e4400 vs e6340 using old video,ram,psu,hd

[az1d3]

specs on hand:
7900GS Gigabyte Turbo Force Ed
2GB Kit DDR2 Corsair XMS2 TWIN2X2048-5400C4 rated@675Mhz
Antec Neo Heo 500W
320GB Sata II Seagate Baracuda 7200
80GB Sata Western Digital 7200
Sony DVD Writer


I used to OC Pentium D 805 w/ Zalman 7500 but that cooler has to go when I sold my old cpu and motherboard.

Can you guys recommend the best bang for the buck for the following:
Motherboard:
Processor:
CPU Cooler: (If I need one)

I am looking for the cpu+mobo match that will achieve a 3.0Ghz OC using the current ram above (ddr2 667 Mhz 2gb dual channel kit rated at 675Mhz)

My Reserach so far:
Gigabyte 965P-DS3 + E4400

ASUS P5N-E SLI + E6400

Have no plans to go SLI. I will be playing a lot of NFS Carbon and Quake 4. This is also a Mediacentre type of setup with no TV card for playing xvid videos and mp3 so basically it will be 24/7.

Thanks in advance!

[Computer-Ed]

Okay first, NO setup can promise to go to an overclock speed unless you buy it already overclocked. That being said lets look at the best way to do this and make sure it will have a good chance of success.

The Gigabyte 965P-DS3 is a SOLID baord and a great bang for the buck. It overclocks well and the new revision has support for all the new and upcoming processors. You lose SLI but if you have no plans to use it the lose does not matter.

For the processor I personally would go with an E6600 is the budget can afford it. I have taken every one I have built to 3.0 Ghz with no worries and all but 1 to 3.2 without bumping voltage. That does not mean the one you get will do it as well, but the odds are in your favor.

In the case of the CPU cooler, since you are going to overclock you NEED to get a good cooler. You did not mention a case. Whatever case you choose, look at the design, if it has the CPU vent then the Thermaltake Big Typhoon VX is really hard to beat. It pulls cool outside air directly onto the CPU. The case relies more heavily on the exhaust and intake then look at a standup cooler like the Thermaltake V1 or Zalman 9700.

In any case I must again caution you, never buy with the NEED to overclock. Buy the system with the specs that will meet your needs even if you can get zero overclock and then count any gain you get from overclocking as a bonus.

[az1d3]

For the processor I personally would go with an E6600 is the budget can afford it. I have taken every one I have built to 3.0 Ghz with no worries and all but 1 to 3.2 without bumping voltage. That does not mean the one you get will do it as well, but the odds are in your favor.

If I choose this Processor, I won't definitely have a budget for a good CPU Fan/Cooler

You did not mention a case. Whatever case you choose, look at the design, if it has the CPU vent then the Thermaltake Big Typhoon VX is really hard to beat.

I am only looking for Centurion by Coolermaster

In any case I must again caution you, never buy with the NEED to overclock. Buy the system with the specs that will meet your needs even if you can get zero overclock and then count any gain you get from overclocking as a bonus.

I just need a system that will probably last a year playing games like the latest Quake and NFS, will probably upgrade to 8800 series video when its almost half the current market price ;-)

[One4yu2c]

Originally Posted by az1d3

My Reserach so far:
Gigabyte 965P-DS3 + E4400

ASUS P5N-E SLI + E6400

Have no plans to go SLI.

Your research has you off to a good start, with the Gigabyte/E4400 combo offering a tremendous bang for your buck. And for overclocking purposes, the E4400 comes with a higher CPU multiplier (x10) than the E6420 (x8), which can potentially ease the OCing process. I say E6420 because it's the same price as the E6400, but comes with the beefier L2 cache.

As for cooling, our favorites here on HardwareLogic include the Thermaltake V1, Zalman CNPS9700, and the Thermaltake Big Typhoon VX, which is an update to our reviewed Big Typhoon. And garnering special mention is the Cooler Master GeminII, a massive heatsink that not only keeps the CPU in check, but also cools your motherboard, capacitors, and RAM (depending on orientation).

Originally Posted by az1d3

If I choose this (E6600) Processor, I won't definitely have a budget for a good CPU Fan/Cooler

Don't sweat it. Outside of benchmarking and/or some heavy content creation, there's not a tremendous performance disparity. Save yourself the $86 and stick with the E4400...

[az1d3]

Considering I will be using a DDR2-667 Corsair XMS2 2GB kit

Gigabyte 965P-DS3
e6420
Zalman 9700
coolermaster Centurion Casing

or go for E4400?


Which is hotter? What are the stable(Ghz) OC for each processor?

Thanks a lot for all your replies considering it's my first time here

[gvblake22]

The Gigabyte GA-965-DS3 is a solid motherboard that has been through numerous revisions and has lots of community support, it should be a great LGA 775 motherboard choice. As for the processor, if you are looking to pinch pennies, the E4400 will do you fine. Otherwise, as One4 mentioned, the E6420 would be a good upgrade if you can swing the extra cash. Both chips should also overclock quite well, but as Computer-Ed mentioned, no overclock is ever guaranteed and anything past stock is extra; so just keep that in mind.

Originally Posted by az1d3

Considering I will be using a DDR2-667 Corsair XMS2 2GB kit

Gigabyte 965P-DS3
e6420
Zalman 9700
coolermaster Centurion Casing

or go for E4400?


Which is hotter? What are the stable(Ghz) OC for each processor?

Thanks a lot for all your replies considering it's my first time here

They will both probably tend to run similar temperatures, but the E4400 is probably cooler running at stock speeds because of the slower clock speeds. If overclocking is your main concern, the E4400 might be a little easier to overclock because of its 10x multiplier (vs. the 8x on the E6420). So to hit 3GHz on the E4400, you would need to run an FSB of 300MHz (not too difficult on most motherboards). To hit 3GHz on the E6420, you would need an FSB of 375MHz (which, again, isn't too much of a long shot for most intel P965 based motherboards).

[One4yu2c]

I'd lean towards the E4400. Both chips will suit your gaming goal just fine, with the videocard at that point becoming a bigger factor. And as previously mentioned, that higher multiplier can help ease the overclocking process, especially with lower frequency RAM (DDR2-667 versus 800 or 1066+).

As for the highest stable OC, that's impossible to answer, as even two identical chips in two identical setups can give different results. Both processors you're considering can realistically (though never guaranteed) expected to reach roughly 3.0GHz, give or take a couple hundred MHz.

[az1d3]

Last comparison ;-)

E6600 + gigabyte mobo running on stock HSF
running at stock speed

or

E4400 + gigabyte mobo + zallman
running at 3.0Ghz OC speed

All your posts are enlightening

Price in Au $
E6600 = $522 all stock
E4400 = $484 OC 3.0Ghz
E6420 = $550 OC 3.0Ghz (?)

[simple_inhibition]

i personally would go with what One4yu2c said. offers the best bang for buck. alternatively you can go with the E4300 which has a 9x multiplier. the reason i say going with the E4300 is that you wont have to run a memory divider to keep your ram in spec when you overclock. lets say you get the E4300 to a 333mhzfsb(x9)= 3ghz. you can run your ram on a 1:1 divider and it would still be at 667mhz.

[az1d3]

Don't sweat it. Outside of benchmarking and/or some heavy content creation, there's not a tremendous performance disparity. Save yourself the $86 and stick with the E4400...

I missed this part, I will go for the e4400 then, I am also used to 3rd party cooler as they seem to provide better cooling and lower noise,

Thanks everyone!