April 22 nd Upgrade Project

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1ManArmY

Golden Member
Mar 7, 2003
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Currently I'm running an 4 yr old northwood cpu and I plan to upgrade to an


E6600 C2D
Gigabyte 965P-DS3
2 gig RAM Corsair XMS or Geil (PC2 6400) if I can find it
Zalman 9700 LED
XP Media Center Edition

I need some suggestions on the RAM. I really don't want to spend over 175 on the RAM as it was discovered that I can't use my current RAM (it's not DDR2) so it's an unexpected expense. I was hoping to get the Geil for 129.00 but it's out of stock. The Corsair XMS (SLI) is 180 with a 50 dollar rebate. I'd rather just pay 130 and be done with it. I plan to overclock initially to 3.0 then open it up later to >3.2 as needed.

Your suggestions please.

This was supposed to be an 500.00 upgrade project spurred on by my IT buddy who sold me his old 7800 GTX for 150.00, he told I didn't have to pay him anytime soon until well after the upgraded RIG is operational and ready to make it's debut at the MAY 07 LAN party. There goes my PS3 (to be used exclusively as a cheap Blueray player).

I will use my current sound card and power supply and the remaining parts will become a secondary rig after I add a cheap coolermaster case, hard drive and power supply.
 
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1ManArmY

Golden Member
Mar 7, 2003
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doesn't the E6420 processor run hotter than E6600?

is the G.skill any good, never heard of that brand before just he usual suspects (corsair, OCZ, Geil, Mushkin etc....)
 
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nyker96

Diamond Member
Apr 19, 2005
5,630
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you can get a nice pair of DDR800 that's onsale for like $130. It's cheap now. I'd personally go for E6420 then OC it to about same max as E6600 can go since you using DS3, just OC, get ya same max result but same some cash for maybe a g-card upgrade at the same time! Temp the same I think between 6600 vs 6420 at least the max OCed temp will be quite similar. BTW get Tuniq 120 if that can fit into your case it's probably bit better than 9700 LED, although I also liked 9700 a lot.
 
Keysplayr

Keysplayr

Elite Member
Jan 16, 2003
21,219
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Originally posted by: 1ManArmY
doesn't the E6420 processor run hotter than E6600?

is the G.skill any good, never heard of that brand before just he usual suspects (corsair, OCZ, Geil, Mushkin etc....)
Click to expand...

Why on earth would it run hotter? It is essentially a lower clocked E6600.
 
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yuppiejr

Golden Member
Jul 31, 2002
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Originally posted by: 1ManArmY
doesn't the E6420 processor run hotter than E6600?

is the G.skill any good, never heard of that brand before just he usual suspects (corsair, OCZ, Geil, Mushkin etc....)
Click to expand...

Hmm, I'm not sure why the 6420 would run hotter - it's the same core (perhaps a different stepping) as the 6600 with the same cache on the same die size running at a lower speed.
 
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1ManArmY

Golden Member
Mar 7, 2003
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Originally posted by: keysplayr2003
Originally posted by: 1ManArmY
doesn't the E6420 processor run hotter than E6600?

is the G.skill any good, never heard of that brand before just the usual suspects (corsair, OCZ, Geil, Mushkin etc....)
Click to expand...

Why on earth would it run hotter? It is essentially a lower clocked E6600.
Click to expand...

I just heard that it ran hotter, didn't make any sense to me thats why I asked.
 
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1ManArmY

Golden Member
Mar 7, 2003
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Originally posted by: nyker96
you can get a nice pair of DDR800 that's onsale for like $130. It's cheap now. I'd personally go for E6420 then OC it to about same max as E6600 can go since you using DS3, just OC, get ya same max result but same some cash for maybe a g-card upgrade at the same time! Temp the same I think between 6600 vs 6420 at least the max OCed temp will be quite similar. BTW get Tuniq 120 if that can fit into your case it's probably bit better than 9700 LED, although I also liked 9700 a lot.
Click to expand...

I'll have a 7800 GTX running with it for now and will upgrade to a DX10 when driver's are stable and there actually games to play.
 
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1ManArmY

Golden Member
Mar 7, 2003
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Originally posted by: theprodigalrebel
G.Skill F2-6400CL4D-2GBPK, $129.99
Rated for DDR2 800 @ 4-4-4 like the Geil RAM you were looking at.

Not sure how much headroom these sticks may have - but it looks pretty decent from the Customer Reviews.

And I agree with AnotherGuy. E6420 FTW!
Click to expand...

I'll take another look at it, I just though for the extra 40 bucks I'd go with the higher clock speed.
 
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yacoub

Golden Member
May 24, 2005
1,991
14
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Originally posted by: PuffDaMagicSamus
G. Skill RAM is amazing. On my last build with an e4300 paired with a GA-965-DS3 I used this ram G. Skill 2x1GB F2-6400CL5D-2GBNQ and it worked great. I just built a new system with the 6420 and an ASUS P5B-Deluxe and upgraded to this RAM G. Skill 2x1GB F2-6400PHU2-2GBHZ because it's been known to easily OC to 1000mhz and runs at a higher voltage at stock. Can't go wrong with G. Skill RAM.
Click to expand...

What was wrong with the E4300 system? Or did you build the new system for a different person?
 
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AnotherGuy

Senior member
Dec 9, 2003
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Originally posted by: yacoub
Originally posted by: PuffDaMagicSamus
G. Skill RAM is amazing. On my last build with an e4300 paired with a GA-965-DS3 I used this ram G. Skill 2x1GB F2-6400CL5D-2GBNQ and it worked great. I just built a new system with the 6420 and an ASUS P5B-Deluxe and upgraded to this RAM G. Skill 2x1GB F2-6400PHU2-2GBHZ because it's been known to easily OC to 1000mhz and runs at a higher voltage at stock. Can't go wrong with G. Skill RAM.
Click to expand...

What was wrong with the E4300 system? Or did you build the new system for a different person?
Click to expand...

All these days i have been in the same dilemma myself... should i get a 6420 or the 4300 is gonna be enough? ima have exact same system as u PuffDaMagicSamus... I already bought the G.Skill cas that u have in ur e4300 setup with the DS3...

Was there any problems or what?
 
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PuffDaMagicSamus

Member
Mar 30, 2007
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No problems what-so-ever. I loved my e4300 setup. But I was offered a good price for it and I've been wanting to go water cooling so I took the money and bought a whole new system.
 
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Fallengod

Diamond Member
Jul 2, 2001
5,908
19
81
In benchmarks they do show all the E6xx chips do perform faster than the E4xxx chips. On top of that, the E6xx chips are known for ocing easier and higher. You may want to take that into consideration.

Myself, I dont think I will be buying a E4xxx chip. While the multiplier is a big plus, they do run slightly slower, and overclock worse. That doesnt mean they are not a bargain but.....I think a E6420/E6400 would be a better buy. Maybe even an E6320/6300, but I hate that low multiplier.

Also, I might consider a different motherboard than that DS3. I might be biased but, if you look around different forums, those boards have so many issues... If I were you id go for like the abit quadgt or dfi infinity p965-s. I was actually considering that DS3 before reading all the slew off issues people have.

 
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1ManArmY

Golden Member
Mar 7, 2003
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Originally posted by: Fallengod
In benchmarks they do show all the E6xx chips do perform faster than the E4xxx chips. On top of that, the E6xx chips are known for ocing easier and higher. You may want to take that into consideration.

Myself, I dont think I will be buying a E4xxx chip. While the multiplier is a big plus, they do run slightly slower, and overclock worse. That doesnt mean they are not a bargain but.....I think a E6420/E6400 would be a better buy. Maybe even an E6320/6300, but I hate that low multiplier.

Also, I might consider a different motherboard than that DS3. I might be biased but, if you look around different forums, those boards have so many issues... If I were you id go for like the abit quadgt or dfi infinity p965-s. I was actually considering that DS3 before reading all the slew off issues people have.


thanks for the heads up on the potential issues people are having on the DS3 MOBO. What other brand, make, and model would you reccommend paired with a E6420 or E6600?
Click to expand...

 
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AnotherGuy

Senior member
Dec 9, 2003
678
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I think maybe because more plp have it more problems will be around the forums... while no plp having some x mobo no prblems reported...
As u see i still have in the sig the MSI neo2 Plat... Which was number ONE board when it first came out ( nForce 3 250 ultra). This board became so popular kinda like the DS3 now... and I thot this board had so many quirks and problems in forums i couldnt believe it had such a popularity... So i wonder is it the over popularity of a boiard that will make em loose the quality control... or is it that every boards has always its own set of problems....
Even the DFI-Lanparty nforce4 Ultra that was so popular i remember reading many problems in their forum...

Just let me know if u find a good motherboard that can overclock n not too expensive.
 
J

jhurst

Senior member
Mar 29, 2004
663
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I also agree with the G.SKill recommendation. Just built a C2D e6600/Asus P5B Del./G.Skill 2x1 CL4-4-3-5 from Newegg. The memory hits those timings at stock voltage, and they OC like a B with more just a little more volts (with a little looser timings, well over 1000mhz).
 
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Fallengod

Diamond Member
Jul 2, 2001
5,908
19
81
Yeah id love to see that gskill hz drop below the $150 mark. :p As of right now though, the ocz pc2-8500 (micron d9 chips) at outpost is the best deal at $169AR.
 
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1ManArmY

Golden Member
Mar 7, 2003
1,333
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scored some Geil DDR2 800 (PC2 6400) to be paired with an E6600, now I need to settle on a MOBO, leaning towards a DS3 for now any other recommendations?
 
Z

Zardnok

Senior member
Sep 21, 2004
670
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I still do not understand why you want to get the e6600 instead of the e6420. You said you want to run it at 3.0, so the stock speed on the 6600 doesn't matter. You get one higher multiplier, but even running your RAM at stock speeds, you can get 3200 out of the 6420 which is the highest you wanted to go.

As for the DS-3, that is what I am running. I will know more about it after I replace the stock NB heatsink. I can't open it up yet.
 
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sofarfrome

Senior member
Apr 27, 2005
787
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Originally posted by: 1ManArmY
doesn't the E6420 processor run hotter than E6600?
Click to expand...

My 6420 idles at 19C at stock vcore and 29C at 1.525vcore so I think it is cool as a cucumber..so to speak

 
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1ManArmY

Golden Member
Mar 7, 2003
1,333
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Originally posted by: Zardnok
I still do not understand why you want to get the e6600 instead of the e6420. You said you want to run it at 3.0, so the stock speed on the 6600 doesn't matter. You get one higher multiplier, but even running your RAM at stock speeds, you can get 3200 out of the 6420 which is the highest you wanted to go.

As for the DS-3, that is what I am running. I will know more about it after I replace the stock NB heatsink. I can't open it up yet.
Click to expand...

It's only a 40 dollar difference in price E6420 vs E6600 and I might not over clock initially so if I run at stock speeds the extra 40 bucks is a wash to me. So far their has been mixed results on the reported over-clocks on the E6420, the E6600 has a proven track record.
 
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1ManArmY

Golden Member
Mar 7, 2003
1,333
0
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Originally posted by: sofarfrome
Originally posted by: 1ManArmY
doesn't the E6420 processor run hotter than E6600?
Click to expand...

My 6420 idles at 19C at stock vcore and 29C at 1.525vcore so I think it is cool as a cucumber..so to speak
Click to expand...

what are your overclock results? Where and when did you purchase your CPU.
 
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1ManArmY

Golden Member
Mar 7, 2003
1,333
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what's the difference between the E6600 B vs the current E6600? How do they differ from the E6420?
 
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