Best Intel Processor and Motherboard

[a1]

I am ready to take the task of building my own gaming rig. I am looking fo rthe best at the moment and not worrying about price as much.


I need an Intel Core 2 Quad. I hear the Q6600 is quite good. Are there newer ones that are better?
(also this popped into my mind somehow. Quad means 4 processors runnning at for example 2Ghz each right?)


Mother board I have no clue on what to get. I was thinking on an Intel or Nvidia board. Which one should I get?


Thanks

[Slotback]

You're looking for the BEST? (Quad Extreme) QX9650 and ASUS X38. That's the best. Keep in mind however, that pair would cost more than my entire computer.

[a1]

Thanks.


Any more opinions would be great.

[congo]

Quad means 4 processors runnning at for example 2Ghz each right?

Yes, that's about it.

The PC industry will therefore allow you to make the incorrect assumption that software programs share the load of processing equally across all cores, resulting in 4x performance.

This, unfortunately, is not the case, in fact the truth is far from it.

Most programs still rely on ONE CORE to process the majority of code, so don't fall into the trap of the mass deception that masquerades as truth.

Whatever cpu you buy, the core speed is a most important consideration. To this end, in regards to most, if not all games, the top performance will come from a machine with the fastest cpu speed/processing power that one of it's cores will provide, the rest of the cores may or may not help much, depending on the software/game being run.

Inevitably, some processing will usually be offloaded to the other cores, making a perceptible difference in performance, but that performance increase is nowhere near the doubling or quadrupling that many people expect.

As for the mainboard, buy one that does what you need to do, there is not really a "best" one, unless you require all the features offered by the top boards. If you plan to overclock, you will do well to get a known overclocking board that has a bios you can understand.

The "best" parts command a disproportionate price premium and similar results can usually be obtained using cheaper hardware, if you wish to save a few dollars, that's up to you.

[a1]

Quad means 4 processors runnning at for example 2Ghz each right?

Yes, that's about it.

The PC industry will therefore allow you to make the incorrect assumption that software programs share the load of processing equally across all cores, resulting in 4x performance.

This, unfortunately, is not the case, in fact the truth is far from it.

Most programs still rely on ONE CORE to process the majority of code, so don't fall into the trap of the mass deception that masquerades as truth.

Whatever cpu you buy, the core speed is a most important consideration. To this end, in regards to most, if not all games, the top performance will come from a machine with the fastest cpu speed/processing power that one of it's cores will provide, the rest of the cores may or may not help much, depending on the software/game being run.

Inevitably, some processing will usually be offloaded to the other cores, making a perceptible difference in performance, but that performance increase is nowhere near the doubling or quadrupling that many people expect.

As for the mainboard, buy one that does what you need to do, there is not really a "best" one, unless you require all the features offered by the top boards. If you plan to overclock, you will do well to get a known overclocking board that has a bios you can understand.

The "best" parts command a disproportionate price premium and similar results can usually be obtained using cheaper hardware, if you wish to save a few dollars, that's up to you.

The QX9650 has a speed of 3Ghz i belive so The processor for me is set.

Thanks for the info.

[Brett_Henderson]

Just for reference... you can get a $250 Q6600 to run at 3.0ghz, stride for stride with the stock, Q9650... especially easy on that 780i board..

[Mermaid Man]

I'd go for a Intel P35 chipset, if I were building a new rig.

[volunteer]

So would I - the P35 chip rocks. And the Gigabite board mentioned by Vodka Burner above is a whizzer. Great overclocker and at a good price - stick a quad on that - and wow!!

[markag]

I've got the Q6600 and I have to say that it is an extremely good processor.

[a1]

[quote]I've got the Q6600 and I have to say that it is an extremely good processor.

[markag]

I just ment that if you went with a nvidia board then you would need a 780i or newer.  The Asus boad should work just fine as well.

[Mermaid Man]

I wouldn't touch the nvidia boards (for Intel CPU)
Define "best" best value for money, or best performance regardless of expense?

Best vale would be a basic Intel 35 based motherboard, and a 8400 clocked to the maximum. I wouldn't buy quad's quite yet.

[NickN]

The P35 will be limited for future support

X3 is the chipset of choice unless you are hell-bent on nvidia

You will get support, although limited but not as much as the P35, for future hardware.

None of it matters if he is not going to overclock or set the system up manaully because the motherboards he is looking at are performance based and if the user does not intend to MANUALLY SET and clock the processor/FSB/memory then buying any motherboard designed for manual control of such things and a X series Intel processor is not going to net a single performace upgrade over a Dell XPS

[Mermaid Man]

P35 support 45nm, and quads so hardly lack of support.. the only thing lacking is dual 16x pathways. But most people don't have sli/crossfire. My board has 16x lanes, rather than adding two I just replaced for a single faster card.

[NickN]

I wouldn't touch the nvidia boards (for Intel CPU)
Define "best" best value for money, or best performance regardless of expense?

Best vale would be a basic Intel 35 based motherboard, and a 8400 clocked to the maximum. I wouldn't buy quad's quite yet.

I think you should reconsider

A Quad is and FSX users best friend

RAW GHz means nothing in Intel clocking

With Intel overclocking its the formula of configuring tRD in relation to memory CAS and the CPU STRAP than makes an Intel system SING in a clock

I can wipe the floor of any Intel system RAW clocked to 4.2GHz in which the user is clueless to tRD tweaking. @ 3.6GHz using the correct tRD (or MCH Read Delay) configured based on CAS and CPU STRAP (memory divider)

and I do mean WIPE it... to the point where its spankin the 4.2Ghz system into the ground