Cpu clock speed only determining factor?

Hi there everyone, nice forum btw,

I am confused, because i don't get how processor are rated. I have an e6600 clocked at 3.6GHz so does that mean my processor is faster and better performing than say an E6850 which runs at just 3.0GHz. I understand that you can overclock an e6850 too but if i didn't, would my e6600 placed in an identical system make for a faster platform? I understand that CPU's have different technologies such as hyperthreading and different stepping revisions that allow for better overclocks, but in general, its the core clock speed that determines the speed of the processor no?

I am building a system for my girlfriend, needless to say she's not an massive gamer (Tetris doesn't count) and generally gives me a clip round the ear-hole when lost in BF2 for a few hours on end :angst: Like most guys, i am taking this as an opportunity to upgrade my current PC :), giving her my e6600 CPU and Crucial Ballistic PC8500 RAM.

I really don't know which ram or cpu to buy to replace the ones im losing in my EVGA 680i Mobo. I quite like the sound of Q6600 though, on the reviews i've read, it doesn't get anywhere near the 3.6GHz clock speed mark, so if i bought one wouldn't that be like shooting my self in the foot? I am hoping to MAX out my motherboard so i dont have to upgrade again, giving me optimum performance and will last me a couple of years.
I dabble with music now and then and love FPS games so would require something with a bit of oomf! I also work in 3D design sometimes so i need a responsive platform.

EVGA have emailed me a promotional offer (which i took up) but im having second thoughts. For £62 approx. i can upgrade my 680i Mobo to their new 780i chipset mobo. Problem is, the new 780i mobo doesn't accept DDR3 ram (i know its expensive now, but aren't DDR3 slots backward compatible with DDR2?) and i really wanted to find a mobo with RAM and FSB running at FSB1333MHz so i dont have to use multipliers, at least i think thats what i read.

Whatsmore, i would appreciate any recommendations on which motehrboard i should buy Gabi as i woudl want to overclock my cpu which im giving her to a 3.5/ 3.6GHz as it is now. I was looking at a P35 chipset, the Gigabyte GA-P35C-DS3R (Socket 775) PCI-Express DDR2 & DDR3 Motherboard but i don't really know what im looking for apart from the fact i dont want to buy her a soundcard, so good onboard sound is a must for films and LOUD music.

Any help, links to related articles about CPU and recommendations are greatly appreciated.

Many Thanks,
Mal
(how do u add your sig?)

I personally wouldn't have thought you'd notice much in the performance with the upgrade. If your gf doesn't game surely an e8200 or similar would do the job? Nice offer tho.

True but when she goes out and a few mates come over it would be nice to network the 2 PCs and be couch potatoes for a few hours on a server. So though she dont game, i wouldn't mind having the capacity to build a decent platform in the near future when hardware is cheaper. Also it could double up as a server for games, website etc.

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but aren't DDR3 slots backward compatible with DDR2?

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Nope, afraid not, if you want a DDR3 compatible motherboard you're going to have to pay todays high prices for the DDR3. There are a couple motherboard with both DDR2 and DDR3 slots on, but only if you're really desparate to get DDR3 compatibilty

Im not so desperate for DDR3 just want maximum futureproofing (for want of a better word) for her.

Anyone able to explain about the cpu's as titled or opinion on whether i should get the EVGA 780i mobo? Im thinking of pulling out of that promo.

ok just a couple of things, I think you've got confused
You're currently running a e6600 at 3.6ghz which is 400 fsb
Your memory is pc8500 stock = 1066mhz which is 533 fsb
So already you could push your current fsb far faster at a cpu/memory ratio of 1:1 without overclocking the memory in the slightest, however the cpu probably cannot cope with only air cooling.

If you want to boost that total clock speed, then you need a cpu with a higher multiplier or can go higher on the fsb with the same multiplier

Yes it's a little confusing, when they list the e6600 as a 1066fsb what it actually is is 266 x 4, so the actuall fsb is 266mhz, ddr2 memory is listed as x2 the fsb, so pc8500 is actually 533 x 2

The multiplier on the e6600 is x9, 266 x 9 = 2.4(stock), 400 x 9 = 3.6 (your current overclock)

You really don't need any thing in the way of an upgrade and you'll not see much improvement over your currently oc'd e6600

Yes you could look at the new e8xxx cpu's they have faster fsb speeds while keeping decent multipliers which mean you can push them higher as long as you memory and motherboard can take it (your memory will with ease, don't know about the i680 off hand)

EDIT: And AFAIK you don't need to fiddle around with multipliers on the nForce socket775 motherboards the Memory fsb is independent, so you can just set the memory to the speed you want then change the cpu fsb totally independently of the memory speed.

Wow, thanks for taking the time to explain Pob! :mrgreen:

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You're currently running a e6600 at 3.6ghz which is 400 fsb
Your memory is pc8500 stock = 1066mhz which is 533 fsb
So already you could push your current fsb far faster at a cpu/memory ratio of 1:1 without overclocking the memory in the slightest, however the cpu probably cannot cope with only air cooling.

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I didnt know that, i was actually hoping to get a memory ratio of 1:1 but would the cpu would always fail if i overclock it more than it currently is (i.e. no boot).

So now im wondering should i just buy the gf an 8400 and stick with my e6600 or give her the e6600 and get me a quadcore q6600, or go ahead with EVGAs promo deal and upgrade to a 780i mobo and get a Wolfdale cpu :juggle: I really dont know if there will be a great improvement in performance for games if i did the last option, but at the moment Crysis runs like a limp dog on my current system, even at 1680x1050 MEDIUM settings... technology huh?

What if i got an e6850 would i be able to achieve 1:1 ratio then?

ill keep checking reviews... thanks

You're in a strange situation really. A Core2Duo at 3.6GHz is as fast (or faster) as you will get off the shelf today... You won't be able to build a rig that is noticeably faster, but as you're going to build one anyway, you might aswell do the best you can.

So, you need a good motherboard - maybe a X38 or X48 based board, but I reckon the Gigabyte GA-P35C-DS3R (Socket 775) PCI-Express DDR2 & DDR3 Motherboard you mentioned would do just fine.

You need to pop a 8400 into it, perhaps keeping you old RAM, and getting the gf some cheaper stuff. The new 45nm 8xxx's are intrinsically faster than the old 65nm E6xxx chips. The 8400 is clocked at 3GHz and should overclock to more than 4GHz.

That, at the moment is the best you are going to manage :)

Good luck, and the link below shows nicely how much difference cache makes to processor speeds. After clock speed it's the biggest factor for determining real speed. Enjoy

X-bit labs - Celeron E1200: Dual-Core Processor Almost for Free (page 6)