Need help choosing best Intel chip for new desktop

BT17R · 01-14-2008, 12:33 PM

I'm building up a new desktop on the Dell site, an Optiplex 755 w/RAID 1 running XP Pro. It's maxed out for my purposes, photo and video editing, not gaming.

The tough part is deciding on which chip to future-proof the box longest. One has higher duo-core speed and FSB, the other a lower quad-core and FSB speed.

Intel® Core™ 2 Quad Processor Q6600 (2.40GHz, 8M, 1066MHz FSB)

or

Intel® Core™ 2 Duo Processor E6850 (3.0GHz, 4M, VT, 1333MHz FSB)

Here's a link to the site showing all the processors available for this box.

http://configure.us.dell.com/dellsto...pcw7tz&s= bsd

OK, IT pros here (and I do appreciate the great input), which chip would you suggest?

TIA...

***Corey*** · 01-14-2008, 12:59 PM

I have the latter Bob, the 6850 and my new PC screams.

Sometimes when doing something on it I think that it did not do it when in reality it did it so fast my eyes missed it

I would go with the latter if it was me.
Ask Dell if down the road if you can upgrade (local mom and pop shop can do it) to a faster quad core when the prices fall.

That is what I am going to do since my Asus motherboard supports all the current crop of dual cores too.

BT17R · 01-14-2008, 01:26 PM

Thanks Corey. Talk about screaming, I found a link to a review of the 6850 and it smokes the competition including Intel's own quad-core I was considering.

It also runs at a cool 65W, a consideration since the new box only has a smallish 305W power supply and I'll have two HDD's running all the time.

An interesting note is that the new box is EneryStar 4.0 compliant so I'll save $75/year off the electric bill offsetting the CoreyExtreme blazing gaming rig footprint! I have to order one of those keyboards this week too.

http://www.extremetech.com/article2/...2170928,00.asp

***Corey*** · 01-14-2008, 02:24 PM

With the Asus mobo I have, I am sure I can get close to 4.0 or better overclocking this chip too, but I have not tried yet.

With my mobo it is as simple as selecting 5, 10, 20, or 30% from the BIOS menu.
I use to OC my old PC from a 2.c to 3.12 all the time via the 30% link in the BIOS.

Yes, the 6850 is indeed a good CPU.
Go for it.
Get at least 2 GB or RAM for it too.
That is what I am running in the new build and the laptop.

MRecio · 01-16-2008, 03:42 PM

If the motherboard will support both you can buy it with the duo and upgrade to the quad later. If this isnt an option then I would say the quad is more future proof then the duo. The quad IS a faster processor but you cant tell with todays programs not taking advantage of all the cores. Most programs today still only use single thread technology and a few do take advantage of dual cores but I dont know of any that take advantage of four.

What this means is the duo outpreforms the quad on todays programs because of the higher clock speeds of the duo (the 6600 can be easily overclocked to 3.4-3.6 on air though so this really isnt a problem) Clock speed means everything and cores mean almost nothing in most software to date but in the FUTURE this will not be the case the more cores will easily out preform the duo and even with clock speed u can get the quad to match the duo or pass it with overclocking as i hear the Q6600 overclocks very well.

So as i say for future proof as quad will be better and if you overclock it will still preform just as well on todays programs as the duo.

89macrunner · 01-17-2008, 02:07 AM

First off if you are doing video editing with raid 1 you are going to get sick of loading times very quickly. I would run RAID 0 inside of the machine and backup to an external. RAID 0 makes video editing a different experience.

I agree in going with the 6850. quad cores will get better and cheaper soon enough.

get as much ram as you can buy (4GB), and good sound and video cards.

You should be able to pick up an external HDD for backup with 1tb of space for a decent cost. esata would be best, than firewire 800, firewire, usb 2

BT17R · 01-17-2008, 08:44 AM

I was wondering about RAID 1 and write/render times. So does RAID 1 write to both HDD simultaneously or sequentially, lengthening process time? Not sure of my terminology, but the aim is to shorten process time.

The mobo in the Optiplex has an internal eSATA plug and external 1394. Would I run an eSATA cable out a slot to an external HDD?

4Crawler · 01-17-2008, 09:07 AM

Raid Levels explained
- http://www.sohoconsult.ch/raid/raid.html

BT17R · 01-17-2008, 10:44 AM

Good stuff. So considering budget two independent 80 Gb 10K internal HDD (biggest Dell offers) with OS and apps on C:, photo/video on D: and all backed up to external HDD (and Google).

Is OC'd Corsair memory worth it? The 6850 has 1333 FSB that I'd like to get the most out of.

***Corey*** · 01-17-2008, 11:00 AM

Bob, do you ever pick up Maximum PC mags at the grocers?
I consider it the best computer rag on the market right now.

Raid
http://www.maximumpc.com/article/raid_done_right

Overclocking
http://www.maximumpc.com/article/overclock_your_pc

I read both of them in the magazine, but the editor mentioned at the front of the mag all of their articles, basically each edition will be online for free as well.

The overclocking article is pretty good.
On my Asus mobo though, I do not have to mess with timings and numbers.
I just select how much % I want to OC and it does the rest.
Asus mobos have been that way for quite awhile.

BT17R · 01-17-2008, 12:27 PM

Nice! I haven't read them in a couple years I think, but will now, thanks.

Mystickal · 01-28-2008, 12:05 AM

If you're going to be doing mainly photo and video editing, I'd opt for the quad core.

http://www.intel.com/performance/des...home/index.htm

http://www.codinghorror.com/blog/archives/000942.html

Video and photo editing are one of the few areas that actually make use of all 4 cores, and one of the few areas where a slower quad core can perform better than a faster dual core. Simply because the rendering and encoding tasks lend themselves well to parallel processing. You'll notice even more of an improvement if you open up multiple apps while doing edits (eg photoshop to work on photos and dreamweaver to view your photoshop'd changes immediately).

I'd also have to disagree with 89macrunner's suggestion to get 4 GB of RAM. Unless you're running Vista (or XP) 64-bit the system will not be able to see all 4 GB of RAM, only slightly more than 3GB. Not much point in paying for that extra memory that you won't be able to use, and the difference in performance between 2 GB and 3 GB is not significant. If you are getting a 64-bit OS, then I'd change sides and suggest the 4 GB.

~Bill

BT17R · 01-28-2008, 12:55 PM

Thanks Bill. I wound up ordering the E6850 dual-core chip mounted on the new X-50 mobo so I can upgrade to a quad-core and DDR3 down the road. I also skipped RAID but got dual 320 Gb w/NCQ, a compromise setup of HDD's, one for OS and apps, the other for photo/video that I'll back up to an eSATA HDD.

Dell is running 30% off on the Small Business side starting today through Wednesday and includes monitors. I got their high-end 24" 2407FPW-HC Widescreen for $480, the lowest I've seen, with free expedited assembly and shipping on everything.

Mystickal · 01-28-2008, 09:21 PM

That's an awesome price for that monitor - made me check my credit card to see if I had the available balance =)

Was that part of a package deal, or did you have a code for 30% off? I went to Dell's website but couldnt' find that display by itself for less than 599

BT17R · 01-28-2008, 09:35 PM

It was a special one-shot coupon code sent with their Small Business e-newsletter, so it wouldn't do any good to post it here, I already used it.

I signed up about two weeks ago. They sent the first one this morning that was chock full of deals on everything in the SB area. They expire quickly, though. Most in about 48 hours.

The best deal was on complete systems either w/ or w/o a monitor @ 30% off. The monitor alone was less, I don't recall how much but think about 20% off.

https://dell.p.delivery.net/m/p/del/...gnup.asp?email

TC4RNR · 01-29-2008, 11:56 AM

my bible: tom's hardware (NO! it's not bunch of plumbers talking 'puters, NO!)

http://www23.tomshardware.com/cpu_2007.html

BT17R · 01-29-2008, 01:08 PM

Great site, I'd forgotten about it. It was interesting comparing processor and mobo performance. I'm glad I spent extra for the X-38 mobo. I wanted an upgrade path for DDR3, PCI 2.0 and future quad-cores. Good to see how much faster it is than previous mobos.

01-14-2008, 12:33 PM	#1 (permalink)
BT17R Contributing Member Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: Da Gorge, Oregon Posts: 5,140	Need help choosing best Intel chip for new desktop I'm building up a new desktop on the Dell site, an Optiplex 755 w/RAID 1 running XP Pro. It's maxed out for my purposes, photo and video editing, not gaming. The tough part is deciding on which chip to future-proof the box longest. One has higher duo-core speed and FSB, the other a lower quad-core and FSB speed. Intel® Core™ 2 Quad Processor Q6600 (2.40GHz, 8M, 1066MHz FSB) or Intel® Core™ 2 Duo Processor E6850 (3.0GHz, 4M, VT, 1333MHz FSB) Here's a link to the site showing all the processors available for this box. http://configure.us.dell.com/dellsto...pcw7tz&s= bsd OK, IT pros here (and I do appreciate the great input), which chip would you suggest? TIA... __________________ '07 FJ TRD SE 6M/T 100% Black '09 4R SR5 TE 5A/T Shadow Mica--Inbound

01-14-2008, 12:59 PM	#2 (permalink)
*Corey* Co-Founder/Administrator Staff Join Date: May 2002 Location: Auburn, Washington Posts: 23,776	I have the latter Bob, the 6850 and my new PC screams. Sometimes when doing something on it I think that it did not do it when in reality it did it so fast my eyes missed it I would go with the latter if it was me. Ask Dell if down the road if you can upgrade (local mom and pop shop can do it) to a faster quad core when the prices fall. That is what I am going to do since my Asus motherboard supports all the current crop of dual cores too. __________________ Corey 2007 FJ Cruiser ARB bumper, Warn XD9000, OME lift, roof top tent, so much more, see my website & buildup thread PNW FJ Cruisers ☺ Detailing 101 ☺ Join Topsites ☺ Muffler Comparisons ☺ Maggiolinas In The Wild FJ Cruiser Buildup ☺ New Roof Top Tent ☺ Video Of My Penthouse ☺ Rehinge Your ARB/Engel Fridge

01-14-2008, 01:26 PM	#3 (permalink)
BT17R Contributing Member Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: Da Gorge, Oregon Posts: 5,140	Thanks Corey. Talk about screaming, I found a link to a review of the 6850 and it smokes the competition including Intel's own quad-core I was considering. It also runs at a cool 65W, a consideration since the new box only has a smallish 305W power supply and I'll have two HDD's running all the time. An interesting note is that the new box is EneryStar 4.0 compliant so I'll save $75/year off the electric bill offsetting the CoreyExtreme blazing gaming rig footprint! I have to order one of those keyboards this week too. http://www.extremetech.com/article2/...2170928,00.asp __________________ '07 FJ TRD SE 6M/T 100% Black '09 4R SR5 TE 5A/T Shadow Mica--Inbound

01-14-2008, 02:24 PM	#4 (permalink)
*Corey* Co-Founder/Administrator Staff Join Date: May 2002 Location: Auburn, Washington Posts: 23,776	With the Asus mobo I have, I am sure I can get close to 4.0 or better overclocking this chip too, but I have not tried yet. With my mobo it is as simple as selecting 5, 10, 20, or 30% from the BIOS menu. I use to OC my old PC from a 2.c to 3.12 all the time via the 30% link in the BIOS. Yes, the 6850 is indeed a good CPU. Go for it. Get at least 2 GB or RAM for it too. That is what I am running in the new build and the laptop. __________________ Corey 2007 FJ Cruiser ARB bumper, Warn XD9000, OME lift, roof top tent, so much more, see my website & buildup thread PNW FJ Cruisers ☺ Detailing 101 ☺ Join Topsites ☺ Muffler Comparisons ☺ Maggiolinas In The Wild FJ Cruiser Buildup ☺ New Roof Top Tent ☺ Video Of My Penthouse ☺ Rehinge Your ARB/Engel Fridge

01-16-2008, 03:42 PM	#5 (permalink)
MRecio Registered User Join Date: Jul 2007 Posts: 114	If the motherboard will support both you can buy it with the duo and upgrade to the quad later. If this isnt an option then I would say the quad is more future proof then the duo. The quad IS a faster processor but you cant tell with todays programs not taking advantage of all the cores. Most programs today still only use single thread technology and a few do take advantage of dual cores but I dont know of any that take advantage of four. What this means is the duo outpreforms the quad on todays programs because of the higher clock speeds of the duo (the 6600 can be easily overclocked to 3.4-3.6 on air though so this really isnt a problem) Clock speed means everything and cores mean almost nothing in most software to date but in the FUTURE this will not be the case the more cores will easily out preform the duo and even with clock speed u can get the quad to match the duo or pass it with overclocking as i hear the Q6600 overclocks very well. So as i say for future proof as quad will be better and if you overclock it will still preform just as well on todays programs as the duo. __________________ 94 4Runner 3.0 Auto 150K "If you want to get there buy a Land Rover, If you want to get back get a Yota"

01-17-2008, 02:07 AM	#6 (permalink)
89macrunner Contributing Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Tempe, AZ Posts: 2,067	First off if you are doing video editing with raid 1 you are going to get sick of loading times very quickly. I would run RAID 0 inside of the machine and backup to an external. RAID 0 makes video editing a different experience. I agree in going with the 6850. quad cores will get better and cheaper soon enough. get as much ram as you can buy (4GB), and good sound and video cards. You should be able to pick up an external HDD for backup with 1tb of space for a decent cost. esata would be best, than firewire 800, firewire, usb 2 __________________ Daily Driver: 2007 Windsor "The Hour" Fixed Gear 250 miles Crouch Rocket 2005 Felt F80 1100mi (purchased new in Jan 2008) 2006 Mazda3 GT 2000 TRD Tacoma..Bought back and crushed 1988 4Runner SR5 V6 5 speed..sold

01-17-2008, 08:44 AM	#7 (permalink)
BT17R Contributing Member Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: Da Gorge, Oregon Posts: 5,140	I was wondering about RAID 1 and write/render times. So does RAID 1 write to both HDD simultaneously or sequentially, lengthening process time? Not sure of my terminology, but the aim is to shorten process time. The mobo in the Optiplex has an internal eSATA plug and external 1394. Would I run an eSATA cable out a slot to an external HDD? __________________ '07 FJ TRD SE 6M/T 100% Black '09 4R SR5 TE 5A/T Shadow Mica--Inbound

01-17-2008, 09:07 AM	#8 (permalink)
4Crawler Contributing Member Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: SF Bay Area, CA Posts: 6,213	Raid Levels explained - http://www.sohoconsult.ch/raid/raid.html __________________ 1985 Toyota 4Runner SR-5, 22REC engine, dual t-cases, 4.88 gears, dual ARBs, 33x10.50 BFGs. r.c.brown@ieee.org TruckEditor@tlca.org Project: 4Crawler 4Crawler OffRoad Gettin'Off 4WD Club

01-17-2008, 10:44 AM	#9 (permalink)
BT17R Contributing Member Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: Da Gorge, Oregon Posts: 5,140	Good stuff. So considering budget two independent 80 Gb 10K internal HDD (biggest Dell offers) with OS and apps on C:, photo/video on D: and all backed up to external HDD (and Google). Is OC'd Corsair memory worth it? The 6850 has 1333 FSB that I'd like to get the most out of. __________________ '07 FJ TRD SE 6M/T 100% Black '09 4R SR5 TE 5A/T Shadow Mica--Inbound

01-17-2008, 11:00 AM	#10 (permalink)
*Corey* Co-Founder/Administrator Staff Join Date: May 2002 Location: Auburn, Washington Posts: 23,776	Bob, do you ever pick up Maximum PC mags at the grocers? I consider it the best computer rag on the market right now. Raid http://www.maximumpc.com/article/raid_done_right Overclocking http://www.maximumpc.com/article/overclock_your_pc I read both of them in the magazine, but the editor mentioned at the front of the mag all of their articles, basically each edition will be online for free as well. The overclocking article is pretty good. On my Asus mobo though, I do not have to mess with timings and numbers. I just select how much % I want to OC and it does the rest. Asus mobos have been that way for quite awhile. __________________ Corey 2007 FJ Cruiser ARB bumper, Warn XD9000, OME lift, roof top tent, so much more, see my website & buildup thread PNW FJ Cruisers ☺ Detailing 101 ☺ Join Topsites ☺ Muffler Comparisons ☺ Maggiolinas In The Wild FJ Cruiser Buildup ☺ New Roof Top Tent ☺ Video Of My Penthouse ☺ Rehinge Your ARB/Engel Fridge

01-17-2008, 12:27 PM	#11 (permalink)
BT17R Contributing Member Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: Da Gorge, Oregon Posts: 5,140	Nice! I haven't read them in a couple years I think, but will now, thanks. __________________ '07 FJ TRD SE 6M/T 100% Black '09 4R SR5 TE 5A/T Shadow Mica--Inbound

01-28-2008, 12:05 AM	#12 (permalink)
Mystickal Registered User Join Date: Dec 2003 Location: Dallas, TX Posts: 220	If you're going to be doing mainly photo and video editing, I'd opt for the quad core. http://www.intel.com/performance/des...home/index.htm http://www.codinghorror.com/blog/archives/000942.html Video and photo editing are one of the few areas that actually make use of all 4 cores, and one of the few areas where a slower quad core can perform better than a faster dual core. Simply because the rendering and encoding tasks lend themselves well to parallel processing. You'll notice even more of an improvement if you open up multiple apps while doing edits (eg photoshop to work on photos and dreamweaver to view your photoshop'd changes immediately). I'd also have to disagree with 89macrunner's suggestion to get 4 GB of RAM. Unless you're running Vista (or XP) 64-bit the system will not be able to see all 4 GB of RAM, only slightly more than 3GB. Not much point in paying for that extra memory that you won't be able to use, and the difference in performance between 2 GB and 3 GB is not significant. If you are getting a 64-bit OS, then I'd change sides and suggest the 4 GB. ~Bill

01-28-2008, 12:55 PM	#13 (permalink)
BT17R Contributing Member Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: Da Gorge, Oregon Posts: 5,140	Thanks Bill. I wound up ordering the E6850 dual-core chip mounted on the new X-50 mobo so I can upgrade to a quad-core and DDR3 down the road. I also skipped RAID but got dual 320 Gb w/NCQ, a compromise setup of HDD's, one for OS and apps, the other for photo/video that I'll back up to an eSATA HDD. Dell is running 30% off on the Small Business side starting today through Wednesday and includes monitors. I got their high-end 24" 2407FPW-HC Widescreen for $480, the lowest I've seen, with free expedited assembly and shipping on everything. __________________ '07 FJ TRD SE 6M/T 100% Black '09 4R SR5 TE 5A/T Shadow Mica--Inbound

01-28-2008, 09:21 PM	#14 (permalink)
Mystickal Registered User Join Date: Dec 2003 Location: Dallas, TX Posts: 220	That's an awesome price for that monitor - made me check my credit card to see if I had the available balance =) Was that part of a package deal, or did you have a code for 30% off? I went to Dell's website but couldnt' find that display by itself for less than 599

01-28-2008, 09:35 PM	#15 (permalink)
BT17R Contributing Member Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: Da Gorge, Oregon Posts: 5,140	It was a special one-shot coupon code sent with their Small Business e-newsletter, so it wouldn't do any good to post it here, I already used it. I signed up about two weeks ago. They sent the first one this morning that was chock full of deals on everything in the SB area. They expire quickly, though. Most in about 48 hours. The best deal was on complete systems either w/ or w/o a monitor @ 30% off. The monitor alone was less, I don't recall how much but think about 20% off. https://dell.p.delivery.net/m/p/del/...gnup.asp?email __________________ '07 FJ TRD SE 6M/T 100% Black '09 4R SR5 TE 5A/T Shadow Mica--Inbound

01-29-2008, 11:56 AM	#16 (permalink)
TC4RNR Registered User Join Date: May 2007 Location: so. cal. Posts: 477	my bible: tom's hardware (NO! it's not bunch of plumbers talking 'puters, NO!) http://www23.tomshardware.com/cpu_2007.html __________________ http://i172.photobucket.com/albums/w...gca/agreed.jpg 94 4Runner, SR5 3.0V6, 4WD, 5spd: SOLD 99 4Runner, SR5, 3.4L 4WD, 5spd. 265/75/16 BFG A/T. full SS 1.2 lift, RedLine Fluids, Marlin 1200 Clutch, ARB front bumper, BruceTS rear bumper, roof busket, hitch mount tire carrier, Tundra Brakes, Brembo rotors, BudBuilt skid/belly, Lightforce 240 Blitz, PiAA HID, Stubb's HD-SKO sliders.

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01-29-2008, 01:08 PM	#17 (permalink)
BT17R Contributing Member Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: Da Gorge, Oregon Posts: 5,140	Great site, I'd forgotten about it. It was interesting comparing processor and mobo performance. I'm glad I spent extra for the X-38 mobo. I wanted an upgrade path for DDR3, PCI 2.0 and future quad-cores. Good to see how much faster it is than previous mobos. __________________ '07 FJ TRD SE 6M/T 100% Black '09 4R SR5 TE 5A/T Shadow Mica--Inbound