond of the 45nm quad core shrinks because the Q8xxx series suffers from low multiplier and low stock speeds and unimpressive pricing, and the Q9xxx series is simply a lot more expensive (when it came out). If you can find cheap ones and/or are confident that your motherboard can push high FSB overclocks they're a great choice :)

What's your processor not suited for? Age doesn't really decrease it's performance, it is just as good as it is when you got it.
 
Hi there. Thanks for the responses. It's games really, ones that are heavily cpu dependent. I feel like the processor's letting me down a bit there.

Will any quad core not be a straightforward upgrade, regardless of the generation?

My budget is around $50-80 so I don't really want to get a new mobo.

You're near a dead end here.

The two biggest categories of changes are the 45nm shrink and a quad core.
The Q9650 mentioned above includes both a 45nm shrink and doubles the core count, in addition to faster stock speeds and more cache.

If what you need only needs two cores, sometimes E7xxx processors can be found on ebay or similar for less than $15. They'll also easily overclock to 4Ghz+, even if you have poor cooling.

The other thing is just upgrading to a quad core; the Q6600 is worthy of mention and it's not too hard to find used ones as well. I'm not too fond of the 45nm quad core shrinks because the Q8xxx series suffers from low multiplier and low stock speeds and unimpressive pricing, and the Q9xxx series is simply a lot more expensive (when it came out). If you can find cheap ones and/or are confident that your motherboard can push high FSB overclocks they're a great choice :)

What's your processor not suited for? Age doesn't really decrease it's performance, it is just as good as it is when you got it.

There's a Q6600 on ebay for around $50 - buy it now, and for roughly $5 more, there's also a Q8200. Would the Q8200 be the better choice?
 
Will any quad core not be a straightforward upgrade, regardless of the generation?
The LGA775 systems have been outdated for several years. There are four generations of i3, i5, and i7 processors on the market since LGA775.
  • Core2 - LGA775
  • 1st generation - LGA1156 (Nehalem)
  • 2nd generation - LGA1155 (Sandy Bridge)
  • 3rd generation - LGA1155 (Ivy Bridge)
  • 4th generation - LGA1150 (Haswell)
Would the Q8200 be the better choice?
The Q8200 is a better choice in my opinion.
 
One of the few games that does well with dual cores is SC2, so if you play that only, it's not too difficult to find a used E7xxx series again for maybe $15.

Other than that the quad core is the better choice.
IMO $50 is not really worth it but it is a fair upgrade.
In this case with similar pricing I'd pick the Q8200, and I would strongly recommend overclocking.
The thing is that the multiplier for the Q8200 is 7, so to reach even 3.5ghz you'll need 2000 FSB and for 4.0Ghz you'd need about 2300 FSB, which isn't so easy for your motherboard to do.
Whereas with something with an 11x multiplier like the E7500 you'll be at nearly 5.0ghz with 1800 FSB (pretty reasonable I remember).

I see a Q8200 buy it now for $41. Try some bids too, you might get a better deal.
Depending on the games the 6670 is relatively poor, but that'd be a big sum of money to upgrade. In fact I'd almost say that the 6670 is well matched with your current processor if you overclock it, and depending on the game.
 
So you think the benefits of upgrading to a quad core isn't worth the money? Would it not make a massive difference?

The E7500 is going on ebay for quite cheap, roughly $30 buy it now. $15-30 on auction. I may go for that. I'm in the UK though, I think the prices are a bit more expensive.

Also, I'm not overclocking my CPU just now. I'm not sure the bios for this system actually allows me to overclock, so yeah, that's brilliant.

Like I mentioned, the games I play are very CPU intensive, GW2, APB Reloaded, and my performance is only acceptable on that if I use background disabling software like game booster, and alter the task manager priority. I use this computer for graphic design work also, like photoshop & illustrator, and the odd audio mixing project on things like fl studio. The CPU's really my bread & butter.
 
The E7500 is going on ebay for quite cheap, roughly $30 buy it now. $15-30 on auction. I may go for that. I'm in the UK though, I think the prices are a bit more expensive.
You already have a dual core, don't waste your money on another unless it is an i3 or i5 (or AMD equivalent). If you don't want to spend $40+ on a Core2 Quad, save it for newer system.
 
No I think the Quad core is a lot better than an E7200, but I don't think it's worth $40 USD.
I'm 90% sure you can overclock on that motherboard.
 
The LGA775 systems have been outdated for several years. There are four generations of i3, i5, and i7 processors on the market since LGA775.
  • Core2 - LGA775
  • 1st generation - LGA1156 (Nehalem)
  • 2nd generation - LGA1155 (Sandy Bridge)
  • 3rd generation - LGA1155 (Ivy Bridge)
  • 4th generation - LGA1150 (Haswell)
The Q8200 is a better choice in my opinion.
Personally I'd save the pennies for an upgrade. A dorito is higher spec'd than any LGA775 CPU :p
 
No I think the Quad core is a lot better than an E7200, but I don't think it's worth $40 USD.
I'm 90% sure you can overclock on that motherboard.

This is all I have in the CPU part of the BIOS, optimized doesn't really mean anything. I used CPU-Z and my clock speed's still at 2.3 GHZ.
 

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Switch Next Generation - More Cpus - More Performance - less Power Supply - Support IGPU , High Freq Memory Support And ...

LGA 7754 IS Out
 
The problem is that the only CPU's that would give you a worthwhile amount of power to be a good upgrade are the Core 2 Quads (The Extreme editions) and they still sell (For whatever reason) for over 150 bucks a piece on ebay. At that point, I would suggest grabbing a amd processor and motherboard as that would be a cheap and better upgrade for the money.
 
Just save your money and buy even an entry level Haswell i3 in a few months and you'll be very happy you did. You'll need $176-238 (before shipping) from Newegg to buy a cheap Haswell dual core, new motherboard, and 4 GB DDR3.

Mobo - $69.99
i3 4130 - $134.99
Pentium G3220 - $72.99
4GB DDR3-1333 $32.99

You'd gain anywhere from 60-100%+ performance in pretty much every CPU bound app, especially with the i3, but the Pentium G3220 is built on Haswell architecture as well and will still be a massive upgrade. Yes, it costs more, but you also get a modern, relevant system, with far more/greater performance and features upgrades per dollar spent than you'd get shelling out $40-50 for a 775 Core 2 Quad. It's up to you how you want to spend your money, but in this case I'd highly recommend delaying the upgrade; what's the point in blowing your $50 dollars right now unless the CPU is actually beginning to die?
 
If you are stuck on upgrading your 775 vs. upgrading to a new mobo, there are really only two bang-for-the-buck options these days that pack good value:

The E8600 @ 3.33GHz scores about 2400 passmarks and can be found online around $65 US. This is your best "bang for the buck" Socket 775 dual-core you can find.

Then the Q9550 Yorkie @2.93GHz scores about 4059 passmarks, but keep in mind it's a quad-core so for older, single-core games and stuff, the E8600 nudges this processor out often. The Q9550 is still a great CPU and can usually be found online for $170 US or so.

StarMicro has a good site with good Socket 775 inventory. Check them out.

As other's posted though, going to a new mobo, memory + cpu is highly recommended. The cheap, $69 US Socket 1155 G2120 CPU's, for example, get about 3066 passmarks and with ddr3 memory, the have excellent through put. Of course, after mobo, memory and cpu, you'll likely be set back $250-$300 after tax/shipping.

Good luck!
 
If you are stuck on upgrading your 775 vs. upgrading to a new mobo, there are really only two bang-for-the-buck options these days that pack good value:

The E8600 @ 3.33GHz scores about 2400 passmarks and can be found online around $65 US. This is your best "bang for the buck" Socket 775 dual-core you can find.

Then the Q9550 Yorkie @2.93GHz scores about 4059 passmarks, but keep in mind it's a quad-core so for older, single-core games and stuff, the E8600 nudges this processor out often. The Q9550 is still a great CPU and can usually be found online for $170 US or so.

StarMicro has a good site with good Socket 775 inventory. Check them out.

As other's posted though, going to a new mobo, memory + cpu is highly recommended. The cheap, $69 US Socket 1155 G2120 CPU's, for example, get about 3066 passmarks and with ddr3 memory, the have excellent through put. Of course, after mobo, memory and cpu, you'll likely be set back $250-$300 after tax/shipping.

Good luck!

These processors go for like $15 on ebay (used)!
I saw an E7600 go for $11.50 the other day.
A Q9xxx would cost a bit more though, but certainly not worth $170.
 
...[ ]....As other's posted though, going to a new mobo, memory + cpu is highly recommended. The cheap, $69 US Socket 1155 G2120 CPU's, for example, get about 3066 passmarks and with ddr3 memory, the have excellent through put. Of course, after mobo, memory and cpu, you'll likely be set back $250-$300 after tax/shipping....[ ]...
AFAIK, after the introduction of the C2D 6300, no Pentium class CPU has ever had hyperthreading. So G2120, not a good idea, IMHO. (If I'm wrong about this, feel free to correct me. I don't have every spec committed to memory).
 
I think you're right about that, but even without hyper-threading, the straight facts are that at similar (or even up to about 20% lower) clock speeds, an Ivy Bridge or Haswell i3, Pentium, or (dare I say) Celeron is going to be faster than Wolfdale/Kentsfield regardless of the lower cache sizes and lack of HT in the Pentiums and Celerons - they are still dual-core after all.
 
FWIW, I fired up task manager the other night, while running Photoshop Elements 7. (Just the organizer, not the editor). Task manager claimed 36 threads for the app!

PSE-7 is almost unusable on a straight up dual core. It takes hours to import photos and generate their thumbnails. I finally built a machine that will run it in some semblance of dispatch. Ivy Bridge i3-3225, WD Raptor 600GB @ "C:/", 1600Mhz RAM, Z77 chipset.

OK, enough with the anecdotes, already.

If TS chooses to build, let's hope he lives near a "Microcenter", since they have either Gen 3, or Gen 4 Pentiums for a 60 buck walk -in price! (-$20.00 from the Egg on the Ivy number).

The Ivy 13-3225 was absolutely the right choice for me, because of the G-4000 graphics, (No gamer, am I), just 1080P movies.

The link you posted was interesting indeed, thanks for that.

If you want to heat your house and game, (or "by gaming", as it were), the Q9550 would serve that purpose admirably...;)

And as always, your and TS's needs and results may vary...:)
 
FWIW, I fired up task manager the other night, while running Photoshop Elements 7. (Just the organizer, not the editor). Task manager claimed 36 threads for the app!

PSE-7 is almost unusable on a straight up dual core. It takes hours to import photos and generate their thumbnails. I finally built a machine that will run it in some semblance of dispatch. Ivy Bridge i3-3225, WD Raptor 600GB @ "C:/", 1600Mhz RAM, Z77 chipset.

OK, enough with the anecdotes, already.

If TS chooses to build, let's hope he lives near a "Microcenter", since they have either Gen 3, or Gen 4 Pentiums for a 60 buck walk -in price! (-$20.00 from the Egg on the Ivy number).

The Ivy 13-3225 was absolutely the right choice for me, because of the G-4000 graphics, (No gamer, am I), just 1080P movies.

The link you posted was interesting indeed, thanks for that.

If you want to heat your house and game, (or "by gaming", as it were), the Q9550 would serve that purpose admirably...;)

And as always, your and TS's needs and results may vary...:)

captaincranky
It tickles me to know that I'm able to use Photoshop Elements 7 on a P4 PGa478,,, :D

Why did no one suggest putting some more RAM in TS's machine? (-TS MoBo specs click here- 64-bit OS with 64-bit CPU, there is no such limitation?

And on that note a SSD (connected to one of the -TS MoBo specs click here- 4 x SATA2 3.0 Gb/s connectors) would be a future investment as well as a System speed-up?!??

Nb. links to MoBo specs at AsRock broken as at 13/11/201 (thanks captaincranky)
 
ucould2
captaincranky

It tickles me to know that I'm able to use Photoshop Elements 7 on a P4 PGa478,,, :D
When you get to 600,000 images or so, give me call. PSE-7 will run like crazy on anything, up to about the first 50,000 photos. The Editor will run on anything also.
The simple fact of the matter is this, PSE-5, will import photos and have their thumbnails generated on the order of three times faster than PSE-7.

Since I have instances of both versions running on 5 different computers, all of which are faster than yours, I'm probably in a better position than you to judge PSE-7's capability.

Versions up to PSE-5 used a M$ data base program, while versions PSE-6 and above use the open source SQLite.

Catalog errors in PSE-5 and prior return a specific M$ error "OADB" or similar. (Haven't seen it in a while).

BTW, both of your links are dead.
 
ucould2 When you get to 600,000 images or so, give me call. PSE-7 will run like crazy on anything, up to about the first 50,000 photos. The Editor will run on anything also.
The simple fact of the matter is this, PSE-5, will import photos and have their thumbnails generated on the order of three times faster than PSE-7.

Since I have instances of both versions running on 5 different computers, all of which are faster than yours, I'm probably in a better position than you to judge PSE-7's capability.

Versions up to PSE-5 used a M$ data base program, while versions PSE-6 and above use the open source SQLite.

BTW, both of your links are dead.

I actually expect to use Sony Movie Studio Platinum Suite ( :D I'm a student again) when this semester ends (see if you can break that link too ;) ) currently I have a Cannon camera bundled SoftWare. It should "DO" a-lot and be better at it too I hope.

I've been using CS6 at College and somewhere in the settings for import you can change the thumbnail view to NOT import *.RAW or *.raw and change it to a quicker-to-load image (it's not like you are editing as you said, from there anyway)

I actually crashed the PSE-7 program in the Editor when, on exit I tried to save two things at once and as you mentioned the single core I have is not a prime-mover by any means.

I should point out that a new Machine is coming so far I've only the Chassis
 
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