Should I Upgrade the Q6600 This Year?

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014

Limp Gawd
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Nov 6, 2010
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After looking at this bechmark, it made me wonder: Should my next upgrade be my processor? I am not running it overclocked right now. I've had it overclocked over 3GHz before, but I was getting a small glitch in Bad Company 2. My temps are great, so it wasn't that. Anyway, what do you think? Should I continue down the road of doing other upgrades later, or CPU? I was kind of looking at the Phenom II X6 because of its value:performance ratio. Yes, the i5 2500K is faster, but it's like $80 more.
 
You know what? I used benchmark results on the 3D Mark Vantage site to compare scores of systems that have my video card and processor with systems that have the X6 and my video card. There is a definite computing speed difference. But graphic performance was not that different, if at all. And it looks like if I overclock again to get over the 3GHz range, there is no longer enough value in the X6 to spend money on a new motherboard, processor, and RAM.
 
I do not consider the X6 a good value at this time for gaming. Look at the $125 i3 2100 versus X6 in game benchmarks. However with that said the i3 will not overclock and is a dual core with HT so in the next few years when some games start using more than 3 cores the X6 will probably be faster.
 
might be a good time, while the q6600 and its platform still have some resale value
 
You don't have your motherboard in your sig, but if it supports it you might consider just dropping in a used Q9550. That'll give you a decent performance bump, especially overclocked, for significantly less than changing out the CPU/MB/RAM, and then wait for the price adjustments that might come with Bulldozer/IB.
 
I know not many games use 4+ cores. My main game is Bad Company 2, and it's going to be Battlefield 3 soon. My CPU is practically tapped out when I'm in Bad Company 2. I have good gameplay experience with my screen @ 1680x1050. I'm just deciding if the CPU should be the next thing on the list. I am on my fourth video card with this Q6600 now!
 
Forceman said:
You don't have your motherboard in your sig, but if it supports it you might consider just dropping in a used Q9550. That'll give you a decent performance bump, especially overclocked, for significantly less than changing out the CPU/MB/RAM, and then wait for the price adjustments that might come with Bulldozer/IB.
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I updated my signature. The Q9550 would work, but it's $300. That's only $100 less than the CPU, RAM, mobo I put into my Newegg wish list. The processor was the Phenom II X6 1090T.

This is what I was thinking:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813128509
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819103849
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231416
 
I've been thinking the same thing with my Q6700 for a long time. A lot of people seem to have gotten long legs out of their Core 2 Quads! I think the time is about right though - SB offers a good 30-40% performance increase, plus much higher overclocking potential. DDR3 is also cheap now. And I think haunter hit an important point - you can still get decent money on ebay for a core 2 quad, but who knows how long that will last?

I would try to bite the bullet and go with an i5-2500k if you can. It might be more CPU than you need, but I'd rather have a good amount of excess so I can keep the same mobo for a good while.
 
I'd say you should buy an aftermarket cooler worth 30$, OC to 3.4-3.6GHz and wait for BF3.

If you still aren't satisfied, go ahead and upgrade.
 
I have a good cooler now, the Corsair A50. My warmest core right now is 27C, and I have the lower voltage option on the fan. When I game, it never goes past about the mid 40's. I just haven't spent much time finding a good overclock. I can do it easily without changing voltages. But I'm not really good at all at changing the voltages in order to get the really high clock rates.
 
Yeah that cpu is holding your card back. Next upgrade is for CPU and skip the Phenom.
 
014 said:
I updated my signature. The Q9550 would work, but it's $300. That's only $100 less than the CPU, RAM, mobo I put into my Newegg wish list. The processor was the Phenom II X6 1090T.

This is what I was thinking:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813128509
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819103849
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231416
Click to expand...

Not a good choice at all. That motherboard + CPU effectively negates one of AMD's dwindling advantages over Intel: Good price to performance ratio. All together that CPU + mobo will cost $368 shipped. That's a piss poor price for an AMD mobo + AMD CPU since you can get the Core i5 2500K + a solid mobo for under and around that price:
$330 - Intel Core i5 2500K CPU + MSI P67A-G43 Intel P67 ATX Motherboard Combo
$365 - Intel Core i5 2500K CPU + MSI P67A-GD65 Intel P67 ATX Motherboard Combo

So yeah, that AMD setup is not good for the money. Especially when a significantly faster Intel setup costs less.
 
Danny Bui said:
$330 - Intel Core i5 2500K CPU + MSI P67A-G43 Intel P67 ATX Motherboard Combo
$365 - Intel Core i5 2500K CPU + MSI P67A-GD65 Intel P67 ATX Motherboard Combo

So yeah, that AMD setup is not good for the money. Especially when a significantly faster Intel setup costs less.
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Good point. I was liking the idea of 3 slots for video cards in the board I had picked out. But yeah, it negates the price savings, just like you said.
 
That mobo is ok. Just not a fan of its tradtional BIOs setup considering that Asus and MSI have UEFI interfaces.
 
This is why it pays to post here. I don't even know what that kind of bios is. I will look into it.
EDIT: OK, I have used that type of BIOS before. It's cool, but not a game changer if only Asus and MSI produce it for consumer use right now.
 
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014 said:
Not buying soon, but I have these picked out now. I'm kinda loyal to Gigabyte.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813128498
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819115072
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Consider this if you have a MC near you: http://cart.microcenter.com/cart.aspx Keep in mind it includes a $40 instant discount on the motherboard when you combined it with the processor.

I have a similar setup to you, that being a Q6600 but mine is overclocked past 3ghz and running on an abit ip35 pro. I've also recently been wondering whether or not and when I should upgrade. Thing is, for me at least, I still haven't come across anything during real world use that my system can't handle relatively well, that being mostly games. I'm really rather surprised by it too because it's been close to 5 years since I've upgraded my mobo/cpu. I've upgrade my GPU and moved to ssd during that time with which I've seen noticeable performance improvements but my mobo/cpu combo keeps chugging along.
 
a year ago with my old 775 setup, i was faced with "spend 300$ on a q9650, or get an i7 rig".

i got an i7 because the 930 itself was 30$ cheaper than the 9650 at the time, and much faster clock for clock)

Honestly, the 2500k is cheaper than a 9650 right now (220 vs 300) and it is much much faster. You've seen the video. A dude with 2 rigs, a 9650 and a 2600k in bc2, the 2600k has double the frame rate with an identical graphics card. Downside is you need new mobo and ram, but you might as well go big so you can futureproof your rig for a year or two instead of having to upgrade again in 6 months.
 
Wow. That video was very convincing. The 2500K kicks butt. I'm sold.
I'm still curious how much gaming difference I would see. Some benchmarks make me think I'd only see an FPS increase of about 4. But then I see some that look like I'd get 30. *shrug*
EDIT: What am I saying? I just saw that video. Hmm... I knew this would happen, but, now I want to upgrade sooner than later.
 
I was able to get a stable 3.0GHz on my Q6600, and BC2 doesn't tap out my CPU anymore. I can even keep my Corsair A50 at the low setting and have good enough temps. I am at 35C degrees right now just using a browser. I get in the 50's when playing BC2. I will hold off on the CPU upgrade for sure!
 
I went from a x3360 @ 3.2 to my current setup and even at stock 2500k speeds everything just ran smoother. More max fps or not, your average will be tons better. And currently coasting at 4 ghz with ZERO issues and I'm sure I can go higher! :D
 
Agreed I think its time upgrade that q6600. My i5 2500k is smoking fast and wasnt that expensive.
 
014 said:
Good point. I was liking the idea of 3 slots for video cards in the board I had picked out. But yeah, it negates the price savings, just like you said.
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If you're worrying about spending money on a new cpu/mobo/ram and are comparing a 2500k and X6, are you REALLY thinking about a tri xf/sli setup? Or is that just wishful thinking? Pretty sure I wouldn't be looking at potentially bottlenecking $600-1000+ worth of vid cards!

And I made the q6600 (3.2ghz) to a 2500k @ 4.5 in January. And I couldn't be happier with the decision. My q6600 lasted close to 40 months, which beat my old record of 18. It was a very good overall value, but it was, IMO, time to move on to something new. Hopefully I'll get close to the same value out of the 2500k :) Think I'll be even more happier once I get a SATA3 SSD.
 
I can see your angle on the 3x video cards coupled with a good CPU. It makes sense.

By the way, I have 2x Vortex 2 SSD's in RAID0 for my OS. That was the best semi-recent upgrade I've done. I will never go back to regular discs for the OS. I did it a year ago. They are a lot cheaper now. I'd highly recommend putting 2-4 of them in RAID0 for an OS. It's critical, in fact, with the speed of other components.
 
Well, chances are you can sell your setup for close to 200 dollars.
If you can snag a 2500k used for 180, then you have 20 dollars to apply to ram.
You can get 8 gigs for 40-45 bucks, so basically what you are looking at is 25 dollars + cost of motherboard and heatsink adapter if you are not going to use the stock heatsink.
You should be easily do the upgrade for 200 or less out of pocket.
 
After 3 awesome years my Q6600 is being replaced tomorrow by a 2500k. I would not even be doing it if I wasn't replacing the board due to a defect. The Q6600 (@ 3.2 of course) is still enough power in 2011 for all my gaming needs. Stock Q6600 is not.
 
Cool, cool. Hopefully I can afford it in November, a time that my wife would be OK with me spending the money on more computer stuff. :)
 
I'm in a similar situation, but I've convinced myself to wait until Ivy Bridge. Obviously, a 2600k (at stock, let alone 4.5+GHz) would smoke my Q6700 @ 3.3GHz, but my "test" for upgrading is whether I am happy with how I am able to play games, since that is the most intensive thing I do. I can play BC2 at 1920x1200 with everything max (4X MSAA, 16X AF) with a smooth frame rate, Deus Ex: HR is smooth 99% of the time. The Witcher 2 is the only game that gets choppy with everything max (ubersampling off).

I was really close to building an SB system in May, but decided to just get a GTX560Ti (replace GTX280) and am happy enough for now. That said, you will be happy either way, SB systems offer amazing value/performance, and nothing on the horizon is going to be a huge upgrade (Bulldozer will be a letdown and Ivy Bridge is an incremental increase, not revolutionary).

I wonder if my Q6700 and ancient mobo will be worth anything in 2012, I can't believe how much 45nm 775 quads are still going for!
 
Q6600 CPUs are still very much relevant still 4 years after they hit the market. Mine has lived through many video card upgrades.
first it was 2 Geforce 7600 GT's
then i moved to an 8800 GTS 320
to and 8800 GT 512MB
to 2x 8800GT 512MB
to GTX260
to GTX460
to GTX560ti
As awesome as it has been, it is finally starting to show it's age and seems slow in some apps. Also my work laptop is a core i7 now, so I feel way behind the times now :p
I think it's about time i make the switch. this CPU isn't going to feed my second GTX560ti like it did a single one.

Next up, Core i7 2600k. the Q6600 will become a media center/ torrent box.
with any luck the new one will last me for the next 4 years again.
 
My Q6600 @ 3.330ghz paired withi a 4870 1GB (also overclocked) manages 35/36 under Crysis 2, full details, 2x AA @1680x1050
 
with any luck the new one will last me for the next 4 years again.
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I bought a 2600K in Jan of this year with the idea that I won't be replacing that chip for a few years. Now is a really good time since the chipset, board, and drivers have matured. I don't think that the installed base of PC's will allow much to pass beyond the use of four cores for another few years, and in a similar way I don't think it will be necessary to replace the chip because the cores will be too slow for a similar amount of time.

I gave up on AMD a long time ago, so BD is really a non-issue for me, even though I still look at whatever comes out. If you keep a system for years the price difference isn't really a compelling factor unless you are very tight for cash.

It all depends™ of course on what you're doing. If you have an application that can really make use of more cores, I'd wait, as you might get a lot more for your money in 6 to 12 months from now, provided you wouldn't buy again at that time anyway.
 
I just replaced my Q6600 with an i5-2500k. I think it was worth it but the Q6600 was still solid. It really depends on your performance - if you're OK with what you have, the i5-2500k isn't going to blow you away. Mine was starting to drag a little in some stuff and I wanted to get ready for BF3, GW2, PS2, etc.

Granted, some of these games don't even have release dates yet.. but I think the i5-2500k is going to be another Q6600 for me - easily get 3+ years out of it, especially once I bump it to 4.5GHz+
 
Guys I got to repeat one more time that a 3.2ghz Q6600, while certainly still relevant and more than acceptable for gaming, is bloody smoked by these damn Sandys. 4.4ghz on a 2500k took me less than 10 minutes, rock stable, highest temp 61c under max load, and freaking DESTROYS games like a hot knife through butter. Everything is totally smooth again, like every game was when I first upgraded to the Q6600. Marvelous as hell. I expected an improvement but not quite this much. Now excuse me, I must go play 5 more hours of DXHR.

edit: I really wanted to buy AMD this time around. I really, really did. I tried to justify buying an extreme setup around both of the highest end chips they've got, but I'd have been an idiot to spend the same money on less (and not just a little less, a LOT less). I was an AMD user exclusively for a decade until the C2Q came around, but AMD has simply got nothing relevant for the high end gaming segment in either 2008 or 2011. Nada. Zilch. :(
 
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I'm going to upgrade my video before I do the whole CPU/MOBO/RAM upgrade. I'm fully aware that the Sandy Bridge chips smoke a Core 2 Quad, but I'm also aware that a Core 2 Quad with a decent overclock paired with a nice video card will still play any modern game at good frame rates. Looking at my system, it's clear to me that my weakest link for gaming is the 4870, and the weakest link for general system performance is the lack of an SSD.

I'm thinking xmas for a new video card, and then possibly tax return time for an entire new system, unless the new video card handles games well enough.
 
I enjoy that sandy bridge can be overclocked but still uses almost no power on idle compared to the old q6600 setup. With that said, for me it was not an absolute necessity, but it just looked like a good timing for me for the following reasons other then reducing idle power use:

I had a hunch that they would delay their socket 2011 stuff and it likely would not be out this year or even early in 2012, and had a hunch bulldozer would delay or not compete, and knew that they would likely create some ivy bridge parts that were compatible with existing motherboards, possibly with more then 4 cores. I still think they may do just that, create a 6-core part that is compatible with existing boards but has no IGP.

I just wanted more power. :)

I built up 2 systems with sandy bridge right around release, one as HTPC, 2600K with Nvidia card and Crucial SSD, and a cheapo one with integrated graphics being used with h67 motherboard for the bedroom. Got the processor for the bedroom system on a whim much lower then retail, by about 50 bucks on ebay. It's an i-5 2400 and I snagged it for around 140 bucks on ebay back in jan/feb. I don't see them being obsolete for awhile. I had to RMA the boards for the whole SATA issue but no big deal. Both asus. Both done free at different times with fast turnaround.

Got some good use out of them and so far, no sign of any pending releases to obsolete them, these are probably the best bang for the buck purchase, these sandy systems, since the Q6600 for people who bought them at release, they should get a few years use out of them at least before there's really a problem with processor bottleneck, if even Q6600 users have a bottleneck problem for most uses yet. (probably not if overclocked about 3.3-3.6)

My mother now uses my Q6600 system as her main system, overclocked as it was to 3.6ghz , and it was a huge upgrade from her dual core system.

Not sure how much PCI express bandwidth limitations will be an issue however. If it becomes an issue, a motherboard upgrade is no big deal.
 
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I don't mean to hijack the thread, mainly because I don't feel like making a new thread, but do you think I should upgrade my current i7-860 (1156) on SB-e or Ivy? I've been thinking of BD for a long while, but considering the delays and possible performance problems in terms of when it comes out (might of been a great thing months ago, but might now be now with the new Intel stuff coming out).
 
it's clear to me that my weakest link for gaming is the 4870
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+1

do you think I should upgrade my current i7-860
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depends on what you do, if gaming is your concern i'd move up from the HIS 5850 1GB first, as you could give that card a sandy and not see as much gain as giving the 860 a top end card

Not sure how much PCI express bandwidth limitations will be an issue however.
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Regardless of this limit I'm still thinking that when PCI-E 3 (2012 sometime, maybe?) and DDR4 (that is expected to represent 5% of the DRAM market in 2013, maybe?) come together with a good chip release it will be time to pull the trigger. That's kind of what concerns me about waiting until sometime next year. You're going to be in the middle of 2012 thinking that these two techs are around the corner and you should wait again. It's just my opinion and this kind of thing is definately a guessing game. I've placed my bet with a buy in early 2011 and hopefully moving on from that sometime in 2013 or 2014. It would be nice to get more than two or three years out of a system but I wouldn't like to be too far behind the curve.
 
RustedAngel said:
I've been thinking the same thing with my Q6700 for a long time. A lot of people seem to have gotten long legs out of their Core 2 Quads! I think the time is about right though - SB offers a good 30-40% performance increase, plus much higher overclocking potential. DDR3 is also cheap now. And I think haunter hit an important point - you can still get decent money on ebay for a core 2 quad, but who knows how long that will last?

I would try to bite the bullet and go with an i5-2500k if you can. It might be more CPU than you need, but I'd rather have a good amount of excess so I can keep the same mobo for a good while.
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I have had my Q9550 at 3.61 gigertz on air for almost 3 years.. I had to swap out ram once since it died.. I am running a Geforce GTX 570. Do you guys think its worth 600 bucks to upgrade to a 2600k I7? I have not been keeping up with the market.. I only run at 1920x1200 res. All my games work fast except GT4 and Metro2033 but they are playable. meaning i cant up my FSAA.

I have a feeling i should wait another 6 months since i really dont care about BF3 right now. I have 400 games on steam and all of them run good on my computer .
 
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