Q6600 to i7-860 - Worth the $600, or better spent elsewhere?

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dualcore

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I currently have a Q6600 G0 stepping that running 2.46Ghz @ 1.15v and just under 3.3Ghz (with C1E) @ 1.26v, running on a Gigabyte P45 MB with 4GB of Ram.

My question is, should I upgrade to an i7 for newer technology running Windows 7 (I'm still running XP). The reason it's $600, is because with a new proc, comes the need of a new MB, and new Ram... so all together is about $600.....

My current video card is a GTX260 (new 55nm version), and I have no plans to upgrade that right now, plus my Corsair 520W Modular PS is working just fine.

Is upgrading the Motherboard to a P55, i7 860, and new Ram going to improve my experience much, or am I better served wait for something else, or going in a different direction?

I mostly play on Steam, GTA4, some NFS, but that's about it......

Thanks
 
4 cores and 3GHz seems to be the current standard. Unless you plan to drastically upgrade your video card (which doesn't seem necessary at the moment), I don't think you have any reason to upgrade your CPU.
 
I figured with my tax return it would be a good time to upgrade, but I'm having a hard time justifying right now... I think I can get another year outta this no problem.... maybe look toward (i9??) next year.
Thanks for the response TheQuestian.
 
Might as well just wait for Hex-core Intel chips to come out and judge where to put your money then. The i7-860 seems like a fine chip, I just wonder how much more longevity that socket platform has.

If you HAD to upgrade right now I'd at least go with a 1366 chip so you can make use of future Intel releases without having to upgrade your motherboard yet again.
 
Yeah, that's a good point.. I guess the 1366 socket would be a better choice... I've been reading tons of threads about 1156 vs 1366. Plus it doesn't look like (now) that the newer processors are going to be supported on the 1156 socket.....
I guess for now my Q6600 will do for another year, as well as my GTX260-216
I know it's the wrong section, but maybe I'll upgrade to Win7, and get an SSD as my boot drive... seems like the $130-$150 for that might increase boot speeds (as long as I get an SSD with Trim Support)
I love this forum btw... so much good information, and folks willing to help!
 
dualcore said:
I currently have a Q6600 G0 stepping that running 2.46Ghz @ 1.15v and just under 3.3Ghz (with C1E) @ 1.26v, running on a Gigabyte P45 MB with 4GB of Ram.
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I too was in the same situation last week I decided to sell the Q6600, MB and RAM which is 2.5 years old.

Currently waiting for a good Fry deal on i7 combo.
 
Well, you can sell your stuff to get new one. Here's what I did.

Sold Q6600 for $130 and got i5 750 for $150
Sold UD3P for $95 and got DFI Mini-ITX MI P55-T36 for $130(This really depends because for ATX, it would be more like $200+)
Sold 2x2GB for $80 and got DDR3 for $110(There are cheaper ones.

So basically I switched from Q6600 to i5 750 for roughly about $100 with shipping and everything. Is it worth it? For the price I think new setup will last me longer and worth $100.
 
Either your math is bad or you're looking at needlessly expensive components. i860 = $280. There are plenty of fine motherboard and 4GB kit options for ~$90-$100, which brings the total out to ~$500. Sell your current stuff for at least $200 total (which should be easy, imo) and you're looking at <$300 total cost to upgrade.

I did it, and it makes me feel all warm and fuzzy, but I'm not sure I would claim to notice a huge difference day to day. It's nice when I'm doing movie rips and I'm sure it can't be hurting my gaming, but it's not like my old Q6600 @ 3ghz was killing me either.

In the end, only you can determine whether or not it's "worth it" for you.
 
I guess I was looking at very expensive RAM which brought the cost to $600. Looking around on Newegg, there are definitely less expensive kits available.

I hadn't realized that the Q6600 still commands a price over $100 when sold on ebay.. some over $140 - Mine is a SLACR G0 with (what I think) amazing OC ability.
Maybe I will sell my equipment and get something new.

I know this sorta sidetracks my OP, but I think the 920 is a better choice.
Given that, I'm now looking at the 920 (D0 step), and 1366 Motherboard. Seems like the 860 is a great processor, but I could be limited with the 1156 socket motherboard for later upgrades.
Anyone have a RAM (6GB) recommendation to pair up the 920. Looking to do 3.8Ghz on air... so an aftermarket cooler might be warranted as well. I don't need a Cadillac cooler, just something that will allow me to do 3.8Ghz without breaking my budget. I've read that the CM Hyper 212 Plus should suit this need.
 
Hrm I'm in the same boat as the OP with my Q6600 @ 3.2Ghz although my upgrade thought came to me as I got a second GTX 280 to SLI it and then realized the placement of sata cables on my mobo are blocking the second 280 because of its size and if I need to get another mobo anyway might as well start looking at something newer...

So like dualcore asked, what would pair up ram-wise with that CPU for those speeds? :D
 
Sandy Bridge (next Intel architecture will use socket Socket 2011 so if I were you I would keep your current rig and upgrade early next year when Sandy bridge is released.
 
Damn Intel and their socket changes.:mad:

Rebel44 said:
Sandy Bridge (next Intel architecture will use socket Socket 2011 so if I were you I would keep your current rig and upgrade early next year when Sandy bridge is released.
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i tell you, i am sick of this BS intel socket change every couple of months. this is getting to the point where i am about to say to hell with intel. and yes, the q6600 to i7 clock for clock i believe is worth it. my 920 destroys my brothers(or mine, which i am letting him use) q6600 at 3ghz.
 
viper650 said:
i tell you, i am sick of this BS intel socket change every couple of months. this is getting to the point where i am about to say to hell with intel. and yes, the q6600 to i7 clock for clock i believe is worth it. my 920 destroys my brothers(or mine, which i am letting him use) q6600 at 3ghz.
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how long was s775 around? 2005??
 
Intel has to change sockets every year. It's the only way to keep people continually upgrading their motherboards - which means Intel can sell more chipsets/motherboards in the process.

Capitalism, baby!
 
Darksword said:
Intel has to change sockets every year. It's the only way to keep people continually upgrading their motherboards - which means Intel can sell more chipsets/motherboards in the process.

Capitalism, baby!
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while i agree and its their company and they can do what they like, i can also partake in capitalism and not buy their products. i wont buy anymore if they keep this damn 3 card monty up.
 
tricky0502 said:
how long was s775 around? 2005??
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i am not upset about the move from 775 to 1366... it just seems rather foolish to release a i3/i5 series that runs on a different socket, then the i7 that runs on a different socket, then release a NEW socket just a little later... pick one and stick with it for a bit. i still like 775, and it will eventually become a huge bargain for folks on the used market.
 
I'm going to say not worth the upgrade just for the games you play. I think you would get a much better upgrade performance yield with an Intel SSD first, and then waiting to see what Intel has lined up for the i9. Also look into upgrading your video card to Fermi or refresh of AMD 5 series will give much bigger bang for your tax bucks.
 
Darksword said:
Might as well just wait for Hex-core Intel chips to come out and judge where to put your money then. The i7-860 seems like a fine chip, I just wonder how much more longevity that socket platform has.

If you HAD to upgrade right now I'd at least go with a 1366 chip so you can make use of future Intel releases without having to upgrade your motherboard yet again.
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Considering the 1156 is the newer socket and has been shown on Intel roadmaps going into 2011, I'd say there isn't much to worry about. It is the mainstream socket to replace LGA775, which we have had since mid-2006.
 
I don't see you needing to upgrade. The games you're playing should be fine, unless you're trying to run them at 2560x1600 or something.

I've looked at the same thing --I just can't justify it. A Q6600 does almost everything well, and I have a solid, stable mainboard that I'm happy with.

I'll be waiting until memory prices fall a bit, and that will be awhile. I may look at a Radeon 5850 in the interim, but I don't need it that badly either, so I'm waiting until cost is back to MSRP or lower.
 
I have a Q6600 and recently built a new PC with the i7. My advice...The Q6600 is still perfect for what you do. Wait for the i9...it's a no brainer.
 
I'd say stick with the Q6600. It's still competitive at 3.3Ghz to play any current game, or those being released within the next year or so.

Save your duckets and buy the new and shiny next year.

And FYI, LGA775 has been out since mid 2004 with the introduction of the Prescott P4. 6 years and still going is a hell of a long time for a socket standard.
 
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I'm a big fan of Nehalem, so I'd say go for it. I'm no longer of the opinion that you should do it strictly for gaming, but general GUI responsiveness from the extra 4 threads is huge. I tried running without HT for a week, and lasted about a day. It was worth whatever potential performance hit in games, because it was that much nicer.
 
akotlar said:
I'm a big fan of Nehalem, so I'd say go for it. I'm no longer of the opinion that you should do it strictly for gaming, but general GUI responsiveness from the extra 4 threads is huge. I tried running without HT for a week, and lasted about a day. It was worth whatever potential performance hit in games, because it was that much nicer.
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Not trying to discredit you or anything, but there is strong evidence to suggest that the gains from the i5/i7 platform in non-media use aren't large. The "gains" in general operating system use (i.e. how fast a system "feels" in terms of responsiveness) are probably placebo.

The most tangible advantages of the i-architecture include higher IPC and greater overclockability.
 
+1 for sticking with the overclocked Q6600.

I want an i7 myself, but as far as gaming is concerned you will get better bang for your buck spending that money on a better video card considering your current setup. Or I would just wait until you really need to upgrade your setup. Its looks to be a pretty good gaming PC.
 
I made the switch from a Q6600 to i7 860 and see no real advantage so far in games I play,If i had to do all over again id wait for i9..
 
I am making the switch, but I do a ton of video encoding. Sell your current gear. I made $300 off my cpu, ram, mobo, and my new gear cost $430.
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You will get a bigger boost in responsiveness with a fast HDD or SSD than going with Core i5.
 
Q6600 at stock, and it's more than enough. I credit my 4850 with that, though.
 
I too will suggest you hold on to your Q6600. I have a Q6600 @ 3.2 & a Q9550 @ 3.8 & there isn't anything that cripples either processor. It appears hardware is progressing much faster than software. Hell most software companies are still dicking around with 32 bit coding. Keep what you have.

I do agree that 1 or 2 ssd drives will give you a nice boost.
 
Dude, I-7 860, Ripjaws 1600, EVGA.

Whoever talks smack about 1156 r the people that are mad they spent a ton of extra money going X58 and got almost no performance gains (benches xonfirm this and my 860 rig @4.1GHz is snappier than my bosses [email protected].), and how many of us r going to run out and buy the newest $1000 intel CPU next year?
 
friend'scatdied said:
Not trying to discredit you or anything, but there is strong evidence to suggest that the gains from the i5/i7 platform in non-media use aren't large. The "gains" in general operating system use (i.e. how fast a system "feels" in terms of responsiveness) are probably placebo.

The most tangible advantages of the i-architecture include higher IPC and greater overclockability.
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I don't understand. You say generals OS gains are probably placebo. But then u say the new chip ledns itself it better OC's. So it isn't placebo. If the chip is OC'ed hgiher then then general OS gains aren't placebo they r real


OP. Dump ur stuff excetp ur PSU and video card. Get the stuff I told you and get a SSD (make sure it's a good one). Put it all together and OC the 860 to 4.1(ish). Then feel ur jaw drop. Also, now u can wait until the new GF100 comes out and watch video card prices drop.

Just my .2
 
Don't do it OP. Save your money for an SSD and/or new video card in few months. Willing to wager a Q6600 @ 3.6ghz would last all the way to Q1 2012 for games before it starts to feel out of date. I think a real battle is coming in 2012 for cpus at 22nm.
 
realitycheck said:
I don't understand. You say generals OS gains are probably placebo. But then u say the new chip ledns itself it better OC's. So it isn't placebo. If the chip is OC'ed hgiher then then general OS gains aren't placebo they r real
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For example, with a Q9550 and an i7 920 both at 4GHz, the operating system will feel just as fast between the two. Hell, even with one of them at stock they'll both probably run Windows 7's shell functions and program/API loading about the same. Load up a synthetic benchmark or encode some media and that's the only area where the i7 will really pull ahead, clock-for-clock.

The i7 will only provide a little boost in GTA 4, but performance gaming-wise won't improve enough to be worth it. At all. There are a number of wiser investments, including but not limited to a new GPU and SSD, that will realize FAR more substantial gains.

Conversely given how small the gains are to be had in gaming (which is what the OP sets out to do), the same investment later on with the introduction of Intel and AMD's next platforms will realize a far more substantial boost that will actually be worth the $$$ coming from a C2Q.
 
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