FSX and Quad Cores

[MOUSY]

Please move if this should be in the Hardware Section instead:

Can FSX be configured (or is it possible at all for it) to make proper use of all four cores in the Q series of Intels?

I have been advised by some of the experts here to go for the Q6600 but I can't quite decide whether higher clocks on a Dual or more cores on a Quad are better for FSX. I know that FS is very CPU-bound, but I've also read that the higher clocks on a E6800 for example make for faster game responses, while more cores are better for video encoding and the like.

Done some research but I'm still a bit lost so I figure I'd come here for help.

[GunnerMan]

I belive FSX will use 4 cores. I am 99% sure. id buy a quad core anyway because all the new stuff will be Q core compatible. 8-)

[justpassingthrough]

Answer: Yes, it will use up to 256 cores, thats right.. 256 cores... but anything above 2 cores goes to program/flight loading, terrain mesh and autogen so its not just about the number of cores but how fast the first 2 primary cores are.

I got that info from NickN because I am shopping as well and will probably be getting the QX6700 when it falls in price at the end of the week because it allows the multiplier to be changed, which means better overclocks.

One other thing, the current Intel 'quad cores' are not really quads, they are 2 dual cores put together. The TRUE quad cores will start to hit the market in the next generation around November-January so if you intend to upgrade, you better take some good advice and go with the P35 chipset, or wait till august for the X38 chipset which is suppose to be faster than the P35. The next gen of Intel processor will not be 'fully' functional on any other chipset on the market today.

I am waiting for the X38

FSX will take PROPER use of the next gen of TRUE quad core and TRUE DUAL quad core processors.. right now only loads, terrain and autogen get above 2 core string attention but the next gen Intel processors WILL handle ALL the strings right

[MOUSY]

OK Thanks. NickN said it and now you and Gunner. I rest assured. Since I will be spending my time on FSX I can give up my wallet to Newegg and sleep a bit easier. I'll be going with a P35 board and the Q6600. Thanks much guys.

[HugoCampos]

Yes, FSX does indeed take advantage of quad cores. Even if it didn't you should get a quad core because from now on, most applications will start taking advantage of them. A quad core will leave you better prepared for the future.

Miltestpilot, you said the QX6700 will drop in price, well, it wont! What will happen on July 22nd is that Intel will release the Q6700 (no X so locked multiplier) to replace the Q6600. What this will change is the price of the Q6600 which will drop to $290. The Q6700, when it's available next sunday, will cost $530, the price of the Q6600 now. The high end models (like the QX6700 or the QX6800) will hardly see any price change.... well, the QX6800 might due to the release of the QX6850 but certainly not the QX6700.

Cheers..

[MOUSY]

...What this will change is the price of the Q6600 which will drop to $290...

I've read that is may be as low as $266... I'm hoping thats true...

[HugoCampos]

Yea, maybe it will. Component parts vary a lot depending on the country and store but it would be great if it got that cheap. I live in Portugal and here I have seen it being sold for as low as 290 euros (delivering after July 22nd). Maybe I'll find something for an even better pice.

[justpassingthrough]

[quote]The current top-of -the-line QX6700 will also see a price drop, stabilizing at around $530



Kentsfield Processors
List Prices in July 22 (per unit, for 1,000 units) Model Clock Speed L2 Cache Quantity FSB Rating Price
on July 22nd, 2007

Core 2 Quad Q6600 2.40 GHz 2

[MOUSY]

Hmm... rather interesting... if the price drops on the Q6600 aren't as I expect... lord knows that my wallet and I are forgetting about Quads all together...

[justpassingthrough]

Hmm... rather interesting... if the price drops on the Q6600 aren't as I expect... lord knows that my wallet and I are forgetting about Quads all together...

dont worry

I have a feeling your core will be reduced to about 290 retail, do you know why?

First, they would not officially announce a QX6700 being reduced to 530 (bulk price) if the Q6600 was going to remain the same price it is today, that would be silly wouldn't it? Everyone would buy the QX6700 and the Q6600 sales would just die


Second, my source is rarely wrong

[richardd43]

Even if it didn't you should get a quad core because from now on, most applications will start taking advantage of them. A quad core will leave you better prepared for the future.

Seems like that was also said for the dual core processors. I have not seen much on the shelf that uses dual core yet.

[Katahu]

Thank god my credit line has increased.

[HugoCampos]

There is something you guys aren't getting here. The QX6700 won't drop in price (at least not much and not now). What will happen is that Intel will release the Q6700 which is a QX6700 with a locked multiplier. That's the cpu which will cost $530 and will replace the Q6600 thus making that one drop to $290. The QX6700 will not drop to $530 because otherwise nobody would buy intel's new cpu, the Q6700.
And it's not about the sources because I didn't only read this iformation, I found those cpu's available for order (delivery after July 22nd) at real and trustworthy stores (not some website from china or taiwan lol)... a Q6600 for 270 EUR and a Q6700 for 530 EUR. The QX6700 still costs 980-1000 EUR and it won't go down anytime soon.

[Nick N]

[quote][quote]The current top-of -the-line QX6700 will also see a price drop, stabilizing at around $530



Kentsfield Processors
List Prices in July 22 (per unit, for 1,000 units) Model Clock Speed L2 Cache Quantity FSB Rating Price
on July 22nd, 2007

Core 2 Quad Q6600 2.40 GHz 2

[Nick N]

I do want to add that Miltest was absolutely correct about the prices. Intel is playing a game and even the highest level of news reporting firms got dupped by them.

They may also drop the price of the QX6700 sometime after July 22nd. You may see it reduced around the first week of August but you will probably not see any official releases about that, at all.


I will also add that he is correct about the core use in FSX. It will use all the cores however any core availabilty over 2 and the strings that get attention are the terrain mesh, not textures, flight loading and autogen calculation. Having more cores is better but it does not provide a massive jump in performance. More important is the base speed and cache the processor sports along with the internal architecture design. The QX6700 and the Q6600 are DIFFERENT.. The faster the speed and larger the cache of the processr the better for FSX, but the internal design, past those base specs, of the QX6700 is indeed different than the Q6600 and does provide a much greater range of performance.


You get what you pay for and the typical user does not get to see and most do not understand the white paper engineering information about the processors. A Q6600 will be wiped for both performance and overclock by a QX6700 and not just because of the multiplier. There ARE internal differences in the processors. Although the price difference is outrageous simply because of the 'Extreme' tag placed on the slugs, you will get much better performace from a QX6700 than you will a Q6600, regardless of overclock or the 'base' specifications listed such as L1 and L2 cache size and speed. The only thing one has to ask is, can I afford that increase in price and is it worth it to me.

Most will go with the Q6600 because of economics, which is fine.