C2Q Q9400 Still worth it?

Cataulin

[H]ard|Gawd
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Nov 22, 2010
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I was just given a computer that's got a Q9400. Ram was taken back by user for reuse and mobo was bad. Would it be worth it to buy a motherboard and keep running it? I already have a spare PSU ram case and HDD ready to go. I would like to get into overclocking and I hear the Q series is pretty good about this.

Your thoughts and opnions are appreciated.
 
I don't think so because LGA775 MB's with DDR3 are expensive, and DDR2 memory is expensive. If you had the memory already, then it might not be a bad idea, but since you have to buy a board and memory, I'd just sell the CPU and buy something DDR3 based.
 
Just pull your E6750 and plop n the Q9400.

Finding decent 775 mobos is tough anymore. Unless you have a lot of 775 hardware lying around (like me) I wouldn't put any money into a Q9400.
 
I don't think so because LGA775 MB's with DDR3 are expensive, and DDR2 memory is expensive. If you had the memory already, then it might not be a bad idea, but since you have to buy a board and memory, I'd just sell the CPU and buy something DDR3 based.

+1

Sell it and find a good deal on a Nehalem based system.
 
Just pull your E6750 and plop n the Q9400.

Finding decent 775 mobos is tough anymore. Unless you have a lot of 775 hardware lying around (like me) I wouldn't put any money into a Q9400.

Tried that. Turns out only the Q9400S is compatible. I put a fast as crap E8500 in instead. I think the Q9400 was designed for OC.

kirbyrj said:
I don't think so because LGA775 MB's with DDR3 are expensive, and DDR2 memory is expensive. If you had the memory already, then it might not be a bad idea, but since you have to buy a board and memory, I'd just sell the CPU and buy something DDR3 based

I acutally have about 12 gigs of DDR3 ram lying around. I work IT at a office and I get some free every now and again. I could also buy a Motherboard for it for around 30-50 dollars on ebay or here.


Ultima99 said:
Sell it and find a good deal on a Nehalem based system.
How much do those run for? Im possibly going to sell it if its a really bad Idea.
 
On second thought, if you have DDR3 memory and a board on ebay is only $30, it's probably worth it to spend the $30 to get a decent running system.
 
Tried that. Turns out only the Q9400S is compatible. I put a fast as crap E8500 in instead. I think the Q9400 was designed for OC.

Update your BIOS. That board totally supports that Proc.

All else fails, I'll give you 15 bucks + Shipping.
 
Depends on your budget and workload, or if you need more PCIE lanes / other features etc from the newer chipsets.

If you're not exactly gaming or computing hardcore or dont need the newer chipset features, you probably won't see much of a real difference. A SSD would be a far bigger palpable upgrade if you don't have one already.

If you are doing heavy stuff, then the C2Qs get obliterated by any of the newer i5s / i7s, especially the K's.
 
Update your BIOS. That board totally supports that Proc.

All else fails, I'll give you 15 bucks + Shipping.


Not according to Intel its not. Only the Q9400S is compatible. Im already running the latest (2010) bios.
 
Scroll down on the compatibility list. It's there.


Welp,

clearly I am blind. it also seems to be time to replace my board. Its still not accepting the chip. I've tried updating the bios and Im getting errors.

Thanks for the help.
 
The Q9400 is still a decent CPU (I'm still using my Q9450). However, as people have pointed out buying a replacement mobo and RAM is not worth doing unless you can find low prices for them.

I will probably upgrade to Haswell and transplant my current mobo + CPU into my HTPC which has a E6600 CPU, but the mobo doesn't support the Q9450, I'll also transplant the OS HDD since I don't need to do a full re-install.

:)
 
The chip may be faulty.

Could be. It was working just fine in the dell I pulled it from. Also im getting internal errors during my bios update. No matter what method I try so I guess ill never find out.
 
Could be. It was working just fine in the dell I pulled it from. Also im getting internal errors during my bios update. No matter what method I try so I guess ill never find out.

Maybe the motherboard was fine and the chip was bad or both were damaged.
 
Maybe the motherboard was fine and the chip was bad or both were damaged.


Im actually using it(the Q9400) in a Dell T3400 right now. I think something happened to that motherboard since I made a case switch. I'll check the standoff's in the new case. Maybe I'm grounding something.......

Anywho I think If I can get a working motherboard like a gigabyte P35 or something cheap Ill just OC this and learn off it. itll be a neat experience.
 
Ive been shopping for a good 775 board and they are way over priced. You better off getting a core i7-920 + with board for like $150. sell the cpu to fund the I7, as people are still buying them for drop in upgrades.
 
Ive been shopping for a good 775 board and they are way over priced. You better off getting a core i7-920 + with board for like $150. sell the cpu to fund the I7, as people are still buying them for drop in upgrades.


Yeah I know but I would be mad (super mad) if I broke a i7 setup just to learn how to Overclock properly. Ill still be buying a i7 setup just holding off till black friday/christmas to buy the equipment. Honestly all I need is a Mobo psu and Proc to get me caught up. No rush.
 
I learned how to OC on a i7-2700k, go big or go home :)
 
Saying you learned how to OC on a i7 is like saying I can ride a motorcycle because I can go really fast on my Tricycle. i7's are very easy to OC, nothing like AMD or Older Intel (775 and older). First Gen i7 isn't as easy as Second and up, but still quite easy to get a solid OC.
 
I learned how to OC on a i7-2700k, go big or go home :)

Go big...lol...:rolleyes:

I remember overclocking my Pentium 100 to 133 back in the day using the only overclocking tools available...motherboard jumpers...;)

My first introduction to multipliers, bus speeds and Vcore...:)
 
Go big...lol...:rolleyes:

I remember overclocking my Pentium 100 to 133 back in the day using the only overclocking tools available...motherboard jumpers...;)

My first introduction to multipliers, bus speeds and Vcore...:)


I didnt get in till the P2 - P3 era. I still cannot for the life of me figure out what that turbo button did.
 
lol yep.
In the XT, 286+ era it was to speed the CPU up.
Its a bit like underclocking with only a speed change :)
The CPUs were underclocked when not in turbo and ran at rated speed when in turbo.
There was no real value to it, it was more of a sales gimmick, I dont know of anyone that ever ran in none turbo.
Not that it mattered much in early DOS days anyway unless playing a game - of which there werent many.
 
I didnt get in till the P2 - P3 era. I still cannot for the life of me figure out what that turbo button did.

It used to change the multiplier. I had a 486 DX4 PC that switched between, if I remember correctly, 66MHz and 100MHz with the turbo button. Some PCs used to have some 7-segment displays to show you the clock frequency.
 
It used to change the multiplier. I had a 486 DX4 PC that switched between, if I remember correctly, 66MHz and 100MHz with the turbo button. Some PCs used to have some 7-segment displays to show you the clock frequency.

The 7 seg displays were pointless though. They could be set to say whatever you wanted with jumpers. Hell, most of the ones I ran into were just setup to say HI.
 
The 7 seg displays were pointless though. They could be set to say whatever you wanted with jumpers. Hell, most of the ones I ran into were just setup to say HI.

Oh, I actually didn't know that. I was only just getting into computers at the time (was probably about 10). That was, I think, the last computer I ever owned that I didn't build myself (hand-me-down from the family room when we updated that).
 
I didnt get in till the P2 - P3 era. I still cannot for the life of me figure out what that turbo button did.

I know in my p2 abit board bios, there was a turbo setting that basically gave a small overclcok increase.. it changed the fsb speed from 100 to 103 and gave a small boost in performance. THere was some manufactures that would send there computers out with turbo enable to "sorta cheat" and make their pc look a little better in benchmarks. On my p2 450, it gave like 12 mghz increase which was enough to tip the benchamarks.
 
Oh, I actually didn't know that. I was only just getting into computers at the time (was probably about 10). That was, I think, the last computer I ever owned that I didn't build myself (hand-me-down from the family room when we updated that).

Like so :D

1z6zh9y.jpg
 
It took you nearly a year for that response.
Heh.
 
Yes its worth it, still have a system with a q9550, its still a monster in my book. Check out the computers at bestbuy and you will see you have a high price monster on your hands.
 
Go big...lol...:rolleyes:

I remember overclocking my Pentium 100 to 133 back in the day using the only overclocking tools available...motherboard jumpers...;)

My first introduction to multipliers, bus speeds and Vcore...:)

Yup, was in college when I popped my OC cherry on a P120@166 if I'm remembering correctly. What were those specs? 16 or 32mb of ram and a 1mb video card? Something like that. Ah the good old days :cool:
 
Yup, was in college when I popped my OC cherry on a P120@166 if I'm remembering correctly. What were those specs? 16 or 32mb of ram and a 1mb video card? Something like that. Ah the good old days :cool:

I remember overclocking my 486 by moving the bus-speed jumper :D
 
I remember overclocking my 486 by moving the bus-speed jumper :D

Yup. I believe I went from 60 to 66 and 2x to 2.5x with the jumpers.
Actually my p6x58d-e actually still has a few jumpers. I've never touch them but they are there.
Kinda wish I kept all that old stuff. Oldest thing I have on hand is my 8K3A and Barton cpu circa maybe 2003?
 
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