Q6600 vs Phenom 9950

M

mercury529

Limp Gawd
Joined
Dec 19, 2007
Messages
173
I am looking to build a mid-level gaming/programming rig within the next 3 weeks for the release of Warhammer Online (I currently have no desktop computer). I was speccing parts and leaning toward a Q6600. However, I saw this deal on NewEgg: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819103273 . The price seemed competitive with the best prices I found on the Q6600, and it comes with a $60 discount (i.e. free) on the Antec 300 case.

If I overclock either processor, I will not be looking to push them too hard.

1) If both processors are the same price, which is the better value?

2) If the Phenom comes with a combo offer that is $30 better than the Q6600, which processor is the better value?

3) Are there any hidden costs that would come with the Phenom over the Q6600 (for instance: more expensive mobo would be necessary, more expensive after-market cooler, would need a better PSU, etc)?

4) Any general thoughts on whether or not this will still be a good deal if I wait 2 weeks before I buy parts? Any other thoughts about whether or not this is a good deal)?

Thanks for any help you can provide.
 
1. Q6600 is a better value.Though probably a little more expensive the Q6600 can OC quite nicely for the most part.
Q6600 =2.4ghz 8mb Cache
Phenom=2.6ghz 2mb cache
According to AMD the new mobo's will give you a 20% performance increase.
Still I've seen people do 3.2ghz+ on a q6600.
I'd say Intel and I'm an AMD fan (I just switched to Intel about 3 months ago after 4yrs of AMD).

2. Better value is still the q6600, OC wise, it is a better performer.

3. Intel usually tends to go with a more expensive mobo; however, the performance is worth it. If you are not against buying used stuff here on the forums, you will find some great deals.
I purchased on forums
1. e8400 and a q6600 for $150 each
2. DFI BloodIron P35 T2RL for $40 & an Abit P35 Pro for the same price.
They both should require a 600w+ powersuply. The more bandwidth the ram has the better.
In this department you will spend the same, but make sure you get quality parts. esp. on the PSU

4. On deals...you can look here on the forums as people are always upgrading and selling stuff cheaper.
I recently saw an e8400 selling for $135.
At the end you'll end up saving a lot of $ getting used parts from a trusted seller.
 
I have three Q6600's (two G0s, one B3) and everyone of them will do 9x333 for 3.0ghz on a P965 or a P35 chipset motherboard, so if you want to overclock, it's pretty hard to beat the Q6600. Especially at around $180. The current Newegg Phenom deal for a 9950 w/ case for $180 is also hard to beat. A crossfire AMD motherboard will generally cost less than an Intel Crossfire motherboard, so who knows whats the better price overall. I don't think either chip requires more/less power than the other - so no hidden costs.

I you wait two weeks, prices generally just get better. The Phenom 9950 for $180 is not really a deal (except for the combo with the free case), that's just a sale in advance of the price drop.... a couple more weeks and everywhere will have it for $180.:cool: Time is always on your side in picking up computer components.

I can't argue with anything robfactory says, he speaks the truth.
 
Sorry for thread steal, but what if you dont OC, is the Q6600 still better then my E4400@ stock?(i only game and go on the internet)
 
3far4shot: How long do you expect to keep the Q6600?

The short answer is yes, you will see a performance increase in everything: the Q6600 is higher clocked (20% higher) and has more L2 cache. It will be faster across the board, but not very significantly so. 20-30% CPU boost is not very significant, most current games won't be CPU bound for you unless you have a GTX280 SLI/4870x2 type setup. So that faster CPU will only net you a few extra FPS right now.

In a year or so, it will be more common to have multi-threaded games that really take advantage of more than 2 cores, but for now, you'll be mainly leaning on that extra 20% clock speed + extra cache, and in those situations a faster clocked dual core would help more (in the short term.) Long term, the Q6600 will be the longer lasting chip, if you plan to keep the CPU that long.
 
sethk said:
3far4shot: How long do you expect to keep the Q6600?

The short answer is yes, you will see a performance increase in everything: the Q6600 is higher clocked (20% higher) and has more L2 cache. It will be faster across the board, but not very significantly so. 20-30% CPU boost is not very significant, most current games won't be CPU bound for you unless you have a GTX280 SLI/4870x2 type setup. So that faster CPU will only net you a few extra FPS right now.

In a year or so, it will be more common to have multi-threaded games that really take advantage of more than 2 cores, but for now, you'll be mainly leaning on that extra 20% clock speed + extra cache, and in those situations a faster clocked dual core would help more (in the short term.) Long term, the Q6600 will be the longer lasting chip, if you plan to keep the CPU that long.
Click to expand...


I am going to try and keep the CPU past the Core i7 launch(for gaming its not worth it IMO) So i would like it to last a long while(my board only supports 65nm)

So, should i get a better video card first then upgrade to a Q6600 a bit later?(Current Video card is a 8600 GTS)
 
3far4shot said:
I am going to try and keep the CPU past the Core i7 launch(for gaming its not worth it IMO) So i would like it to last a long while(my board only supports 65nm)

So, should i get a better video card first then upgrade to a Q6600 a bit later?(Current Video card is a 8600 GTS)
Click to expand...

Dude, didn't people answer you in your last two threads? Yes get a new GPU first, then a new CPU if you're unwilling to overclock.

Anyway, getting back on topic and no thread jacking:
1) Q6600 for sure. Better overclocker, still faster clock for clock.
2) What do you mean by $30 better? Like cheaper? And what sort of combo?
3) Nothing really.
4) Still a good deal two weeks from now. Unless you can find a Q6600/case combo or Q6600/RAM combo for $180.
 
Danny Bui said:
Dude, didn't people answer you in your last two threads? Yes get a new GPU first, then a new CPU if you're unwilling to overclock.

Anyway, getting back on topic and no thread jacking:
1) Q6600 for sure. Better overclocker, still faster clock for clock.
2) What do you mean by $30 better? Like cheaper? And what sort of combo?
3) Nothing really.
4) Still a good deal two weeks from now. Unless you can find a Q6600/case combo or Q6600/RAM combo for $180.
Click to expand...

I said i was sorry for the thread steal. Just getting more peoples opinion.;)
 
To the OP - at this point the Q6600 is worth the slight premium. There are a good range of intel boards at all price ranges, so once you pick a price point, research boards in that price range. The AMD chipsets are not quite as good (IMHO) and the chip itself is slower.

The next batch of chips, chipsets and mobos from AMD will be a more compelling argument, but in the short term I'd recommend the q6600 rig.
 
Q6600 without a doubt, no reason to go with AMD as of this point. AMD uses more power, and gives less performance, thats a big NO, NO for me.
 
There you have it.
To recap:
1. Q6600 is a better processor across the board.
2. No Hidden costs
3. They both use the same components.
4. With pc parts the longer you wait the cheaper they get. Look in the forums for deals or if you are against that sign up to Newegg deals. They have some awesome discounts at times.
 
i
still vote Phenom 9950 IF .. could goes to 3.6 Ghz

or
just pick the Q9450
 
At stock, the Phenom will be slightly quicker in a few apps. But, with the Q6600 overclocked, it doesn't stand a chance.
 
Mackowitz said:
I don't think either chip requires more/less power than the other - so no hidden costs.
Click to expand...

The 9950 has a 140W TDP, where the Q6600 has 95W TDP.
The difference in practice is a bit smaller, because Intel chipsets tend to use more power and Cool 'n' Quiet does a great job, but it's still in Intel's favour according to many reviews..
See this for example, with the 9850 (which has a slightly lower TDP than the 9950 even): http://arstechnica.com/reviews/hardware/amd-9350-phenom.ars/2
 
I have two phenoms, one 9500 and one 9750.

Both computers has a HD3850 video card, two disks and 8 GB ram, 3 case fans
9500 idles at 93 watt (from the wall)
9750 idles at 101 watt (from wall)
 
Thanks a lot for all the input everyone. I have decided to wait until after labor day to see how the Q6600 prices are looking. While tech prices are always dropping, I wasn't sure if the $60 off the Antec 300 case was the kind of deal you can't expect to find in a short 2-3 week window for purchasing. Thanks again for all the input.

P.S.
And while I personally don't care about having my thread hijacked, it's kind of silly to justify it by saying you apologized for doing it. "I'm sorry I'm mugging you miss".
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top