Intel Core 2 Quad Q6600 Quad-Core Processor, 2.40 GHz, 8M L2 Cache, LGA 775
by Intel
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Our Price: $398.95 Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days Buy Used: from $181.99 (click here) Category: CE See more product details |
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Digital Cameras Photo Reviews of Intel Core 2 Quad Q6600 Quad-Core Processor, 2.40 GHz, 8M L2 Cache, LGA 775
Customer Review: For the money, this is the ONLY option!
Summary: 5 Stars
I did not purchase my G0 Q6600 from Amazon. Back in late October, 2007 the G0's were scarce, so I went with a vendor who guaranteed that I would get one (versus the distinct possibility of getting the older "B3" version of the processor with most other vendors, including Amazon).
For the uninitiated, the usefulness of a quad-core CPU versus the more ubiquitous (and less expensive) dual-core version is dubious for most desktop users. Most applications are not multi-threaded and therefore are not able to make use of the extra CPU cores packed onto the Q6600. Your operating system (Windows, Apple OSX, Linux, etc) can, to some extent, "balance" (sometimes) different tasks between cores, in which case a multi-core CPU can yield noticeable advantages.
However, many software developers are adding "multi-thread" capability to future versions of their applications to take advantage of the new processors. Therefore, at this moment, a quad-core CPU is the best bet for "future-proofing" your computer (if there is such a thing), and Intel is the leader of the pack -- by a wide margin (substantiated by every review on the planet).
Why the Q6600?
For starters, the price/performance ratio of the Q6600 is nothing short of remarkable. This processor has single-handedly given the average desktop user high-end, workstation-caliber performance for a price that is simply unimaginable. The Q6600's dual-core sibling, the E6600, is only a few dollars less expensive. The Q6600 is essentially TWO Intel E6600 processors, for only a few dollars more. It's a no-brainer, especially since the Q6600 will run on most of the same motherboards that support the E6600.
Second, the Q6600 (especially the newer G0 model) can be easily overclocked to a speed that rivals or exceeds Intel's latest flagship $1000+ quad-core "Extreme" processors (as-of this writing). With just 60 seconds in the motherboard BIOS, my Q6600 is running at 3.2GHz, air-cooled (ie: heatsink and fan), at all stock voltages and RAM FSB (800MHz). Only the CPU is actually overclocked (using a GA-P35-DSR3 motherboard) again, at stock Vcore (1.3v). It is rock-solid stable (Prime95 "Torture Test" for 24 hours) and the four cores never exceed 50C (SpeedFan, corrected) under load and run at 20-30C idle. I have run it at a fully-stable 3.6GHz, but prefer the cooler temps that 3.2GHz operates at. I am reasonably certain that I could get to 4GHz if I wanted to move to water cooling, though I haven't experienced any lust for more power with the current setup (a first in my computing life).
I run 8GB (4x2GB) of Patriot Extreme Performance DDR2-800 RAM (at stock Bus and VLU) and an EVGA 8800GTX-OC GPU and this is the fastest desktop computer I have ever used (Windows Vista Ultimate x64).
I am NOT a gamer. I've never played a game on this computer. I do use Photoshop CS3, Lightroom, InDesign CS3, Illustrator CS3, Dreamweaver, Premiere Pro CS3, AfterEffects CS3, and a number of other CPU-intensive (and multi-threaded) applications. I can process PARs, rip RARs, convert x264 HD video, download NNTP, and write this review all at the same time, all without ANY noticeable slow-down or system "sluggishness." This processor has single-handedly ushered in a new era of personal computing productivity I never would have believed possible.
Behold, the power of four cores!
Customer Review: This is THE chip to get
Summary: 5 Stars
So, I'm one of those guys who spends way too much time on my computer, doing everything from gaming to programming. A few months back, I needed an upgrade from my Pentium D 925 because quite a few games were becoming quite slow, so I figured I'd go with the newer "Core 2" line to help bolster my computer's power (along with a new graphics chip). However, what I got was a lot more than what I had originally expected, which was merely more frames per second.
This processor -- with its four massively powerful cores -- truly redefines "multitasking". Whereas on my old machine, I would always limit the number of things I was doing at once (maybe watching a movie while typing up a word document), there's virtually no limit here! I can play graphics intensive games while having a movie running in the background while I encode some of my latest recordings into MP3 format without so much as a hitch on this thing! The multithreading capabilities that come with the chip are truly astounding!
However, it's not all about multitasking. I'm an avid gamer, and for the latest crop of games, with their multithreaded game engines, this chip proves to be a beast. Games such as Unreal Tournament 3 and Crysis would crawl on my old Pentium D, but with this new chip, I see a dramatic difference in framerate (I can chalk a lot of the gain up to my new gfx card, but I benchmarked my Core 2 Quad v.s. my Pentium D on the new video card, and even then, there was a massive improvement). Games nowadays are becoming increasingly multithreaded due in part to the existence chips like these, but also because of the Xbox 360 and PS3 architectures which force developers to write multithreaded code. It's only a matter of time before today's latest games require at least a dual core processor, so with this thing, you're ahead of the game.
Yes, I'm gushing about this thing. But, really, if you take away anything from this review, just note how ecstatic I am to have this chip. No matter what applications you run, whether you're a gamer or an audiophile, this chip will improve your computing experience.
Did I also mention it's a great value and a hell of an overclocker (I'm running it at 3.3GHz)?
Buy it!
Customer Review: Overclocks REALLY well
Summary: 5 Stars
I have had this processor running for a year now; it is a G0 (lucky me) and I ran it for 10 months at stock speeds. Those 10 months were heaven (not mentioning a problem with the motherboard here) and so I decided to overclock. I never overclocked a computer in the past, this was going to be my first.
Before starting, note that I used the stock cooler, and the processor's VID is 1.3250V.
Now, because it is important to others, I must say I run this processor on a Asus P5E. Great board EXCEPT the memory voltages are bogus... or better stated, augmented. An increase of 0.02V in the BIOS is actually 0.05V, and the base of 1.8V is the only one that is correct. Therefore, 1.82V in BIOS is 1.85V, 1.84V is 1.90V, 1.90 is really 2.05V, etc.
Even with the rather high VID, I started overclocking. My first attempt was 2.70 GHz (300 FSB x 9). All settings in auto, and the computer works nicely. Second attempt I went for 3 GHz (333 FSB). Worked just fine on auto (not sure if it was stable, though). Next step, 345 FSB for 3.1 GHz... no boot. For the first time I had to manually raise the CPU voltage to get it to work. At this point I ran Prime95 for 8 hours and worked OK, and maximum Vcore temperature was 80 °C, 20 °C below the red. :) And all this on air, and all this with the stock cooler. I was able to OC almost 30% just by typing some numbers!
After that I decided that I wanted to OC more, so I got the OCZ Vendetta, 92mm fan, and I am now running rock stable @ 3.3 GHz (366 FSB) and below the 80 °C on the hottest core during Prime95, and attaining stability by setting the voltage to the scary number of 1.4350V in BIOS (it is scary to me anyways).
End result is a chip running on 37% OC on air, with an aftermarket $35 cooler. I cannot be happier. If I were to buy another Quad right now, I would not buy a 45 nm, I would buy this one again, especially now that Core I7 is out and should make this one drop in price.
If you have/want a pre-x58 motherboard, this is THE way to go.
Customer Review: Great performance/price ratio
Summary: 5 Stars
The fastest processor on the market is not always the best value. A upgrade to each component and software package in your system could cost you 2-3 times what you had planned. Whether this processor will allow you to perform your tasks well is the real concern.
I use this processor in a media center PC. Its load is typically about 8% with many concurrent tasks running. I can watch an HD video while recording two others, and similar tasks won't make a dent. Neither will my office software usage or even some intensive database applications. For these uses, it's not likely that I'd see a difference with a faster processor.
If I edit large videos and convert formats, some of my software will push the processor to its limits. What would have taken me days to run on my five year old PC might take several hours on my new one. A three hour task could conceivably be cut down to under two hours with a faster processor of the current generation.
But this processor meets my criteria. Interactive tasks are always responsive. Intensive tasks don't take an unacceptably long time and my computer remains responsive when they run. If I start a task, it won't matter to me whether I should plan to get back to it in three hours instead of two. It did matter when I had to wait three days during which other tasks would become intolerably slow. A processor must keep up with my needs for as long as I would reasonably use it. I believe this one will.
Whether this is right for you depends on the tasks you will use it for, and your threshold of tolerance for highly intensive tasks. If you will use it for less intensive everyday tasks such as web browsing, email, or tax software, this processor is overkill. If your usage is similar to mine, I'd recommend it.
Customer Review: Core 2 Quad 6600
Summary: 5 Stars
My recent purcahse of an Intel Core 2 Quad 6600 has been a wise purchase. To quickly 'shoo away' the white elephant in the room, no the Q6600 is nowhere near the realm of the much faster (and MUCH more expensive!) Core 2 Quad Extreme. Using the Q6600 as the CPU for my built from scratch computer system, the Core 2 Q6600 continues Intel's grand tradition of 'best bang for the buck' CPUs. The CPU's speed is very fast, fits the Intel 775 Socket on my new motheboard; I went with the EVGA SLI-Ready 680i and 4 megabytes of Patriot DDR 2-800mz memory.
The instalation was as easy as ever and after even layer of thermal grease later I was more than good to go.
The Core 2 Quad 6600 is your best choice if you cant afford the Core 2 Quad Extreme ($800.00 to $900.00 depending on where you look) or are simply looking to keeping the cost of a new CPU down as much as possible ($800.00 to $900.00 depending on where you look). With 8M of L2 cache, it has more than enough external cache to keep your system running smooth and reliably. The Core 2 Quad Q6600 was a great choice for a Quad Core CPU and one that will keep me on Intel's dise in the ongoing CPU war.