E8500

[JackSpadesSI]

I want to buy an Intel E8500 from Newegg.com. How can I ensure I will get the newest stepping for best performance?

Thanks, in advance, for your help!

 

[BTRY B 529th FA BN]

New Egg moves high volumes of stuff, you are almost guaranteed by now to get an E0 stepping.

 

[JackSpadesSI]

Once I've received the CPU, is there any way to verify for sure that it is an E0?

Does it say it on the packaging? On the chip? On the BIOS?

 

[ExcaliburMM]

CPU-Z will inform you of the stepping.

 

[BTRY B 529th FA BN]

I'm not sure but I do know cpu z would show, but that's after the fact

If you want to be sure of an E0 they only make E08600's - i'm sure they've sold out their stock of the C0 8500s, its been such a while and with that high volume, its gotta be the E0

EDIT: for syntax

 

[JackSpadesSI]

Hmm, thanks for the info. I just can't justify the extra $82 for the E8600 over the E8500. I guess I'll just cross my fingers.

 

[Flipped Gazelle]

Originally posted by: JackSpadesSI
Hmm, thanks for the info. I just can't justify the extra $82 for the E8600 over the E8500. I guess I'll just cross my fingers.

I'd say your chances are excellent.

You can get a guaranteed E0 from Tank Guys, but probably cost a bit more.

 

[angry hampster]

Originally posted by: JackSpadesSI
Hmm, thanks for the info. I just can't justify the extra $82 for the E8600 over the E8500. I guess I'll just cross my fingers.

Knowing Newegg's CS, you could probably explain it to them and return it hassle-free.

 

[Tempered81]

I would go with the 8500 or 8400 from newegg. You will most likely get an e0 stepping. I ordered from them last month, and mine was an e0.

 

[OCGuy]

SLB9K on the box.

 

[ghost recon88]

Originally posted by: Ocguy31
SLB9K on the box.

Yep and anything that's been packed this year or later last year (I think September or later) will be an E0.

 

[JackSpadesSI]

So I got the E8500 and I've built my whole computer. However, I've got a few concerns. When I run CPU-Z it says I'm only running at 1.998 GHz with a multiplier of 6.0. I Googled that issue and found an article saying that the C2D chips have some kind of power saving feature that drops their speed when at idle. Fine, I can live with that feature. Then I ran Crysis (v1.2.1) in windowed mode at VERY HIGH settings at 1920x1200. I used windowed mode so I could have CPU-Z running alongside it. I hoped it would display 3.164 GHz with a multiplier of 9.5 like an E8500 should, but it only said 2.831 with a multiplier of 8.5. If that doesn't max out my processor, I don't know what could!

So, I know that the sticky on AnandTech forums says that this question shouldn't be posted a million times but I've done my homework and I still can't it to verify that I bought the right processor. I just want some kind of acknowledgment that I own a perfectly optimal E8500.

Secondly, CPU-Z says my Stepping is A but my Revision is E0. Is that the same thing as having a Stepping of E0 as I was talking about above? I'm not sure since it didn't spell it out point-blank and I'm new at this.

Finally, is there anything to be concerned about if, while helping me assemble the computer, someone left an oily fingerprint on top of the processor where the thermally-conductive patch on heatsink makes contact with the processor?

 

[BonzaiDuck]

Originally posted by: JackSpadesSI
So I got the E8500 and I've built my whole computer. However, I've got a few concerns. When I run CPU-Z it says I'm only running at 1.998 GHz with a multiplier of 6.0. I Googled that issue and found an article saying that the C2D chips have some kind of power saving feature that drops their speed when at idle. Fine, I can live with that feature. Then I ran Crysis (v1.2.1) in windowed mode at VERY HIGH settings at 1920x1200. I used windowed mode so I could have CPU-Z running alongside it. I hoped it would display 3.164 GHz with a multiplier of 9.5 like an E8500 should, but it only said 2.831 with a multiplier of 8.5. If that doesn't max out my processor, I don't know what could!

So, I know that the sticky on AnandTech forums says that this question shouldn't be posted a million times but I've done my homework and I still can't it to verify that I bought the right processor. I just want some kind of acknowledgment that I own a perfectly optimal E8500.

Secondly, CPU-Z says my Stepping is A but my Revision is E0. Is that the same thing as having a Stepping of E0 as I was talking about above? I'm not sure since it didn't spell it out point-blank and I'm new at this.

Finally, is there anything to be concerned about if, while helping me assemble the computer, someone left an oily fingerprint on top of the processor where the thermally-conductive patch on heatsink makes contact with the processor?

"oily fingerprint . . . " COSTCO or some other store will sell Isopropyl Alcohol -- either 70% or 90% solution. Electronics store will sell a $4 bottle of 99.9%.

Your peculiar results -- a multiplier lower than 9.5, etc. . . . suggest that you need to focus on your motherboard and BIOS settings. You should disable SpeedStep, C1E, and other features (see Graysky's sticky). You might go into BIOS CPU configuration and choose "Manual" settings, to pick the 9.5 multiplier and the spec bus speed of 333 Mhz with your FSB set to 1,334 Mhz and the RAM DDR-speed at 667. Those settings should all work fine with the CPU VCORE voltage set to "Auto."

 

[JackSpadesSI]

I assume by your IPA (isopropyl alcohol) comment that the oily fingerprint isn't an issue, right?

I really don't want to mess with any overclocking stuff. Is there any simpler way that I can verify that my processor is capable of 9.5 * 333 MHz = 3.16 GHz, and is in fact an E8500?

Motherboard = Gigabyte GA-EP45-UD3P
RAM = Corsair Dominator DDR2-1066, 4 GB (2 * 2 GB)

 

[BonzaiDuck]

Originally posted by: JackSpadesSI
I assume by your IPA (isopropyl alcohol) comment that the oily fingerprint isn't an issue, right?

I really don't want to mess with any overclocking stuff. Is there any simpler way that I can verify that my processor is capable of 9.5 * 333 MHz = 3.16 GHz, and is in fact an E8500?

Motherboard = Gigabyte GA-EP45-UD3P
RAM = Corsair Dominator DDR2-1066, 4 GB (2 * 2 GB)

Intel Spec Update for the E8000 . . . . processors -- GOTO PAGE 17

The S-Spec identifier "SLB9K" will be shown on the IHS processor cap. (See page 15). If the identifier is "SLAPK" instead, you are "S-O-L" and the processor is the C0 stepping. If you just ordered and received it within the last month, I have high hopes for you that it is "E0."

As for the motherboard and memory, I give you two thumbs up. I just got the GA-EP45-UD3R for a server-rebuild.

EDIT: Don't have time to read through your earlier posts, but if CPU-Z tells you it's an E8500 E0 stepping, then . . . . extremely strong probability "that's what it is." The power-saving features lower the multiplier and the speed. If you run a stress-tester like OCCT or PRIME95 with CPU-Z running simultaneously, you should see the clock-speed peg at its rated value. And OCCT would also present that information on its own.

I just don't think there is a big chance that these processors are being counterfeited. The last time I encountered that phenomenon, Intel was producing Pentium-2's -- running them off the assembly line at the same high-end speed-spec, and then binning and disabling the speed so they could sell 266, 300, 333 and 400 Mhz processors from the same production process. FTC was all over them like flies on road-kill, and some outfit in the Phillipines was buying 266-ers and modifying them for sale as 333's. then some German outfit was producing a shareware program that would tell you whether or not you had a counterfeit CPU.

As for Over-clocking. I spent ten years teaching Comp-Sci and Info-Sys -- database programming and computer architecture. All that time, I sneered at over-clocking as "irresponsible." So you are certainly "safe" with that position. On the other hand, getting familiar with the BIOS setup for your motherboard chipset will teach you a lot of good sh . . . stuff.

 

[JackSpadesSI]

I just ran Prime95 and it only went up to 8.5 * 333 MHz = 2.83. WTF? Is this a problem with the CPU or is it some kind of setting in the motherboard?

If it is a setting in the motherboard/BIOS I need exact instructions catered to the Gigabyte system because I don't know what I'm doing. If it is a problem with the CPU I need to know immediately so I can return the processor to Newegg before my time runs out on that.

Thanks in advance!

 

[JackSpadesSI]

Why is it that everyone else's CPUs run between 6x (idle) and maximum multipliers. Why would mine be 1x short of maximum under full load without having messed with anything?

I just feel like I shouldn't have to "overclock" my CPU to a setting that should be stock!

 

[Hyonie]

go into your bios and make sure your multiplier is set at 9.5x

when i upgraded my mobo to ud3p, i remember it reading my e8500 as 8.5x for some reason.

edit: also, you can verify that it is an e8500 if it'll go up to 9.5x in the multiplier. if it doesn't then you have a problem.

 

[JackSpadesSI]

I thought you could only change multipliers with an "extreme" edition CPU. I'm mostly mad because I'm not trying to overclock... I just want my CPU to run as fast as it is supposed to stock!

 

[VirtualLarry]

When I installed my friend's E5200 into his UD3R, the default BIOS multi came up as 8.5, I had to manually set the multi to 12.5.

 

[JackSpadesSI]

So you're familiar with the Gigabyte BIOS system? How do I change this to 9.5?

 

[BonzaiDuck]

Originally posted by: JackSpadesSI
So you're familiar with the Gigabyte BIOS system? How do I change this to 9.5?

I shouldn't be telling you to do this, because too much seems unfamiliar to you.

But if it were me, I'd go out to the Gigabyte web-site, find the latest BIOS update to download, and upgrade the board's BIOS chip.

As you drill down through the BIOS menu, there should be an item named "CPU configuration." I only recall this off the top of my head from another Gigabyte mobo. And in fact, it would likely have a different menu structure, because it was an nVidia chipset -- not Intel.

When you find the multiplier setting, it should be obvious -- whatever it is named.

I'm really surprised that a late-model board like the EP45-UD3P/R wouldn't automatically auto-configure to the CPU and RAM. This is a good thing for me to know -- for me to find out-- since I just purchased the UD3R version.

 

[blackpanther26]

I Think if you put %100 load on the CPU it'll run at 3.16GHz. I think the speed of the CPU is determind by the CPU load.

 

[JackSpadesSI]

blackpanther26, doesn't Prime95 put 100% load on the CPU? When I ran that it still only got up to 2.83 GHz (8.5x) and never hit the E8500's max of 9.5x.

I changed the multiplier in the BIOS to 9 with fine of 0.5 (total of 9.5x) and it did get me to the 3.16 GHz... then things went bad. Now my computer doesn't boot up well at all and often goes into a cycle of continuous rebooting. I changed the multiplier back to 8.5x but the reboot cycles kept happening.

I'm going to post a new thread under "CPUs and Overclocking" addressing my issues more specifically. I feel that may get me a few more sets of eyes than a thread just vaguely called "E8500". I'll lay out all of my issues there and what I've already tried. I hope to get this remedied today once I get home from work.

 

[RallyMaster]

People still buy dual cores?