Can My Dell Support Quad Core?

C

Carlosinfl

Loves the juice
Joined
Sep 25, 2002
Messages
6,633
So I am using a Dell Optiplex 745 which came with a E6300 CPU. I wanted to know if I can drop in a Q6600 CPU into the same system and have it work as it should or will I have problems? Obviously the motherboard is a proprietary board so I can't check the specs but I would think since both CPU's are 65nm die, socket 775, 1066MHz FSB, and everything else...would I not be able to remove my E6300 and drop in a Q6600?
 
It uses the Q965 chipset so it should. I have seen at least one benchmark with an Optiplex 745 running a Q6600.

If you have the slim 745c, the cooling probably isn't good enough for a quad core. It should be fine for the regular mini-tower chassis, but not any of the small form factor models. The mini tower model looks like it uses a regular microBTX motherboard.
 
No - I have the mini tower which is a regular sized BTX style case. I just popped in the Q6600 and it fired up my PC fine. I see all 4 cores:



The system however does keep the processor at 1.6GHz at idle and then throttles accordingly to 2.4GHz.

Code: 
tunafish@carloswill:~$ cat /proc/cpuinfo | grep "MHz"
cpu MHz		: 1600.000
cpu MHz		: 1600.000
cpu MHz		: 1600.000
cpu MHz		: 1600.000

Funny - I checked the Intel site and it did not show the Q6600 supporting the Q965 chipset. :confused:

It only showed the following for supported chipsets on the Q6600:

Intel® 975X Express Chipset,
Intel® P965 Express Chipset

Obviously not since I am posting from the machine now...:D
 
It idles at 1.6ghz 6x266mhz because EIST/speedstep and C1E are probably enabled on that motherboard.

In my opinion it's a great thing because it keeps heat and power usage to a minimum at idle and it will go back to 9x266mhz when you need more power !!

insert tim the toolman taylor grunt here :cool:
 
adding a quad core to my sons XPS 410 dual core system should work as well.....
 
Anyone know why this swap worked when the chipset on my C2D is not supported or listed as a supported chipset for the Q6600?
 
Carloswill said:
Anyone know why this swap worked when the chipset on my C2D is not supported or listed as a supported chipset for the Q6600?
Click to expand...

Q965 is the business enterprise edition of the P965 family of chipsets. So, your chipset actually is supported, IIRC.
 
Got a Q6600 rocking my Optiplex 745 right now...though I did upgrade the PSU (for PCI-E power).
 
How did you do that? When I looked, Dell uses proprietary power supplies and was unable to find anything beyond the standard 305W power supply. Did you do some kind of an upgrade through Dell or is this a universal power supply you're using?
 
Carloswill said:
How did you do that? When I looked, Dell uses proprietary power supplies
Click to expand...
When was the last time you looked, 2001? :p The Dell proprietary PSU era was back in P3 and older, and there might have been a couple of S423 models that also used those.

Besides a couple of gaming systems which use odd sized ATX 12V PSUs, all the tower systems use regular ATX 12v PSUs (tower servers use regular PSUs with 24+8-pin) and have for several years.

The biggest problem with replacing the PSU is that there is no space in the back of the case for the power switch. People either buy models without a rear power switch, or cut a small hole in the case to fit the power switch.
 
Not sure I follow you still. Every Dell power supply has some kind of release toggle or switch after you remove a screw or something of that nature. Its not like the power supply bots down via all 4 screws through the back of the case. The Dell power supplies simply lay in the case and click into place. Once locked down by a clip, you lock it down with a screw. This is even Optiplex 280's and I beleive the 620 and 745's.
 
Carloswill said:
Not sure I follow you still. Every Dell power supply has some kind of release toggle or switch after you remove a screw or something of that nature.
Click to expand...
Maybe you have one of the odd models then. None of the dozen or so Dell mini-towers I had used anything other than 3-4 screws to hold the regular sized ATX 12V PSU in place. The only problem is what I described above: there was no space on the back of the case for a PSU with a rear power switch. Even my fairly recent Precision workstation at work has the same kind of PSU mounting.
 
Carlosinfl said:
This is even Optiplex 280's and I beleive the 620 and 745's.
Click to expand...

I've used regular PSUs in all three of those models.
One required some hacking of the PSU backplate area to accept normal ATX PSUs, but that was it. I used a regular PSU on a 755 recently.

PC P&C made an aftermarket Dell PSU. The NEMA plug is offset to match the backplate and it doesn't have an external on/off switch, etc.

That's nothing a Dremel can't get around, though.
 
Go to dells site and enter your service tag. everything about your system and upgrades will be shown.

Yes it supports the Q6600. Just do a bios upgrade before doing it and yes its runs stable on 3.2ghz with a BSEL mod
 
nxcess said:
Now just pin mod it to get a 1333 fsb
Click to expand...

Tell me more! I previously installed a 1066 MHz FSB Q6700 to my Dell 745, but now there is another machine that needs an upgrade.

I think it would be too lame to go for the Q6700. I could go for the top-of-the-line 1333MHz FSB Core 2 Quad, which is Q9650:
http://ark.intel.com/products/family/28398/Intel-Core2-Quad-Desktop-Processor/desktop

It may be too expensive to burn money on an old CPU, but we may consider it.

So what would be involved with the pin mod? ;)
 
Im 100% sure that If you have a Core2duo inside your dell you can run a Q6600 at the bare minimum. With the Newer Q9450 - Q9650 you might have to do a bios update.
 
Thanks for the reply. Unfortunately the Dell BIOS updates don't explain anything. It may be worth to buy a Q9xxx and try it with the newest BIOS.
 
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