Which Core 2 to get?

[Viserys]

Hey all!

I've been lurking on this board for a while, seeing as how I've been planning to build a Conroe-based system from the ground up since about April.

From the beginning I had my sights set on the E6600 - it was the cheapest with 4 MB cache, and seemed spectacular.

Now, however, I'm not so sure that it's what I need.

Keep in mind I have absolutely no plans to overclock, and will be using my new system primarily for gaming. I'm getting a GeForce 7600GT due to price concerns and to wait it out for a DX10 card, 2 gigs of 566 MHz RAM, and an Intel motherboard.

Do I really need an E6600, or can I save $100 and step it down a notch?

Edit: Someone I know just advised me that my CPU will be bottlenecked by that graphics card. I could be coaxed into spending some more money on the 7900GT, but only if it's definitely and completely worth it.

 

[harpoon84]

Since you won't be overclocking I'd say the E6600 is the sweet spot.

An E6300/E6400 is enough to power current DX9 cards but I suspect they may fall short with future DX10 cards.

Though honestly, overclocking is pretty damn simple nowadays. It's just a few settings in the BIOS, and beginners can start off conservatively if they they are scared.

In fact, there are desktop programs like EasyTune and Ai Booster that allow you to overclock in Windows, and let me tell you it's dead easy. Not that I think you'll be converted, but it's worth a try.

 

[Skott]

The E6600 probably will be the sweet spot (that remains to be seen yet) but if overclocking isnt involved or under consideration then always fall back on the old addage, "buy the most cpu you can afford".

 

[Viserys]

Alright, thanks.

The E6600 fits snugly with my budget (barely) but having a little money to spend is always nice too.

Any advice in the graphics card department, or should I be fine with a 7600GT?

 

[Conky]

I would recommend the E6600 as it should last you a good long while.

All of the new Intel Core2 Duos will be bottlenecked by the 7600GT but your next videocard down the road might not be. Personally, I am going with the E6600 too. :thumbsup:

 

[harpoon84]

For the short term it's adequate, I assume from your post you're only going to use it for 6 months or so until DX10 cards hit?

 

[Viserys]

Originally posted by: harpoon84
For the short term it's adequate, I assume from your post you're only going to use it for 6 months or so until DX10 cards hit?

Yup, that sounds about right. I could spend $300 on a 7900GT now and let it last me a while before upgrading, or I could spend $180 or so and upgrade as soon as possible. Hope I'm making sense.

 

[Conky]

Originally posted by: Viserys
Alright, thanks.

The E6600 fits snugly with my budget (barely) but having a little money to spend is always nice too.

Any advice in the graphics card department, or should I be fine with a 7600GT?

That should be more than fine for a while. It's always most cost efficient to stay away from the cutting edge high-dollar videocards as they drop in price much faster than this new Intel cpu will.