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This post prob won't interest the [H]orde heavy-weights but might help some of the nuts and bolts folders who're still folding on slightly older hardware. Recently had a C2D system go down (lost a boxen DC forum post) and not being in a position to upgrade my X6 yet I needed a budget solution to get my teen up and running again so he can finish ME3. Nabbed an i3-2120 and GA-B75M.D3H for $169, threw in a pair of 2 GB DDR3-1600's I had laying on the bench, did a bare bones install of Windows with all updates and pasted in FAH 6.34 with smp flags and passkey and let 'er run. Results? currently triple the Q6600 (3GHz), 400 more ppd than the 965BE (3.6 GHz) and almost half of the 1090T (4 GHz) - all running P7200 right now. Stock fan is quiet even with the CPU maxed out and the big bonus is WAY LESS heat! Heh, think I'll do some rig-swapping and let him have the Q6600, good to heat his room in winter 
. Only a few minor quibbles with the mobo: i) only 1 extra fan header so need molex adapters if want to run more. ii) had to manually set bclk to 100.01 or it would run 99 on auto. iii) sees RAM as 1066 CAS7, but they're older OCZ 1.65v modules so I'll see if I can manually override in BIOS somewhere until I can pick up 8 GB of the 'real stuff'. If any folders out there are in need of a cheap and easy boxen with low power draw thats not going to warm your beer before you get to finish it, the i3 deserves a look.
. Only a few minor quibbles with the mobo: i) only 1 extra fan header so need molex adapters if want to run more. ii) had to manually set bclk to 100.01 or it would run 99 on auto. iii) sees RAM as 1066 CAS7, but they're older OCZ 1.65v modules so I'll see if I can manually override in BIOS somewhere until I can pick up 8 GB of the 'real stuff'. If any folders out there are in need of a cheap and easy boxen with low power draw thats not going to warm your beer before you get to finish it, the i3 deserves a look.