Any 775 socket processors worth getting?

[BigBiker05]

So I have a dilemma right now where my processors can barely handle any of the recent games, especially multiplayer games. The problem is that I can't just simply upgrade my processor. Everything else on my computer doesn't need to be touched. So I like to look at the i5 and i7 processors.

If I buy a new processor I need a new MoBo. If I buy a new MoBo I need new ram sticks.

SHORT VERSION: Is there a powerful 775 socket processor worth getting?

*EDIT: This is not an airplane.

Filtered NewEgg link of what I believe are my choices:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/ProductLi ... =Quad-Core

[Boss Llama]

Do you definitely need a quad core? I'm not sure what you're currently packing, but the Wolfdale E8x00 series are very solid, very reputable procs - the pinnacle of the Core 2 Duo line. Unless you're doing multi-threaded rendering applications, my money on a 775 would go towards an E8400 or E8500 in a heartbeat. I use an E8400 in my second desktop currently, and haven't ever upgraded it to a quad, because the difference is not worth anywhere near the price for the sorts of things I do.

If you do definitely need a quad, the Q9550 and Q9650 are the best of what's readily available, though they will often be slower than the E8400 and E8500 respectively, due to lower clockspeeds hampering operations that don't take advanage of the third and fourth core.

Saving money now (and still getting better performance on many applications) means you'll have more available later when you decide to bite the motherboard bullet.

[BigBiker05]

Currently running an e6600 stock 2.4ghz OC'd to 3.0ghz. Almost all the modern games I play keep both cores at 100%. Most multi-player games will start to crap out with a lot of people. Full Bad Company 2 servers really make my computer struggle. TF2 is luckily a 24 person game and my computer can handle it. With Red Orchestra 2 I found I can play on 32 person servers but I can't play on 64 person servers unless I play in the corner of a map. Dead Island keeps bottle-necking my processor. I can go into a list but you get the point.

[Boss Llama]

Since you're in the market to OC, I'd definitely go with a Wolfdale dual core, those things are robust, and take overclocking like nothing. The E8400, for example, is a 3.0 out of the box, and can be put to 3.6 stupidly easily, just by bumping the FSB to 400. Don't need to change heatsinks, increase voltage, or anything.

Beyond that, you'll want to adjust some other timings, make sure your RAM is good, and make sure you have a good HSF. Here's an easy guide for taking it up to 4.0, and even 4.4 without using water cooling or anything else fancy.

Making sure you've got enough RAM and a strong enough GPU will also help with those giant clusters of people.

[BigBiker05]

My gpu is plenty good. However, I don't know about my ram. I have 4gigs but I don't know much about ram speeds.

EDIT: Added note, the reason why I bought the e6600 (on 12/9/07) was because of the ease of OC. I never OC'd anything before and I was told to start there. I heard people OC it to 3.4ghz but I left it at 3.0ghz to be safe. In the time I've been using this processor I've gone through one graphics card and one heatsink.

[Boss Llama]

I believe the guide there does talk about the RAM speeds and what will work at the different OC levels. I'm not an expert on them either, but it sounds like a fairly broad spectrum should be fine.

[BigBiker05]

Yeah, I just got done reading through the guide. Unless I come up on a grand to build a new computer it looks like that is my only option. Will have to figure out my ram speeds and such to see exactly what speed I would OC the processor at. 4.0ghz does look like the magic number as they talked about huge temperature spikes beyond that, something I DO NOT want to deal with.

[One_Medic_Army]

I haven't noticed any issues with my Q6600, non-overclocked.
Then again the only multiplayer game I play is TF2.

[MrBlah]

My gpu is plenty good. However, I don't know about my ram. I have 4gigs but I don't know much about ram speeds.

EDIT: Added note, the reason why I bought the e6600 (on 12/9/07) was because of the ease of OC. I never OC'd anything before and I was told to start there. I heard people OC it to 3.4ghz but I left it at 3.0ghz to be safe. In the time I've been using this processor I've gone through one graphics card and one heatsink.

I have an e6700, I've gone through 1 mobo, 1 video card, 1 sound card, 1 water pump, and 1 water block. OC'd it too. Honestly, I don't see the need to get a new processor, but if you are truly set on getting a new one, than I would suggest something like a Q9000 series. The Quad cores that came before the Core i-series.


Also, before you get a new processor, try running some system optimization programs. JKDefrag(might be called Mydefrag now or something or other) might help you out here, namely because it will move all parts of files and all files associated with a single game right next to each other on your HDD platter. Maybe turn your settings down a touch graphically or turn off any thing running on your computer that might be otherwise eating up processing power. Anti Virus is a good one to turn off, as well as anything else that might have to do with the Internet(not for bandwidth purposes, but because it eats up processing power).

[BigBiker05]

Also, before you get a new processor, try running some system optimization programs. JKDefrag(might be called Mydefrag now or something or other) might help you out here, namely because it will move all parts of files and all files associated with a single game right next to each other on your HDD platter. Maybe turn your settings down a touch graphically or turn off any thing running on your computer that might be otherwise eating up processing power. Anti Virus is a good one to turn off, as well as anything else that might have to do with the Internet(not for bandwidth purposes, but because it eats up processing power).

I pretty much already do that. The problem is I just don't have the processing power to play a lot of the new games. When watching my computer both CPU cores are hitting 100% and my GPUs are staying mostly under 50% and that is with the GPU's helping with processing power. One thing that I am noticing is I can go from minimum graphics (including resolution) to maximum (assuming gpu handles it) and my processing power doesn't budge. I don't keep on any programs that aren't needed such as virus software, origin, etc. I'll run a defrag right now and see if that clears anything up.

[Clay Pigeon]

Go with a quad core. If you had a q6600 OC'd to 3.0 we wouldn't have this thread.

[BigBiker05]

Go with a quad core. If you had a q6600 OC'd to 3.0 we wouldn't have this thread.

The problem is you just can't take this quad core and compare it to that dual core then throw numbers on it.

What it is going to come down to is:

An e8400 duel core that I can clock to 4.0 or,
a q9650 quad core that I can clock to 3.6.

The biggest difference that I am looking at, $150. I don't want to dump too much money in it now because any future upgrade on this PC is going to force me to replace the majority of the hardware. (Like I mentioned, getting off the 775 socket will require new MoBo and ram)

[MrBlah]

What video card do you have btw? It's obvious that your CPU is bottlenecking everything though.

[BigBiker05]

What video card do you have btw? It's obvious that your CPU is bottlenecking everything though.

Running an nvidia x460. I have a monitoring program that I run and I have it display on my g15 screen that shows CPU usage per core, CPU temp, RAM usage, GPU usage, and GPU temp.

I ran that defrag last night. It took at least 8 hours (went to bed at this point).

There has been 0 noticeable improvements today.

[MrBlah]

ok, get a quad core. That e8400 isn't strong enough to make full use of the 460. You will be much happier with the quad and it should get you through the next 2 years with out much of a hiccup. Also, what are the specs on your RAM? If you are still running 800MHz or 1066MHz DDR2, then I would strong consider saving your money and upgrading everything and getting a Core i5 so you can make full use of higher speed DDR3.