Intel Core 2 Extreme QX6850 review

[Julio Franco]

Prices don't seem to have bottomed out as much as expected yet but certainly the Q6600 seems to be the CPU to buy (unless you care for a few more MHz on a dual core processor, bah):
http://techspot.pricegrabber.com/search_getprod.php/masterid=31693422/fd=1

 

[LinkedKube]

Lot of games next year will work best with quads so its definately the best buy right now.

 

[Mictlantecuhtli]

At this technology advancement rate, and impatient users with money to spend, do you think anyone would keep the same CPU for a year? There may be multithreaded games in the future, but the quad-core CPU prices are also going to be lower when the games are actually available.

 

[LinkedKube]

Very true. I see quad cores being main stream in a year, and being dirt cheap. I dont recommend getting it if it doesnt mean anything to you as far as needing it.

 

[tifc8lraz]

If the Core 2 Duo's went from $299 to $99 (for some models), then yes, I see prices dropping for any new products as well .

 

[captaincranky]

You Don't Say......

I really haven't seen any price drops on this order of magnitude. In fact Newegg just "dropped" the Price of the Q6600 to $320.00 USD, now a mere $20.00 MORE than before the "price drops" were announced. The new 1333FSB CPU seem to be a better value clock for clock than the older C2ds, the prices of which haven't changed at all, (thus far).

Signed: Confused in the Colonies.

 

[Julio Franco]

Very true. I see quad cores being main stream in a year, and being dirt cheap. I dont recommend getting it if it doesnt mean anything to you as far as needing it.

If I based my PC upgrades entirely and solely on what I needed I'd probably still be running XP on a much slower machine than I do now

 

[CMH]

I got this nagging feeling that you're buying the same chip, whether its one of those new 1066mhz processors, or 1333mhz processors. The only difference is probably the packaging.

If this is true, you're essentially getting exactly the same chip with its jumpers configured to run at a lower multiplier but higher FSB. Which means less value for consumers, since this limits overclocking, which I'm willing to bet that its what Intel wants.

 

[captaincranky]

Same S***, Different Day......

Since everybody got wise to the clock speed scam, Intel probably jacked up the FSB speed to divert everybody's attention to a different clock speed paradigm.
Besides, Intel does the warranties, why wouldn't they want to limit overclocking. Then, if you want a faster processor you have to buy it, and the clock speed race is back on.

 

[CMH]

Can you see if a chip's been overclocked or not?

I swear, one of these days Intel/AMD is going to realise that the best way to sell their chips is to package the chip soldered on the motherboard, with no overclocking options. Probably have the graphics card soldered on as well. And the HDDs... And the RAM.... wait. Maybe not the RAM.

 

[Mirob]

Asus has one with the memory on it.
http://www.asus.com/products.aspx?l1=3&l2=11&l3=534&l4=0&model=1729&modelmenu=1
It will coat a fortune, and it's stuck with 2gig forever.

 

[LinkedKube]

What I"m trying to find out, is which one of these boards allow the best overcl**** on a quad

 

[CMH]

I just read a review on that P5K3 Premium motherboard. That motherboard is just INSANELY expensive.

But yeah, I don't see why its not the way of the future. Maybe not for all computers, but I really can see all workstations having everything, including RAM, integrated.

 

[LinkedKube]

so why is it so expensive again?

 

[CMH]

Probably has something to do with its insane cooling features.

Or maybe it has something to do with the on board features.

Possibly... Just possibly.... it has something to do with its on board 2Gb DDR3 RAM.

 

[LinkedKube]

Lol. I saw that, who wants onboard ram though. I dont. I heard about its great cooling features, and all of those 30 board features. The onboard ram thing is what scares me mostly I guess.

 

[CMH]

I would have bought a motherboard with onboard PC6400 Cl5 DDR2 RAM, if it costs the same as me buying a motherboard and that same RAM. Having it onboard means it'll be faster, and I don't think I would need more than 2GB for quite awhile.

 

[LinkedKube]

So wait, just to say. If there were 8800 onboard graphics it would be faster than an add on card. Or am I just getting to deep into a barrell I can't get out of?

 

[CMH]

Well, for you its a different story. You upgrade much more often than I do.

Bear in mind that before this Core2Duo, I was running a 478 system. And I've not upgraded my RAM ever. I upgraded my graphics card on that system for a whole of 3 months, before selling it off for a $50 loss after deciding that the money would be much better spent on a new system (and it was).