E6600 worth the extra $ over e6300, for P5B deluxe?

[ssabripo]

Guys,
I just bought some replacement parts for my dying PC, and I'm still a bit confused about which processor to get. So far I have:

Asus P5B deluxe wifi-Ap mobo
Crucial Ballistix DDR2800 PC6400 2GB RAM
2WD SATA 250GB drives for RAID 1
Scythe SCINF-1000 heatsink/cooling fan, + artic silver 5

I want my system for mostly multi-media (autocad, photoshop, some video editiing), and the occasional Gaming for doom3, etc. However, the main requirement is that I want this unit to be VERY QUIET, because it is going in my bedroom right beside the bed, so although I plan on OCing it, I dont want to OC it too much to the point of compromising the heat/noise ratio of the rig.

I've been doing reading for the past 2 days here and in hardforums, sharkyextreme, etc, and I'm still confused on whether to get the e6300, or spend the extra cash and get the e6600?!

looks like the e6300 is the better bang for buck for OCing, but given that I already purchased the P5B deluxe, others tell me the e6600 can really shine while maintaining low temperatures with this mobo/ram combo.

what do you guys recommend? get the e6600 and be done with it? get the e6300 and save the $150? or go ahead and get the e6400 for the extra multiplier and still save $90?

any help is really appreciated, as I need to order the parts now

 

[ssabripo]

anyone??

I read the database at hardforums, and seems like the following is true for stable OCing:

e6300 -> 3.1ghz ($185)
e6600 -> 3.3ghz ($335)

am I missing something here?

 

[NoStateofMind]

I was in the same situation as you. So I thought about it real hard. The only reason I wanted an E6600 was the "status" of having a true "Conroe" and the extra 2MB cache. But after some thinking, the cash didnt justify the means. I went with an E6400 and should be here tomorrow. They OC about the same, and the difference in performance is minimal. Hence my recommendation of an E6400.

Whatever you do, ENJOY!

....And welcome to the best forum on the net!

 

[zizo]

If you're really picky about the memory performance go with E6600. After 400FSB the chipset timings are very slow and I can't gain any performance with this board. I hope they release a bios with strap options.

Edit: So I forgot to say that between 6400 and 6300 I will go with 6300! You should be able to do 7x450 easy.

 

[Bobthelost]

It's not an economical increase to get the 6600. Remember too that the extra cache is going to generate more heat. You're not going to do badly either way but $150 will buy a lot of skittles...

....mmmm skittles....

 

[ssabripo]

Ok...done with the purchase!!

here is what I got...tell me what you guys think:

Intel Core 2 Duo E6300 Conroe 1.86GHz 2M sharing L2 Cache LGA 775 Processor $185
Item #: N82E16819115005

Scythe SCINF-1000 120mm CPU Cooling Fan/Heatsink $51.77
Item #: N82E16835185027

(2) Western Digital Caviar SE16 WD2500KS 250GB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drive - OEM $67.99 (AR)
# Model #: WD2500KS
# Item #: N82E16822144701

Crucial Technology Ballistix BL2KIT12864AA804 2GB kit DDR2-800 PC2-6400 Memory $199 (AR)
Manufacturer SKU: BL2KIT12864AA804

Asus P5B Deluxe/WiFi-AP P965 Pentium Extreme/Pentium D/P4/Celeron D 1066FSB LGA775 DDR2 ATX Motherboard w/Audio, Dual Gigabit LAN, RAID/Serial ATA $223
Manufacturer SKU: P5BDELUXEWIFI

(2) Sunbeam SALF-08-G 80mm Sleeve Green LED Light Case Cooling Fan $3.99
Item #: N82E16835117019
Air Flow 24.35CFM.......Noise Level 20.45dBA

Arctic Silver 5 Thermal Compound - Item #: N82E16835100007 $5.99

==============================================================================

The rest of my system is salvaged (hopefully) from my old PC...here are the parts I plan on re-using:

Chieftech Case:
http://www.atxcases.com/products/uploadedimage/thumb/alumdragonbk01-small1 one.jpg

OCZ 420W ultra quiet PSU:
http://www.ocztechnology.com/products/power_management/ocz_powerstream_power_supply
http://www.ocztechnology.com/images/products/accessories/b/PSUfull.jpg

ATI FireGL V3100 PCIe video card (I know is ***, but for now it will be ok..planning on buying something better for christmas)
http://www.ati.com/products/fireglv3100/index.html
http://www.microchoix.com/images/PE949A.jpg

Dell 2405FWP 24" LCD
http://img.dell.com/images/global/corporate/index/displays/2407wfp_72_index.jpg

NEC 48x DVD-RW/CD-RW combo
Floppy drive
80GB WD EIDE HD (currently working)...

anything obvious that can screw things up??

 

[RichUK]

Nice although i would have opted for the G.Skill PC2 6400 2GB HZ, over the ram you got. Also i would have personally opted for a different cooler, and a 520w PSU.

 

[ssabripo]

the reason for the crucial was price...almost $100 cheaper than the G Skill. The cooler seems to be the top choice over at Hardorums, so I dont know. The PSU is a reuse from my old pc...if I end up needing more juice, I will buy one.

 

[getbush]

Please explain why someone would choose a 6300 over a 6400 other than the relatively small difference in cost. Just curious.

 

[ssabripo]

Originally posted by: getbush
Please explain why someone would choose a 6300 over a 6400 other than the relatively small difference in cost. Just curious.

the Hardforum database shows much better OC results on the 6300, followed by the 6600, and then the 6400.

 

[n7]

E6400 woulda been my recommendation too, but you'll be fine with the E6300 too actually.

 

[Mogadon]

Originally posted by: RichUK
Nice although i would have opted for the G.Skill PC2 6400 2GB HZ, over the ram you got. Also i would have personally opted for a different cooler, and a 520w PSU.

Gotta dig that G Skill HZ RAM! I have the same running an E6400@3.4 RAM 425MHz 4-4-4-12 2.1V ... it's the dogz bollocks ... .

 

[tran1981]

does the 6300 generate more heat than 6400 @ same speed?

 

[getbush]

Originally posted by: ssabripo

Originally posted by: getbush
Please explain why someone would choose a 6300 over a 6400 other than the relatively small difference in cost. Just curious.

the Hardforum database shows much better OC results on the 6300, followed by the 6600, and then the 6400.

The average gain of the 6300 is higher, but the average speed of the 6400 higher. In actual performance terms the achieved speed is more important than whatever you gained from stock. That number is really a moot point. When I look at eh cahrt I see the 6400 as better than the 6300.

6400 avg 3177MHz gain 1047

6300 avg 3046MHz gain 1186

 

[n19htmare]

Not to mention the 8x multi on the E6400....
But i'm a cheap a$$ and bought the E6300 and put that extra $30 i saved towards a P5-Deluxe

 

[Bobthelost]

Originally posted by: tran1981
does the 6300 generate more heat than 6400 @ same speed?

No.

 

[gramboh]

That Infinity cooler is awesome, has had great reviews and is quiet.

But if you want a quiet system, why are you using a case with 80mm case fans? Those things are brutal, uprgade to a case that only uses 120mm fans (to match the one on your Infinity) then the only noisy part of your PC will be the video card fan in 3D mode (assuming you upgrade to a gaming card or newer GL workstation card)

 

[cmdrdredd]

Originally posted by: ssabripo

Originally posted by: getbush
Please explain why someone would choose a 6300 over a 6400 other than the relatively small difference in cost. Just curious.

the Hardforum database shows much better OC results on the 6300, followed by the 6600, and then the 6400.

That's based on speeds achieved or percentage above stock they overclock? See from all my reading it seems the 6400 gets the fastest raw speeds, but the 6300 clocks further past the stock rating than the 6400. So people see more value in the 6300 and I can't say I disagree. However, there's something to be said about running 400Mhz FSb, 3.2Ghz CPU thanks to 8x multi and running your memory in spec. You don't have to overclock your memory any to get bast 3Ghz with a 6400 which is a big deal because memory prices are rediculous right now. Not to mention all the best overclocking memory (OCZ Platinum, G.Skil HZ, Corsair Pro) is out of stock in most of the major retailers. There are other memory that can and will overclock supurbly, but those are the most well known brands.

 

[CreepieDeCrapper]

I don't mean to hijack this thread, but since we're on the subject of comparing the E6300 vs. the E6400 what advice can I get about this combo? I should be purchasing by this weekend or Monday at the latest...

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16819115004
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?item=N82E16813128323
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?item=N82E16820146118

So far this thread has convinced me to go with the E6400 and perform some mild overclocking (I've never done it before). What about an aftermarket HSF recommendation as well? I was originally thinking the Zalman CNPS9500 but maybe that's 'overkill' for a mild OC.

Many thank you's.

 

[cmdrdredd]

Originally posted by: CreepieDeCrapper
I don't mean to hijack this thread, but since we're on the subject of comparing the E6300 vs. the E6400 what advice can I get about this combo? I should be purchasing by this weekend or Monday at the latest...

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16819115004
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?item=N82E16813128323
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?item=N82E16820146118

So far this thread has convinced me to go with the E6400 and perform some mild overclocking (I've never done it before). What about an aftermarket HSF recommendation as well? I was originally thinking the Zalman CNPS9500 but maybe that's 'overkill' for a mild OC.

Many thank you's.

Get an Arctic Cooling Freezer 7Pro. It's the best HSF for under $40 IMO. That will get you pretty good temps with some room to put voltages up and overclock more.