CPU Advice E8xxx Vs Q6600 I'll have to return the Q6600

[Vektor67]

Mu head is spinning with this whole new build Ultimately My current rig doesn't seem so bad anymore I just wanted more ram but had no slots and it's snowballed form there now I'm looking at cases and PSU's lol, I guess my machiine is well over 3 years old.
I bought a Q6600 from Amazon excited at the prospect of being promised a GO stepping. Not having kept up with hardware information and overclocking I was unaware that the new batches of 6600's are dogs requiring ridiculously high voltages. And didn't really think things through, now I'm sorely tempted to return the Quad and get an e84/5 or600. I don't game much anymore but that may very well change mostly it's photoshop, lightroom many many tabs open in FF with plenty of add ons.
My thought that it's about time to try some incarnation of Vista. I have an Asus P5Q deluxe and 4 GB G skill PC28500 on the way. Now that I think about it though, I'd like a nice overclock(stable/moderate) but I'm done with having my computer sound like a vacuum cleaner. My Lian Li PC-65 is getting a little long in the tooth and I'd really like some 120mm fans at low speed. So should I keep my dog of a Q6600 batch run it @ stock and just move on realizing that I have no luck for overclocking, or do I push the river send this proc back and buy another one thats 45nm and 65W rather than 65nm a 90W

 

[myocardia]

Welcome to anandtech. The last time I checked, which was less than 2 months ago, Photoshop still didn't use more than 2 cores. That means, as long as you only work on one pic at a time, you'll get more performance out of an E8500/8600. Of course, the Q6600 will kill the E8x00, if you're working with multiple pics simultaneously. BTW, I still haven't heard of a G0 Q6600 that wouldn't do 3.2 Ghz, even the latest ones, but they definitely run hot, compared to their 45nm dual-core cousins, just so you know.

 

[Vektor67]

Thanks for the reply, that's my concern, that I'll have no real world gain with the Q6600 and while I don't necessarily need to overclock my system all the time, I'd really like the option available to me for kicks and it seems like with the 8600
I'd be almost assured to get a good overclocker with a Low VID. You've helped me I think I'm going to get my RMA right now. The E8600 @ Stock speeds should run pretty cool allowing me to build a quite PC which sounds so good to me after living with these hot AMD's all these years since the K7.

 

[betasub]

So that RMA would be because you didn't like the stepping, or that your OC didn't satisfy you?

 

[clarkey01]

Mine sits at stock voltages @ 3 Ghz - Im quite lucky

I know what you mean though - when you see an 8600 hitting 4.5 Ghz - You feel a bit left behind, but that's a pitfall for uneeded upgrades - only get it IF you need it.

 

[spdfreak]

My 6600 is at 3.0 stock voltage as well. I think a Quad at 3.0 will kill a dual at 4 in any kind of video editing, etc. So it really depends what you are going to do with it.

 

[Drsignguy]

Originally posted by: betasub
So that RMA would be because you didn't like the stepping, or that your OC didn't satisfy you?

Ya, this sounds interesting.

I got my (second) Q6600 sitting in an Intel 975XBX2 mobo @ 3.1 at 1.2875v which is the lowest setting in the bios. I bumped it up to 1.33 to get my 3.2 OC. The Vid for this chip is 1.262v, a far cry from the 1st chip that had a vid of 1.325v. The first chip didn't overclock very well at all but the second does and I am very satisfied.

Op, Why are you RMA'ing this chip?