i7 2600 vs. Q6600 @ 3GHz?

[Blue_Max]

I have the option of buying a used (but awesome) Lenovo low-profile desktop with i7 2600 processor, small HD and 4GB DDR3 for about $240 Canadian (plus Win7 lic.)

I also have the option of buying a motherboard and ATX case to overclock my Q6600 processor to 3GHz or more. That would be only $80-100 and I can keep using my 7GB DDR2 and GTX660.

Obviously I'm getting more for my money with the i7, plus I have several apps that would benefit from more threads... but can anyone with real-world experience convince me it's worth the plunge? The downside is my GTX 660 won't fit in the thing, so I'll have to sell it (and the Q6600 rig) to get a low-profile card like the 750TI if I can ever find one.

I like games, folding@home, music creation, and keeping Skype and Steam always on.

Your thoughts before I spend what precious little money I have on this?
Thanks!

 

[Sunburn74]

Is it possible to have your cake and eat it to in this situation? Specifically speaking, buy the lenovo desktop and transplant the parts into an ATX case and mobo of your choice? You already have an ATX case based on what you're telling us and a decent PSU. You'd literally just need a new mobo which maybe afforded by selling off your old q6600 and older mobo and ram on ebay or the likes.

 

[AtenRa]

Sell the Q6600 (not the GTX660), buy the Core i7 2600 and a new Midi case in order to use the GTX660. Simple as that.

 

[Blue_Max]

What you're proposing will cost even more. I don't have an ATX case right now, only a Dell prebuilt with the Q6600 (and another with an E8500.) In order to overclock, I'd need board AND case - half the cost of the i7 machine.

HOWEVER, I could buy the i7-2600 rig now, then transfer the components to a new ATX case & 1155 mobo when the new job pays up again. Still a huge savings over buying a new i7 (or even the cheaper Xeon) system.

...but if I could just find a low-profile 750TI I wouldn't need to transplant at all.

 

[vasdrakken]

Well I upgraded from a QX6700 I was running like a bat out of hell to i7-920, so that is similar to going from the 6600 to 2600. My upgrade was about 10 times as fast, but your mileage my vary.

I would still do the upgrade if the processor has not be run way out of spec the entire time it was owned. i7 procs are nice but any time you buy used gear you want to know real usage if possible. Since it is used it comes with no warranty or guarantees you won't have paper weight the day after you buy it. So you really want to make sure of the source. The other thing is I would not run the i7 in small case if you are going to really push it. I would break down and get 20 - 30 dollar case like the ones linked.

The 750 are over priced right now, so trying to find one is going to cost a lot more than just grabbing a cheap case. I would also sell the old dells off while they still have any value. Keep the hard drives, those are the only parts that are not OEM.

 

[ShadowVVL]

Could always take every thing out of the case and run it that way.
You can also make a temporary case out of a cardboard box.

 

[sm625]

I still have my Q6600 system. I can tell you positively that it is a total dog compared to my i5 and my gf's i3. It can barely run some of the same flash games that fly on our computers. I also have an E8300 system and it is also faster than the Q6600, regardless of OC. Clock speed makes no significant difference. My 1st gen i5 even at 1.6GHz is faster than the Q6600 at 3GHz. A 500MHz change in clock speed produces about the same result as a 200MHz change in clock speed on an i5. Maybe not even that much.

 

[escrow4]

Can't fathom anyone resisting a modern i7. Sell off the Q6600, sell off the E8500, get the 2600 and transplant if you want to. You know how people talk about night and day difference? This is it.

 

[zShowtimez]

I remember moving from my 4GHz e8400 to an i5 2500k.. It was overwhelmingly faster at stock. A lot of games saw nearly double the performance (at the time GTA4 was the best example for me)

 

[NTMBK]

The Lenovo will use either a mini-ITX or micro-ATX motherboard- either way, you can just mount it in a standard case without the need for a new board. Put it in something like a Bitfenix Prodigy and you'll be able to fit your 660 in just fine.

Are you certain that your Dell doesn't have a standard ATX power supply/case? Or is it one of those BTX jobbies? What model is it?

 

[Ventanni]

I pretty much have near what you describe, as the 2600 isn't a whole lot slower than the 3770k, which I don't have overclocked. My HTPC now has a Q6600 and can run at 3ghz.

There is a huge, huge difference in processor performance.

-For Steam, Skype, and general web browsing you won't notice much of a difference.
-For music creation, the 2600 will process a lot faster.
-For games and folding, the 2600 will murder the Q6600.

 

[Blue_Max]

The Lenovo will use either a mini-ITX or micro-ATX motherboard- either way, you can just mount it in a standard case without the need for a new board. Put it in something like a Bitfenix Prodigy and you'll be able to fit your 660 in just fine.

Are you certain that your Dell doesn't have a standard ATX power supply/case? Or is it one of those BTX jobbies? What model is it?

I have all kinds of bits & pieces around here, including standard ATX power supplies - no spare cases. I bought it... the whole price of the machine was cheaper than the processor alone! Now that I look inside, the mobo looks like a standard mATX that will mount in anything, so all I need is to do a little trading to snag a nice case.

Selling the Dell desktops will net me more than enough to recoup the cost of this machine and a case I can stand to look at.

When money improves, I can throw a cheap-o 1155 processor in here, get a better mobo for the i7 (with SLI for my 660?) and keep it for a spare or sell it off.
Gaining a legit Win7 lic was just gravy.


Thanks for giving me the push to go through with it... If cash was better I'd have grabbed BOTH the rigs for sale - the price was a no-brainer!

 

[2is]

Go for the i7

 

[ElFenix]

which dell do you have? that had some BTX cases but other than that it should be ATX.

 

[Blue_Max]

which dell do you have? that had some BTX cases but other than that it should be ATX.

The Dell's are both BTX, and I was about to be friendly-snarky about it until you triggered the thought "this isn't about stealing the power supply I already mentioned -- what about mounting that board into the Dell?"

Well, the BTX Dells won't work for that, but this worthless POS old eMachine (with PentiumD) will work!! It's a standard mATX machine which I can mount the new board, the better PSU and video card into!

SCORE!! (+1 thank you to ElFenix)

Okay... let the surgery begin... I'll let you know how it goes.

 

[Blue_Max]

So far, success... although the Lenovo CPU fan sure is loud!! Now to play with it...

There's nothing in the BIOS to control CPU fan speed... any utils out there that do a good job?

 

[vasdrakken]

There should be a setting in the BIOS if you have the fan connected to the right fan header.

That said you may want to just run the fan at what ever speed it wants until you get a decent cooler. I'd suggest when you get some money look at a H55 they are really easy to setup and if you have a 120 fan on the back you can screw the built in radiator into your fan and the fan to the case.

 

[Arkaign]

Be sure and pay attention to the front output for the Power/LEDs/Reset block. Sometimes OEMs have oddball pinouts that don't match standard cases, and you have to pull the individual pins out of the aftermarket case connector cable(s) to slide them onto the pins individually. 85%+ chance that it's fine, but hell in 2014 some mfgs STILL do this with boards, so I wouldn't necessarily be surprised.

And yes, a cheap tower heatpipe cooler will do wonders for your noise levels. 120mm fans are so much quieter than the small ones.

 

[Hulk]

As good as the Q6600 was in it's day the 2600k will absolutely destroy it in any application. My suggestion is to go with the 2600k and sell your Q6600 and related parts while they still have some value.

 

[Blue_Max]

...and I'll admit it's a beautiful thing to see those 8 threads in the Task Manager.

Weird pinouts for the front headers, but I found the ones for the power switch - all others are just gravy. As soon as I have the money (very soon!) I'll replace this butt-ugly grey emachines case as well as replace the cooler.

In the meantime, 2600k system with RAM, HDD and Win7 lic for $225 was a total steal! Wish I'd grabbed both for Ferengi Profit!

But that H55 cooler... I hope it doesn't have a quiet BUZZZZZ like the last Corsair water cooler I tried. That buzzing was worse than a fan! I'll check the newegg reviews... I'm all about SILENCE! Oops... reviews say it still buzzes. I'll stick to a nice tower/fan cooler.

 

[2is]

Haven't heard very many good things about the smaller corsair water coolers like the H55/60. Most of what I've read suggests they aren't any quieter and cool worse than a $30 212 Evo

 

[nwo]

Haven't heard very many good things about the smaller corsair water coolers like the H55/60. Most of what I've read suggests they aren't any quieter and cool worse than a $30 212 Evo

That is true...

 

[MongGrel]

Yeah, Q6600 were great in the day and my sister in law still uses one for web browsing etc that I built, but they are long past anything performance wise these day other then general use I'd say.

I used to run it at 4 Ghz.

That and personally I'd stay away from AIO water coolers and use something like a NH-D14 unless going a dedicated water loop.

 

[Blue_Max]

Just grabbed the 212 Evo cooler -- tried and true. Should keep it frosty even @ 100% 24/7 while quite quiet.



(see what I did there? Not sure why so many people get those words reversed...)


Gawd I'm glad I bought it... steal of a deal, even with the cooler which I'd need anyway! Folding@Home loves the 8 threads over 4.

Update: The 212 Evo is so damned large I can no longer close the case! It'll do until I can get a nifty new case, at least... and it'll have to be big enough for this monster of a cooler. It sure is quiet though!

 

[Matt1970]

I still have my Q6600 system. I can tell you positively that it is a total dog compared to my i5 and my gf's i3. It can barely run some of the same flash games that fly on our computers. I also have an E8300 system and it is also faster than the Q6600, regardless of OC. Clock speed makes no significant difference. My 1st gen i5 even at 1.6GHz is faster than the Q6600 at 3GHz. A 500MHz change in clock speed produces about the same result as a 200MHz change in clock speed on an i5. Maybe not even that much.

It really sounds like you need to reload your OS on the Q6600 especially if it is running slower than your E8300.