E6400: is an upgrade worth it for me?

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delas52

Limp Gawd
Joined
Jul 13, 2007
Messages
170
So right now I have a pc with the following setup:

Gigabyte 965P - DS3 rev 1.0
Intel C2D E6400 @ 2.8Ghz
ATi HD 4870
OCZ 4GB DDR2-800
Ultra XVS 700W
Creative Audigy 2 ZS
Antec Nine Hundred Case

and so my question is will upgrading to a new cpu (such as a q6600) be worth it for me right now? I am only concerned with gaming performance at high resolutions (1680x1050, 1900x1020). My motherboard will support quad core but not 45nm cpus like the e8400. So my options are:

get q6600 or something else relatively cheap now
keep setup as is and wait and get new mobo and i7 in a while after price drops
 
if it still plays the games you play often good enough then wait for the i7 price drops or just go i7 now.
 
havent really gamed in a while but just got the hd 4870, fallout 3, far cry 2, and crysis warhead so im not sure how it plays them yet.
 
I recommend waiting for Core i7 when it drops in price or when the mainstream versions come out. We have the same mobo and CPU and I can tell you that the E6400 is still more than enough for many games out there like Crysis Warhead.

However, any reason why your E6400 is at 2.8Ghz? Are you using stock cooling?
 
yes stock cooling, i dont want to drop money on a cooler now though since i7 is a different socket. but i may order the xigmatek s1283 for $30 on newegg. you think ill be able to puch the e6400 a lot further with that?
 
delas52 said:
yes stock cooling, i dont want to drop money on a cooler now though since i7 is a different socket. but i may order the xigmatek s1283 for $30 on newegg. you think ill be able to puch the e6400 a lot further with that?
Click to expand...

The Xigmatek might get you into the 3.3Ghz neighborhood. Your bigger concern is your gpu. Since you said your primary focus was 1680 or 1920 gaming that's where your gpu is going to be the bigger factor than your cpu. Also if your mobo won't take the 45nm cpus you're even more limited there. At this point $30 on a HSF is probably your best cpu route. The Q6600 is a definite upgrade for you. But even there you're still probably going to want to upgrade the cooler to the Xigmatek or something aftermarket.
The 4870 is a pretty damn good card though. Cost wise you don't have anything as a good cheap quick fix.
 
Remember most games use 2 cores. Some use 4, not have really needed 4 yet. Now goto newegg and count how many core 2 duo chips are sold clocked higher than 2.8ghz. That should make you feel a little better.
 
delas52 said:
yes stock cooling, i dont want to drop money on a cooler now though since i7 is a different socket. but i may order the xigmatek s1283 for $30 on newegg. you think ill be able to puch the e6400 a lot further with that?
Click to expand...

At the very least you should be able to hit 3.2Ghz with the Xigmatek while maintaining equal, if not better, temps as your current setup at 2.8Ghz with the stock HSF.
 
I'm in the same situation as you. My e6300 is @ 2.8ghz. It depends on what games you play. I wanted to upgrade to a 8400 because I was not getting a minimum of 100fps in CSS and TF2 @ 1680x1050. I recently upgraded from a x850 to a 4850 which gave it a small boost but not as much as overclocking my e6300 from 1.8ghz to 2.8...

I imagine running a e8400 @ 4ghz I would give me excellent improvement in my situation..

delas52 said:
So right now I have a pc with the following setup:

Gigabyte 965P - DS3 rev 1.0
Intel C2D E6400 @ 2.8Ghz
ATi HD 4870
OCZ 4GB DDR2-800
Ultra XVS 700W
Creative Audigy 2 ZS
Antec Nine Hundred Case

and so my question is will upgrading to a new cpu (such as a q6600) be worth it for me right now? I am only concerned with gaming performance at high resolutions (1680x1050, 1900x1020). My motherboard will support quad core but not 45nm cpus like the e8400. So my options are:

get q6600 or something else relatively cheap now
keep setup as is and wait and get new mobo and i7 in a while after price drops
Click to expand...
 
keep setup as is and wait and get new mobo and i7 in a while after price drops
 
I'm in the same situation as you. My e6300 is @ 2.8ghz. It depends on what games you play. I wanted to upgrade to a 8400 because I was not getting a minimum of 100fps in CSS and TF2 @ 1680x1050. I recently upgraded from a x850 to a 4850 which gave it a small boost but not as much as overclocking my e6300 from 1.8ghz to 2.8..
Click to expand...

Yeah, the CSS engine puts a lot more stress on the CPU than the GPU, that is why you got a bigger jump from the OC. Unfortunately, a lot of newer games like Crysis, put more stress on the video card than the CPU.

From the looks of a lot of benchmarks, if you can get your 6400 to 3.2-3.4 than you will be better off for a while till you can get the i7 at your price range.
 
Hey guys, I'm in the same position so I'm wondering if an upgrade would be worth it for me as well. If it is worth an upgrade, should I go with an E8400, Q6600, or wait for some mainstream i7 like mentioned before? I play games like Warhammer online, CSS, TF2, the half life series, and possibly might be playing AOC again. My current specs are in my signature
 
Ovreel said:
Hey guys, I'm in the same position so I'm wondering if an upgrade would be worth it for me as well. If it is worth an upgrade, should I go with an E8400, Q6600, or wait for some mainstream i7 like mentioned before? I play games like Warhammer online, CSS, TF2, the half life series, and possibly might be playing AOC again. My current specs are in my signature
Click to expand...

Most guys upgrade when their current rig is inadequate for their needs. Are you there yet? Or do you merely wish a few things were faster? Its a decision between a full system upgrade and a piece by piece upgrade
 
Nah everything runs pretty decently. But I guess I'm just the kinda person that wants everything to run flawlessly ;)

Guess I'll wait for i7!
 
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