Intel Q9550 worth $100 (AUD)?

[megabomination]

Hi all. Simple question.
Would a Intel Q9550 Quad core CPU be worth the $100(AUD) I can get one for, over my current CPU?
I know my rigs old but shes all ive got for now until I built one from scratch in about 2 years time.
Uses are web,email, gaming, some photo editing, storing/opening manuals/catalogues and some 3D work such as google sketch ect....Any/all help appreciated.
Windows 7 Home Premium 32-bit SP1
Intel Core 2 Duo E7500 @ 2.93GHz
4.00GB Dual-Channel DDR3 @ 533MHz (7-7-7-20)
ASUSTeK Computer INC. P5G41T-M LX (LGA775)
VS248 (1920x1080@60Hz)
1024MB ATI AMD Radeon HD 5700 Series (XFX Pine Group)
465GB SAMSUNG HD501LJ ATA Device (SATA)
SONY DVD RW DRU-840A ATA Device
ASUS Xonar DGX Audio Device
PSU Silverstone 500w SST-ST50F-230

 

[dividebyzero]

The Q9550 is still a solid quad core CPU, especially in comparison to the E7500 which is a bit anaemic thanks to its 3MB L2 cache (the Q9550 of course is blessed with 12MB). If completion time is a priority for content creation then it does represent a decent upgrade for your system.

I wouldn't recommend any overclocking adventures with that board though. While virtually any Q9550 (especially the E0 revision) runs at 400 FSB ( 3.4GHz) or better with anything above the stock cooler, the power draw goes up fairly markedly also, so stability is very dependant upon the voltage regulation of the board and the PSU's capacity.

 

[megabomination]

Thanks. db0. I looked at a few comparison sites and it seems the q9550 is a decent processor. I might see if I can get it a bit cheaper from the seller.Cant hurt to ask.

'so stability is very dependant upon the voltage regulation of the board and the PSU's capacity.'
What would be the worst that would happen if OC. Irregular behaviour, freezing or major burnout?

 

[dividebyzero]

You would probably find that the system might start exhibiting some odd stability issues. Freezes, rebooting/shut down, BIOS resetting would be common indicators, although it could affect I/O as well (data corruption would be common if the VRM is unstable since power delivery to both the CPU and the memory controller (Northbridge) would be an issue with that PSU (THW review of the Q9550 @ 3.6GHz pegged CPU usage at 293W, your PSU is apparently rated at 384W CPU+GPU without capacitor ageing taken into account) and the board - the power circuit on the board is a little sparse, the power circuit has no heat dissipation (heatsink), and a ATX12V (4-pin) CPU power connector. Most overclock friendly boards have an EPS12V (8-pin) plug connector for better/cleaner power delivery.

The big problem with the Yorkfield Core 2 Quad's is that they overclock very easily, and it's always tempting to just try for a little more. The limiting factor more often than not is the board. If you're planning on overclocking see what you can do without touching the Vcore, which should keep power requirement and heat within acceptable limits. Sometimes you get lucky, and the Q9400/Q9450/Q9550's do better than most ( Here's one of my old Q9400 screens. 25% overclock with no voltage increase) in this regard.

 

[megabomination]

Oh dear. I just purchased a GTX750Ti Black Edition GPU.
If I do purchase this q9550 CPU I definatly wont be OC it!
Before you ask db0 , I just wanted to upgrade my GPU to the maximum my PC would currently handle before it hinders the GPU's performance and spend under $200.
I was told that my current CPU would be a major bottleneck so I started looking at options that were affordable.I might just stick with what I have for now?

 

[dividebyzero]

Oh dear. I just purchased a GTX750Ti Black Edition GPU.

No problem. The GTX 750Ti is a pretty frugal card power wise. It should draw less than 65W even in extreme conditions (intensive gaming).

For the dubious benefit of overclocking the CPU you will generate more heat, and will necessitate a cooler better than Intel's stock heatsink/fan. As for performance increases from overclocking - slightly better workload completion time- I don't think they would outweigh the possible downsides. If it isn't your main computer system, or you don't mind spending cash on cooling and a higher capacity PSU then I'd say go for it, but bearing in mind the prospect of diminishing returns (performance and monetary investment) from overclocking I'd agree with keeping stock clocks for the time being.

With the CPU being second hand, running at stock for a while to monitor its default behaviour would be a good idea. Q9550's were pretty common in OEM workstation systems (no overclocking), but they were also a favourite of the enthusiast/benchmarking crowd, so making sure the CPU is stable at default should be the prime objective.

 

[megabomination]

Thanks again db0. I do have a upgraded cooler now(I forget exactly what) but as for upgrading to a possibly better one AND PSU.......no I wont be doing that just yet.
I might just see how my new Graphics card goes and MAYBE get this CPU if I can get it a little cheaper and run it at stock speeds.
Is it possible to OC the E7500? Or is that a bad idea.
Also. Besides 'real world' testing, such as boot times,gaming FPS etc.... what is a good programme to use, to see what improvements there are ,if any, after OC or upgrading.

 

[cliffordcooley]

You would be better off getting the quad. Even if it is only a Q9400.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Intel-Core-2-Quad-Q9400-CPU-SLB6B-2-66-GHz-6M-1333-C2Q-Tested-/281511353423

 

[dividebyzero]

Minimal gain from the E7500 from overclocking. The small L2 cache is the culprit. As Clifford also noted, moving to a Core 2 Quad will give you gains the dual core cannot hope to achieve even with the C2Q at stock clock.
A reasonable "real world" application that would be a good indicator of clock (and core/thread) performance is video transcoding. Handbrake is both effective and consistent in its results.
The Q9400 that Clifford linked to is a pretty decent processor also although it has the smaller 6MB (2x3MB) L2 cache. There is also the Q9450 to consider, which has the full 12MB (2x6MB) cache of the Q9550/Q9650/QX9650/QX9770.

 

[megabomination]

I looked at all these and couldnt make a choice so I just thought ide go ahead and get the Q9550. $99 inc postage,cooler,grease & Asus mouse pad! Ill let you know how it goes.Thanks for your help.

 

[LNCPapa]

Good luck! I think you'll notice a decent bump in performance once everything is up and running properly.

 

[megabomination]

Hi all. Been busy. The cpu seems to be a bit quicker doing certain things so im happy for the money spent.Havnt had much of a chance to use pc at all.
Happy new year!

 

[GeforcerFX]

I just found out one of the dell XPS 420's I was given a year ago or so has a Q6600 in it, been messing around with it lately, really haven't found anything that I couldn't do on it yet. I have a few friends still running Core 2 Quad Extreme Systems that they built in 2010 early 2011, they are still more then enough for any game I have seen played on the market today and pretty much anything future wise for the next 2 years, except maybe star citizen.