E6400 E6600 or E4300 for modest overclock?

[gunner1]

I'm putting together a new machine and am looking for a good CPU that I can run at or a little above 3.0 ghz.

Any advice by the Gurus here would be helpful.

I had been holding off for the E6320 and E6420 to be released in April, but I've seen more than a few posts that question if with 4MB of cache those cores will be just as overclockable as the current offerings.

The other components that I've already purchased;

Intel Bad Axe 2 Motherboard
OCZ Platinum DDR1000 2X1GB memory
EVGA Geforce 8800GTS 320 Superclocked
Gigabyte Poseidon case
Zalman 9700NT cpu cooler

I have a lot of experience building rigs (over 15 years worth) but have zero knowledge of C2D or overclocking capabilities with these CPUs.

 

[Wharf_Rat]

I wouldnt consider myself a guru...this is the first computer I have built in a while, but I have had great results with many of the same components you have there.

I have been out of the game for a while, the system this build replaced is a p4 2.53 with 1GB of ram and a gf4800ti, built like 4-5 years ago?

I have an e6600 on the D975BX2 running at 3.6 @ 1.425V

It ran ~3.3XX at stock voltage, but I insisted on getting 3.6, so my ram would run at 800mhz.

I am using the same cooler you have listed as well...

and the same video card!

 

[gunner1]

I wouldnt consider myself a guru...this is the first computer I have built in a while, but I have had great results with many of the same components you have there.

I have been out of the game for a while, the system this build replaced is a p4 2.53 with 1GB of ram and a gf4800ti, built like 4-5 years ago?

I have an e6600 on the D975BX2 running at 3.6 @ 1.425V

It ran ~3.3XX at stock voltage, but I insisted on getting 3.6, so my ram would run at 800mhz.

I am using the same cooler you have listed as well...

and the same video card!

That's impressive! From reading tons of internet posts I have seen very inconsistent results though with the E6600 running at 3.6ghz, it seems to be a "luck of the draw" so to speak as many of them top out well under that speed.

If I felt there was a VERY good chance of hitting 3.6ghz I would buy the 6600 without a second thought.

However, after having several builds over the years fail at overclocking due to getting a low performing chip I am now leaning on the side of safety and thinking of going 8X400mhz with aggressive memory timings with the E6400 instead...

Do a lot of people have that kind of performance with E6600? Also, how stable would you say your rig is? I leave mine on 24/7 and don't tolerate lockups/bluescreens or memory errors.

 

[Blaineikans]

I'm pretty well in the same boat, I'm on the fence as well. I'll be using the Abit F-I90HD when it comes out in the next week or so and I'm hoping to use the e4300 and get a more modest overclock of at least 2.7Ghz give or take some. Does this seem likely?

Also going to be using OCZ PC2800.

 

[gunner1]

I've read lots of mixed things on the E4300. Some people say they are an overclocking dream, and others say they have a really hard time hitting 3.0+ ghz.

I guess it probably comes down to how good of a chip you get. E4300s are in all likelihood E6600 or E6700 that didn't have a fully functional 4MB of cache.

With the 9X multiplier you don't need terribly fast memory to hit high speeds, that's for sure.

Even 266mhz ram will give you 2.4ghz with that chip.

 

[Wharf_Rat]

So far my rig is completely stable, but I only built it last week.

I have let it run Orthos for 24 hours on Large and Small, priority 9.

Then I did a 24 hour run of OCCT after reading about that here.

I then did a clean install of XP MC2005 while still overclocked, to clean up any trace of all the locks, reboots, etc while getting to 3.6.

I wish it didnt need as much voltage, but my temps arent really off the hook either.

I am seeing about 56-58 after running orthos for a bit, I dont think anything real world is going to peg the chip as hard.

 

[gunner1]

So far my rig is completely stable, but I only built it last week.

I have let it run Orthos for 24 hours on Large and Small, priority 9.

Then I did a 24 hour run of OCCT after reading about that here.

I then did a clean install of XP MC2005 while still overclocked, to clean up any trace of all the locks, reboots, etc while getting to 3.6.

I wish it didnt need as much voltage, but my temps arent really off the hook either.

I am seeing about 56-58 after running orthos for a bit, I dont think anything real world is going to peg the chip as hard.

Damn.....

Well, 3.2 still sounds easier to me but we'll see if anyone else chimes in.

 

[Wharf_Rat]

To be honest, I bought this setup without any intention of overclocking...then I read a bit, ordered up the zalman and said what the hell!

I have had some shitty chips in the past, but I am happy with this one. I am not even going to try and push it any futher, even though it seems a few have squeezed more out. Although...they are sometimes running less volts than I am. I am not increasing volts any higher.

 

[gunner1]

Running high voltage tends to wear components out faster. Unfortunately we don't know if that means the CPU will quit after 10 years or 3.

 

[Wharf_Rat]

3 years would be great, it will force me to not get stuck in another 5 year rig, haha.

 

[msg1285]

While no chip is ever a sure thing, I'd say with your mobo and an E6600 you should hit 3.0- 3.2 pretty easily and might very well hit 3.6 if you want to raise your voltage. I have an
E6600 at 1.35 volts and 3.35 rok soild.

 

[skudmunky]

I got my E4300 above 3 ghz easily, on stock voltage even. Getting it above 3.3ghz is another story, but what the heck, it's a 160 dollar chip

 

[kent]

I'd spend the extra $50 and grab the E6400. I figure, at least in my case, another 500MHz is worth the bullshit that comes with an E4300

 

[gunner1]

I'd spend the extra $50 and grab the E6400. I figure, at least in my case, another 500MHz is worth the bullshit that comes with an E4300

Ya, I think that even though it's an older core the E6400 seems to have a little more headroom than the E4300.

Your E6400 running at 8X425mhz is a nice setup, what voltage do you have to run on the CPU and memory bus?

 

[gunner1]

While no chip is ever a sure thing, I'd say with your mobo and an E6600 you should hit 3.0- 3.2 pretty easily and might very well hit 3.6 if you want to raise your voltage. I have an
E6600 at 1.35 volts and 3.35 rok soild.

I've seen people indicate that the newer core in the E6600 is faster clock for clock than the E6300/E6400 core. Are there any articles that show this? The only article I've seen showed an underclocked E6600 running at E6300 speed and in benchmarks between the two the differences were often less than 1-5% performance between the two.

 

[jws2346]

I'm not into any real aggressive OC'ing, as you can see from my signature, but if you have the money I think it would be unwise to go with a chip other than the highest and best, IMO and several others, the E6600. If you are into agressive OC'ing than by all means I would go with a E6400, even with good componets I would even get into uncharted territory and go with a E4300. There have been very few people that can't get a E6600 to 3.0 GHz up to 3.2 GHz and I would have to question their methods, type of components, etc.

 

[InCogneato]

e6600.

if you mention e6600, i am guessing the price is not a big deal to you. even if you are not overclocking at all, or just a little, or maybe a lot, i think the e6600 will be the best way to go, especially because of the motherboard you chose (which was a great choice btw)

 

[kent]

Ya, I think that even though it's an older core the E6400 seems to have a little more headroom than the E4300.

Your E6400 running at 8X425mhz is a nice setup, what voltage do you have to run on the CPU and memory bus?

CPU is at 1.39 under load and 1.41 at idle.

FSB termination got a slight bump from 1.2 to 1.3 (first available option)

Northbridge got a boost from whatever default is (1.25?) to 1.45 (first available option)


I've been meaning to reset those to auto and Orthos again for 24 hours but it's completely stable and nothing is warm. Antec 900 leafblower case ftw

 

[gunner1]

e6600.

if you mention e6600, i am guessing the price is not a big deal to you. even if you are not overclocking at all, or just a little, or maybe a lot, i think the e6600 will be the best way to go, especially because of the motherboard you chose (which was a great choice btw)

Ya, price wise it's really no concern (as long as we are talking sub $400), I've just seen a lot of threads that argue that the 4MB of cache on the E6600 make it more likely that the chip will top out around 3ghz whereas the E6300/E6400 can pretty easily be pushed to 3.2+ if you have fast RAM (which I do).

Thanks for compliments on mobo choice, that was a really tough decision to make also.

 

[gunner1]

CPU is at 1.39 under load and 1.41 at idle.

FSB termination got a slight bump from 1.2 to 1.3 (first available option)

Northbridge got a boost from whatever default is (1.25?) to 1.45 (first available option)


I've been meaning to reset those to auto and Orthos again for 24 hours but it's completely stable and nothing is warm. Antec 900 leafblower case ftw

That sounds very impressive, thanks for sharing the info.

 

[msg1285]

I've just seen a lot of threads that argue that the 4MB of cache on the E6600 make it more likely that the chip will top out around 3ghz whereas the E6300/E6400 can pretty easily be pushed to 3.2+ if you have fast RAM (which I do).

There are lots of people on this forum as well as many others that have there E6600 at 3.2-3.6. It just takes a voltage increase and good gear to hit 3.6 I have serious doubts that the cache would be causing E6600 to have oc problems. It's just that you can hit 3ghz with very little oc knowledge and getting to 3.2ghz and beyond requires better quality parts and alittle more bios tweeking.

 

[gunner1]

There are lots of people on this forum as well as many others that have there E6600 at 3.2-3.6. It just takes a voltage increase and good gear to hit 3.6 I have serious doubts that the cache would be causing E6600 to have oc problems. It's just that you can hit 3ghz with very little oc knowledge and getting to 3.2ghz and beyond requires better quality parts and alittle more bios tweeking.

So, run the E6600 at 350mhz X 9 with 1:1 FSB/Memory ratio and very little other tweaking is a pretty "safe and easy" overclock to 3.2ghz on the E6600?

I'm torn now for sure. Part of me is just saying "get the damn E6400, be happy with 3.2ghz at 400mhz and then sell it when quad c2d is cheap next year!!"

 

[msg1285]

E6600 @ 3.0-3.2 @ stock voltage 333-350fsb (Pretty safe bet)
E6600 @ 3.6 @ higher voltage i.e. 1.4v and 350+ ( good chance but no guaranty)

I'm not sure what voltages you need to hit 400fsb with an E6400 but I think the CPU voltages is locked on the BadAxe2. I know I read that some where and the owners manual doesnt say. It could be that I ate to many lead chips as a child too.

Hopefully some who knows for sure can tell you, it could be that you don't the voltage increase with the BA2.

 

[gunner1]

E6600 @ 3.0-3.2 @ stock voltage 333-350fsb (Pretty safe bet)
E6600 @ 3.6 @ higher voltage i.e. 1.4v and 350+ ( good chance but no guaranty)

I'm not sure what voltages you need to hit 400fsb with an E6400 but I think the CPU voltages is locked on the BadAxe2. I know I read that some where and the owners manual doesnt say. It could be that I ate to many lead chips as a child too.

Hopefully some who knows for sure can tell you, it could be that you don't the voltage increase with the BA2.

No, you can definitely adjust cpu voltage along with all the other ones on the BX2, I've seen screenshots and many threads where users report they can do this.

 

[Wharf_Rat]

You can most definately adjust the cpu voltage on the BX2, along with vdimm, vmch, and vfsb.

I was able to get to 366 FSB at stock voltage, it was past that I needed to start bumping it up.

 

[luihed]

I was going to suggest E4300 but all your other components are so nice it seem only fit that you put a E6600 in there..... between a E6400 or E4300 Ill take teh E4300 any day especially with your mobo, that 9 multi will be very usefull if you do decide to overclock more than 3.2gs...... E4300 and E6400 uses the same core so technically they should overclock the same or very similar anyways..... I doubt that Intel is even binning these since 2130mhz is so easily reach.... I could be wrong though ....

 

[msg1285]

You can most definately adjust the cpu voltage on the BX2, along with vdimm, vmch, and vfsb.

I was able to get to 366 FSB at stock voltage, it was past that I needed to start bumping it up.

Oh guess maybe I did have to many paint chips

 

[Sgraffite]

If you planning on using VMware then you might want to stay away from the E4300 as it does not support VT (Virtualization Technology).

 

[gunner1]

I will be running Vista Premium (may God have mercy on my soul)

 

[Donkers]

Ya, price wise it's really no concern (as long as we are talking sub $400

Go for the E6600, with it's higher multi you should easily get your "modest overclock" ...you also get that 4mb of L2 that would benefit you when more demanding programs come out.

 

[theTIK]

Get the e6600, you can always change the multiplier to 8 if you want and you have the extra cache, plus in the future if you decide not to overclock anymore and run at stock speeds it wouldn't be as bad.

 

[gunner1]

Get the e6600, you can always change the multiplier to 8 if you want and you have the extra cache, plus in the future if you decide not to overclock anymore and run at stock speeds it wouldn't be as bad.

Someone actually said you can't bring the multiplier down on the board I am going with (which sucks)..

Regardless, I have ordered the E6600 and thank everyone here for the input.

The decider was that Frys.com has them right now for $297 with free shipping and it's the full retail package chip. I can't pass that deal up even with the next price drop right around the corner.