Upgrading a CPU in a pre-built computer?

[dpk33]

My parent's computer is currently running a Q6600 HP computer. This one to be exact.
http://h10010.www1.hp.com/wwpc/ca/en...-81225089.html

My parents sure as hell don't need a quad core for internet browsing and youtube videos, so I was thinking about using or selling the Q6600. Would it be possible to swap out the Q6600 with an E6600 or E6300 and expect it to work, or is there more than that to these prebuilt HP computers?

 

[Denithor]

Just make sure you get the e6300 rated for 1.86GHz, not the newer model of the same name that runs at 2.8GHz (newer architecture, most likely wouldn't work).

 

[dpk33]

Any E6600 would work though, right?

 

[sm625]

you want to steal their quad and use it for yourself? :sneaky: I would go for a pentium e5xxx. As for whether the bios will accept it is a crapshoot.

 

[Arkaign]

Any E6600 would work though, right?

You will need this :

Intel Core 2 Duo 2.4Ghz E6600 65NM CPU

not

Intel Pentium Dual Core 3.06Ghz E6600 45NM CPU

They are both labeled 'E6600', and they are both socket 775, but it's unlikely the 45NM PD E6600 would work.

 

[Arkaign]

http://h10025.www1.hp.com/ewfrf/wc/d...1077641&dlc=en

Looks like no 45nm support at all.

If you want a cheaper option, the old E4400 is supported. It has less cache, but is a 65nm Conroe-based dual core.

Edit : Further confusion ..

http://forums.anandtech.com/showthread.php?t=195028

Possible?

 

[blckgrffn]

lol - your parents are onboard with this, right?

 

[greenhawk]

personally, not worth the effort to change. If anything, I suspect you will be paying to down grade.

As to upgrading (not the topic, but will mention it anyway), I do not think their was a cpu worth paying for to go faster with. The Q6700 was 45nm with a much faster FSB so unlikly the board would support it being a brand named machine.

 

[bryanW1995]

Haha, his parents will never know. He can just tell them that he's "adding, er, something or other" and they'll look confused and wander off.

@OP: as stated, you need a 65nm conroe cpu. I'd get the e6600 if price is close, you should be able to find used ones on ebay for next to nothing.

 

[Arkaign]

personally, not worth the effort to change. If anything, I suspect you will be paying to down grade.

As to upgrading (not the topic, but will mention it anyway), I do not think their was a cpu worth paying for to go faster with. The Q6700 was 45nm with a much faster FSB so unlikly the board would support it being a brand named machine.

http://ark.intel.com/products/30790/Intel-Core2-Quad-Processor-Q6700-(8M-Cache-2_66-GHz-1066-MHz-FSB)

Q-6XXX and QX-6XXX were all 65nm products. You may be confused with the Q-8xxx (which were slower per clock than Q-6xxx products) and the Q-9xxx / QX-9xxx series, which of course were all 45nm.

 

[VirtualLarry]

How much would you really gain from this? How much would it cost for an E6300 or E4400, versus how much you would get from the Q6600? Including getting paid for your time working on it.

I personally wouldn't bother, I would instead get a gaming card for the PC, and turn it into a poor-man's gaming rig.

 

[dpk33]

i'm planning on getting a gigabyte p35 motherboard so i can overclock the Q6600 and sell it to the friend. and reluctantly, the p35 mobo comes with an core 2 duo E6600, so i was just wondering if i can just swap the two.

 

[VirtualLarry]

The Q6700 was 45nm with a much faster FSB so unlikly the board would support it being a brand named machine.

No, the Q6700 was just like the Q6600, same FSB, just one higher multiplier.

 

[Arkaign]

i'm planning on getting a gigabyte p35 motherboard so i can overclock the Q6600 and sell it to the friend. and reluctantly, the p35 mobo comes with an E6600, so i was just wondering if i can just swap the two.

ah, well in that case, if the E6600 says 'Core 2 Duo' on the cpu lid, then you're good to go, that's a cpu supported in all versions of the bios of that HP/Asus mobo series.

Check the stepping of the Q6600. Hopefully it's a G0. In any case I recommend getting a cheap tall heatpipe cooler with 120mm fan for the Q.

 

[Arkaign]

Another FYI, old Gigabyte P35 mobos are prone to vdroop after some use with high output procs like the Kentsfields.

 

[dpk33]

Another FYI, old Gigabyte P35 mobos are prone to vdroop after some use with high output procs like the Kentsfields.

I'm planning on getting the GIGABYTE GA-P35-DS3L motherboard. If that one is no good, what is another one with overclocking potential?

 

[dbcooper1]

i'm planning on getting a gigabyte p35 motherboard so i can overclock the Q6600 and sell it to the friend. and reluctantly, the p35 mobo comes with an core 2 duo E6600, so i was just wondering if i can just swap the two.

The P35 was fine for dual cores but not so for quads. Might be OK at stock speeds though but a lot of people went on to a P45 for the quads; I think it was a power issue.

 

[Arkaign]

I'm planning on getting the GIGABYTE GA-P35-DS3L motherboard. If that one is no good, what is another one with overclocking potential?

Well, they worked quite well out of the box for a lot of people, and even for some they still work fine to this day. But quite a number of people would hit an overclock that was stable for a while, then it became unstable and they had to keep compensating with more voltage until it was completely unusable. Overclocking a quad core 65nm chip is quite a beastly affair.

 

[dpk33]

So can anyone recommend to me an exact board which can overclock a Q6600 quite well?

 

[Arkaign]

Well, the boards with the P45 and X48 chipsets were very well recieved with heavy overclockers, but they are very hard to find in the retail new spectrum these days. Used they're still out there. You might try scouring the FS/FT section here for a decent board, or you could pick one up from as reputable an ebayer as you can find :

http://cgi.ebay.com/GIGABYTE-GA-P45...712536079?pt=Motherboards&hash=item4aabf4f00f

DDR3 is necessary for the final-gen S775 boards like that, so that's another consideration. If you already have some DDR2, I might recommend just riding the P35 into the ground. Maybe you'll get a year out of it, maybe two, who knows. It's getting to the point where $100ish chips like the i3-2100 are faster at most things than even an overclocked Q6xxx. The Q6xxx is a legendary series, deservedly so, but it's coming towards the end now.

 

[superccs]

Another FYI, old Gigabyte P35 mobos are prone to vdroop after some use with high output procs like the Kentsfields.

This. I had my voltage regulators on my ABIT p35 pro XE (RIP ABIT) board go south running an 3.6Ghz E8400 for 2 years.

Not sure how awesome any of this is going to work out though, as others have said, it probably just won't be worth it unless you really just want to play with the hardware for system practice.

 

[dpk33]

This. I had my voltage regulators on my ABIT p35 pro XE (RIP ABIT) board go south running an 3.6Ghz E8400 for 2 years.

Not sure how awesome any of this is going to work out though, as others have said, it probably just won't be worth it unless you really just want to play with the hardware for system practice.

playing with the hardware for system practice was actually one of my goals for this system. i have barely any experience overclocking and i would like to be able to learn the basics of fsb overclocking.

 

[RussianSensation]

The P35 was fine for dual cores but not so for quads. Might be OK at stock speeds though but a lot of people went on to a P45 for the quads; I think it was a power issue.

My P35-DS3L did 3.4ghz on the Q6600 65nm 24/7 100% loaded for 2 years.

See Post #24 in this thread with pics.

If I was getting a budget board now, I'd get a P45 for that generation, but the only quads which had issues with overclocking on P35 were 45nm, not 65nm chips. Also, Abit IP35 boards had no problems with 450FS on 45nm quads either. So my statement is also partially correct.

Either way, I'll send you my E6600 for that Q6600

So can anyone recommend to me an exact board which can overclock a Q6600 quite well?

Gigabyte P35-DS3L
or preferably P35-DS3R or P35-UD3P
any of the Gigabyte P45-UD3L / UD3R/ UD3P series or EP45 series (under same names).

Obviously, by default then any Gigabyte P35/P45 series above level 3 (so UD4, UD5, 6 or 7 are all suitable too).

or Asus P35 series - P5K, P5K SE, etc. etc.

MSI P35 / P45 series.

Look, Q6600 has a multiplier of 9x. So at only 400 FSB, that pretty much maxes out most Q6600 chips. By that point, you'll need a very nice aftermarket air cooler. My $110 DS3L could do 420 FSB but my Q6600 crapped out at just 380 FSB at reasonable voltages. So you get the message.

Pretty much any decent Asus or Gigabyte or Abit P35 board will do 400 FSB without sweat. Obviously, if you are getting a used board and the price difference is immaterial, just grab a P45/X48 one since that chipset will do 450 - 490 FSB.

 

[VirtualLarry]

I've got a DFI X48 board, with IC VRMs, NIB. PM me if interested.

 

[Mopetar]

My parents sure as hell don't need a quad core for internet browsing and youtube videos, so I was thinking about using or selling the Q6600.

lol - your parents are onboard with this, right?

Haha, his parents will never know. He can just tell them that he's "adding, er, something or other" and they'll look confused and wander off.

Methinks this thread is starting to turn into a BOFH story.