AMD X2 6000 vs Intel E6600

[Warboy]

I'm trying to figure out what CPU should be my next one, I'm a diehard AMD fan, but I'm really looking into both.

Here is the System Setup that will be used other then Motherboard and CPU

OCZ SLi-Ready PC2-6400 2GB
BFG Geforce 8800GTX OC2 @ 675Mhz/2200Mhz (GXU Bios)
Soundblaster X-fi Xtremegamer Fatal1ty Series

Now to give you what I'm thinking about.

AMD Side:
AMD Athlon 64 X2 6000+ Windsor 3.0GHz Socket AM2 Processor
EVGA 122-M2-NF59-TR Socket AM2 NVIDIA nForce 590 SLI MCP ATX AMD Motherboard


Intel Side:
Intel Core 2 Duo E6600 Conroe 2.4GHz LGA 775 Processor
EVGA 122-CK-NF63-TR LGA 775 NVIDIA nForce 680i SLI ATX Intel Motherboard

I'm looking for Highest Performance, With a tight budget of 400 dollars max.
I want to Overclock on non-volt-modded gear. I don't want anything to blow up either....

[The Nemesis]

AMD has nothing that can touch a Conroe once its overclocked. That's why I made the switch last year.

[kemo]

AMD has nothing that can touch a Conroe once its overclocked. That's why I made the switch last year.

QFT + you wont feel the difference between an OverClocked 6000+ and your 2.8GHZ 4600+

[Warboy]

What Overclocks Do you think i can get with a Non-Volt-Mod Motherboard with a E6600?

Also, Is the Native-Quad-core intel going to be Socket 775?

[dpa]

Intel is the way to go.. no doubt.

[kemo]

What Overclocks Do you think i can get with a Non-Volt-Mod Motherboard with a E6600?

Also, Is the Native-Quad-core intel going to be Socket 775?

depends on your luck

http://www.xtremesystems.org/forums/showthread.php?t=127379

http://www.xtremesystems.org/forums/showthread.php?t=140701


Intel will stick to the 775 as long as they are not using integrated memory controller so you should expect 45 nm quad core for 775

[Warboy]

depends on your luck

http://www.xtremesystems.org/forums/showthread.php?t=127379

http://www.xtremesystems.org/forums/showthread.php?t=140701


Intel will stick to the 775 as long as they are not using integrated memory controller so you should expect 45 nm quad core for 775
So even with "bad" batches i should still be able to OC to atleast 3.8Ghz?

[Kasparz]

By default x2 6000+ is slightly faster than E6600. E6600 is much faster when overclocked.

[demonbane23]

The intel overclocks better but you can always go with the x2 6000 for now if your a big AMD fan and then just use your exact setup and AM2 board to upgrade to Phenom later this year...

I debated going Intel but im just holding out for the mean time...

[gOJDO]

I'm looking for Highest Performance, With a tight budget of 400 dollars max.
I want to Overclock on non-volt-modded gear. I don't want anything to blow up either....
Core2 is the way to go. I will recommend you not to buy the E6600, but buy E6420. Both will achieve similar frequencies and you can save some money with the E6420. I will also recommend you to buy a mainboard with the P35 chipset. It is the fastest, the cooloest, the most overclockable chipset which supports Intel's next generation of Core2 45nm CPUs. Mainboards with P35 are supporting DDR2 and DDR3 and have two PCI x16 slots.

[afireinside]

So even with "bad" batches i should still be able to OC to atleast 3.8Ghz?

Try 3.4ish... 3.8 is a great CPU on water.

[N00B]

Core2 is the way to go. I will recommend you not to buy the E6600, but buy E6420. Both will achieve similar frequencies and you can save some money with the E6420. I will also recommend you to buy a mainboard with the P35 chipset. It is the fastest, the cooloest, the most overclockable chipset which supports Intel's next generation of Core2 45nm CPUs. Mainboards with P35 are supporting DDR2 and DDR3 and have two PCI x16 slots.

Agree!:clap:

Buy a E6430 anda Gigabyte GA-P35C-DS3R :up:

[Warboy]

I wanna Use EVGA and A nforce chipset, But Whats the major difference between P35 and nForce 680i

[M3kk]

Voted E6600.

[Warboy]

Anyways, How good is the stock fan?

[Leeghoofd]

I vote for the E6600 and P35, less issues, great overclocks for the future and it gets hassle free 450FSB without any mods...

I really doubt the claim the X2 6000 is faster then the E6600 at stock clocks, they are about in the same league , one winning number crunching other one in 3dmark,...

Intel's got just more headroom to overclock, 3.2 -3.4 wil be easy to do 3.6 -3.8 depending on batch nr, cooling,... and user experience...

For using the stock cooler I think it's good up to max 3ghz or so, above get a decent aftermarket version ...and make sure ya case gets good ventilation because these mobo's get hot toooo

Advantage on the Nvidia is the easy setup on overclocking the ram , no fixed dividers used like with Intel chipsets, but for me the fastests board when comparing clock for clock between 975,965 and now 680i was the 975 chipset.

The P35 is slightly better and eg the P5K Dlx can be had for less money than most 680i boards... just don't think about SLI then...

Also on a note you got very beefy hardware foreseen , make sure you get a decent PSU !!

[Warboy]

I vote for the E6600 and P35, less issues, great overclocks for the future and it gets hassle free 450FSB without any mods...

I really doubt the claim the X2 6000 is faster then the E6600 at stock clocks, they are about in the same league , one winning number crunching other one in 3dmark,...

Intel's got just more headroom to overclock, 3.2 -3.4 wil be easy to do 3.6 -3.8 depending on batch nr, cooling,... and user experience...

For using the stock cooler I think it's good up to max 3ghz or so, above get a decent aftermarket version ...and make sure ya case gets good ventilation because these mobo's get hot toooo

Advantage on the Nvidia is the easy setup on overclocking the ram , no fixed dividers used like with Intel chipsets, but for me the fastests board when comparing clock for clock between 975,965 and now 680i was the 975 chipset.

The P35 is slightly better and eg the P5K Dlx can be had for less money than most 680i boards... just don't think about SLI then...

Also on a note you got very beefy hardware foreseen , make sure you get a decent PSU !!
I got a 680W PSU right now. That should be enough.

[Shifty]

By default, they are both the same, but overclocked, the E6600 wins by FAR. Not to mention it consumes less power in the first place. No contest here: E6600. Also, now is a great time to get the P35, most notably for the uprade path it offers. You can use the E6600 on it now, and when the new 45nm from Intel come out, you can use those too. Not to mention you can use DDR2 and DDR3.

[Warboy]

So DDR3 Fits in to DDR2 Slots and would work on the p35 Motherboards? Also, Does Newegg sell any P35 Motherboards?

[Ludus]

without doubs e6600

[experttech2007]

At stock speeds the X26000+ hovers around the E6700. But the Intels overclocks so well that it leaves the X2600 in the dust, performance wise. At this time, an overclocked Core2Duo has no match in the dual core territory.

So which one should you buy? If you already have an AM2 mobo and dont want to spend too much you can buy only the processor and your upgrade will be done for about $200. The other option is of course to buy an Intel mobo + CPU + heatsink, which will cost much more than the solo x26000+, will provide much better performance, will run cooler and will give you a system that can be upgraded to quad core easily.

My vote: E6600

[rob[GL]]

Xeon 3060 + P35 is my vote.

[eXceeded]

I chose the AMD, since at stock its better than the intel but once overclocked the intel will eat it alive....

[gOJDO]

I chose the AMD, since at stock its better than the intel but once overclocked the intel will eat it alive....
Read what the OP said: Overclocking.
BTW X2 6000+ is not better than E6600 in anyhing. Both are performing similar. The E6600 is slightly outperforming the X2 6000+ in Windows Vista 64bit. The advantages that E6600 has over X2 6000+ are:
- wasting half energy than X2 6000+
- dissipating half the heat
- needs poorer cooling solution
- overclocks much more
- cheaper for about 10%
There is no single reason why he should go with X2 6000+.

[Warboy]

Read what the OP said: Overclocking.
BTW X2 6000+ is not better than E6600 in anyhing. Both are performing similar clock for clock. The E6600 is slightly outperforming the X2 6000+ in Windows Vista 64bit. The advantages that E6600 has over X2 6000+ are:
- wasting half energy than X2 6000+
- dissipating half the heat
- needs poorer cooling solution
- overclocks much more
- cheaper for about 10%
There is no single reason why he should go with X2 6000+.

Now, I still need a answer about NewEgg and the P35 Motherboards.

Also, Intel E64xx vs E6600, Besides price and clock, Whats the difference.

[Warboy]

Hmm, I'm still wondering how DDR3 and DDR2 work, I was thinking about the Asus P5K Normal/Deluxe at tigerdirect, Will DDR2 work on this motherboard, and will DDR3 work on it when it comes out?

[kemo]

Hmm, I'm still wondering how DDR3 and DDR2 work, I was thinking about the Asus P5K Normal/Deluxe at tigerdirect, Will DDR2 work on this motherboard, and will DDR3 work on it when it comes out?

DDR3 won’t fit in DDR2 mobos and vice versa, it is not worth it to buy DDR3 right now due to lack of availability and immature products that will struggle to perform on par with a high end DDR2 kit

The Asus P5K-Deluxe supports DDR2 only

BTW in case you didn’t buy the memory yet, there are better choices available

[Warboy]

DDR3 won’t fit in DDR2 mobos and vice versa, it is not worth it to buy DDR3 right now due to lack of availability and immature products that will struggle to perform on par with a high end DDR2 kit

The Asus P5K-Deluxe supports DDR2 only

BTW in case you didn’t buy the memory yet, there are better choices available

I have OCZ SLi-Ready PC2-6400, and thats the reason i wanna have a 680i motherboard. So its uses the EPP and runs at 4-4-4-15 1T.

[OpTioN]

At stock the 6000+ wins but overclocked the E6600 kills it.

Keep your 4600+.

[Cracker]

I too would like to recommend the E6420 and running it with DDR2-800 ram at it's rated speed(400x8) gives you an easy 3.2GHz and you aren't even overclocking the RAM.

If my golden e6400 laid down and died I would get an E6420 to replace it. ;)

[Leeghoofd]

I have OCZ SLi-Ready PC2-6400, and thats the reason i wanna have a 680i motherboard. So its uses the EPP and runs at 4-4-4-15 1T.


You can set your memory timings manually on the other mobo's aswell mate, this does give zero advantage on an SLI board, thing the mobo "should " recognise once you activate the SLI option in the bios is the correct SPD timing on the ram and to set the correct voltage and overclock it further if you wish... it's a non brainer setup then... but your ram will work fine too
and get good results in the above mentioned mobo's...

680i chipset is not without it's flaws, there are still laods of buggy mobo's about, doing weird stuff, I've had almost no issues but I keep my rigs pretty stock and solely for gaming purposes only... I don't do RAID, SLI, 4gig stuff,....and they can be a real pain in the ass to setup mate....

In fact it's really funny how people are inflenced by the Hype around these mobo's, I personally think the 965 chipset from intel is a better and less painfull overclocker than the 680i, just the RAM is automatically linked to a divider while with the 680i you can set these almost manually... but that's for the speed freaks !!!!! that look to bite off hat tenth of a millisecond in SuperPI....

As for the P5K deluxe this is a DDR2 mobo, the P5K3 is the DDR3 version, also there will be a DDR2 and DDR3 mixed version soon... till now DDR3 has again a small advantage over DDR2 but only ig you go high in the 1333 ram which costs loaaaaaaaaaaaads of moeny right now that doesn't justify it's perforamnce benefit... and DDR2 is so cheap lately

[Warboy]

You can set your memory timings manually on the other mobo's aswell mate, this does give zero advantage on an SLI board, thing the mobo "should " recognise once you activate the SLI option in the bios is the correct SPD timing on the ram and to set the correct voltage and overclock it further if you wish... it's a non brainer setup then... but your ram will work fine too
and get good results in the above mentioned mobo's...

680i chipset is not without it's flaws, there are still laods of buggy mobo's about, doing weird stuff, I've had almost no issues but I keep my rigs pretty stock and solely for gaming purposes only... I don't do RAID, SLI, 4gig stuff,....and they can be a real pain in the ass to setup mate....

In fact it's really funny how people are inflenced by the Hype around these mobo's, I personally think the 965 chipset from intel is a better and less painfull overclocker than the 680i, just the RAM is automatically linked to a divider while with the 680i you can set these almost manually... but that's for the speed freaks !!!!! that look to bite off hat tenth of a millisecond in SuperPI....

As for the P5K deluxe this is a DDR2 mobo, the P5K3 is the DDR3 version, also there will be a DDR2 and DDR3 mixed version soon... till now DDR3 has again a small advantage over DDR2 but only ig you go high in the 1333 ram which costs loaaaaaaaaaaaads of moeny right now that doesn't justify it's perforamnce benefit... and DDR2 is so cheap lately


Well I just talked to EVGA by Email and they said that 680i WILL SUPPORT the 45nm Intel Chips, So I dont really see Why i should go with a P35 motherboard, I wanna get it from newegg so its cheaper. and Also Newegg doesn't carry P35 Motherboards.

[Leeghoofd]

Well the choice is yours, I really feel you want to go for the 680i due to ya interest in SLI memory and you don't want to listen to any advice casue your mind is made up already. Plus I never claimed 680i didn't support 1333FSB CPU's even some 965's will do that...

I just want to warn you that when you want to get more out of these CPU's the 680i can be very tricky to setup and forget 3.8ghz or more with air cooling 3.2 - 3.6 is more realistic with the latest batches apparently and aftermarket cooling solutions

For me the P35 seems more futureproof with better quadcore support, 4gig and more ram with less issues,...

And to all that suggest that 6000+ is faster than the E6600 I think you never ran an Intel Core2 duo before. It's a hit and miss they are almost equal on stock speeds, sometimes the AMD wins sometimes the Core2 duo... really remain objective they are in the same performance class as it doesn't help some users claiming this nonsense ...

[Warboy]

Well the choice is yours, I really feel you want to go for the 680i due to ya interest in SLI memory and you don't want to listen to any advice casue your mind is made up already. Plus I never claimed 680i didn't support 1333FSB CPU's even some 965's will do that...

I just want to warn you that when you want to get more out of these CPU's the 680i can be very tricky to setup and forget 3.8ghz or more with air cooling 3.2 - 3.6 is more realistic with the latest batches apparently and aftermarket cooling solutions

For me the P35 seems more futureproof with better quadcore support, 4gig and more ram with less issues,...

And to all that suggest that 6000+ is faster than the E6600 I think you never ran an Intel Core2 duo before. It's a hit and miss they are almost equal on stock speeds, sometimes the AMD wins sometimes the Core2 duo... really remain objective they are in the same performance class as it doesn't help some users claiming this nonsense ...

Well I just want something to tweak, support my memory timings, and Support SLi if i ever need it, I think this 8800GTX will do till the 9 Series comes out. And Overclock like hell, I want highest clock i can get over of everything on air cooling, I'm getting a Thermalright Ultra-120 Extreme and Mounting 2 120mm Fans on that thing. then, I'm going to add a Cooler to my 8800GTX and then Upgrade my Case so its more roomy so it has better airflow. So temps ain't a issue, I just wanna know what will Overclock best.

PS. I wanna go with EVGA due to Advance RMA, I hate waiting for things to get back to a company and then one to be returned.

[gOJDO]

At stock the 6000+ wins but overclocked the E6600 kills it.

Keep your 4600+.
http://www.xbitlabs.com/articles/cpu/display/dualcore-roundup_8.html
http://www.xbitlabs.com/images/cpu/dualcore-roundup/charts/average.png

[Warboy]

http://www.xbitlabs.com/articles/cpu/display/dualcore-roundup_8.html
http://www.xbitlabs.com/images/cpu/dualcore-roundup/charts/average.png

so E6430 or E6600 is still the question....

[Leeghoofd]

E6420 average overclock around 3.2 - 3.4 region with E6600 3.2 - 3.8 is daoble but with good cooling and a lucky batch for both cores :) Many 680i users also top out at 430-450mhz stable

I would go for the higher multi but that's just me and the price difference isn't that big here in Europe around 30 euro's

[Warboy]

E6420 average overclock around 3.2 - 3.4 region with E6600 3.2 - 3.8 is daoble but with good cooling and a lucky batch for both cores :) Many 680i users also top out at 430-450mhz stable

I would go for the higher multi but that's just me and the price difference isn't that big here in Europe around 30 euro's

If i go with a E6600 i can't get the CPU Cooler i want. eh....Always a snag somewhere...

I want a high Mhz motherboard, Like something that can push 500-600+

[gOJDO]

I want a high Mhz motherboard, Like something that can push 500-600+

Gigabyte GA-P35-DS4 then.:D

[Warboy]

Gigabyte GA-P35-DS4 then.:D

is that really the best motherboard for a C2D?

[gOJDO]

Well, I am not sure. Maybe Asus have 0.25% to 0.75% faster board with P35, but a friend of mine has a DS4 and it hits FSB-1800 at stock voltages(vMCH, vFSB, vICH), while the system was stable and the chipset was significantly cooler than my P965 @FSB-1600. With increased votlages, the DS4 goes over FSB-2000, while being stable. Its made for OC-ing a 45nm FSB-1333 Core2 Duos. Thats why I recommend it.

[Warboy]

Well, I am not sure. Maybe Asus have 0.25% to 0.75% faster board with P35, but a friend of mine has a DS4 and it hits FSB-1800 at stock voltages(vMCH, vFSB, vICH), while the system was stable and the chipset was significantly cooler than my P965 @FSB-1600. With increased votlages, the DS4 goes over FSB-2000, while being stable. Its made for OC-ing a 45nm FSB-1333 Core2 Duos. Thats why I recommend it.


Well, I would prefer a ASUS, like the Asus P5K (Normal) (is this the one that everyone calling Vanilla?) Or a Deluxe?

[Warboy]

Also, The EVGA 122-CK-NF68-A1/122-CK-NF68-T1 Motherboards support the 1333mhz Bus. So shouldn't I be able to hit FSB-1700+

[gOJDO]

I am not sure how OC-able is the EVGA mainboard, but for OC-ing and performance any mainboard with P35 will bring to shame every mainboard with nForce i680. The P35 is very cool, probably will dissipate half the heat of i680.
All mainboards with P35 will support Penryn, while it is unknown whether the i680 based mainboards will support it.

The P5B is called Vanilla, so the next Vanilla would be the P5K. Either way Gigabyte or Asus, you'll get the best performance with the P35 chipset, while the OC-ing most likely will be CPU bounded.

[Warboy]

Now im just debating between the E6430 or the E6600 because I atleast wanna push 3.6/3.8Ghz but, If i got with the E6600, Its going to be a hard month >.<

I'm going with the ASUS P5K Deluxe motherboard since Alot of people use that one that I've seen in the Xtreme Overclock Forums. And Yes, The EVGA 680i motherboards will support the 45nm Intels, i talked to EVGA and they said it will be in a bios update.

[Kaze06]

Let me make this clear, the 680i is not something you want to buy right now if you're looking towards the future. Sure, it may SUPPORT 45nm process, but it will not optimally run it, compared to the P35.

I, personally, would recommend you snag the ASUS P5K Vanilla here (http://www.xpcgear.com/asusp5k.html) or here. (http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/searchtools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=3109406&Sku=A455-2370&SRCCODE=GOOGLEBASE&CMP=OTC-GOOGLEBASE) Really, there's no reason not to go with P35 for a C2D setup now. Down the road, you won't need a new motherboard to get good clocks out of a Quad-Core or 45nm chip.

(Edit: Nevermind, you've decided on the P5K..good man. Good man)

Really, I'd say go with the E6420. You'll get very good clocks out if it with, say, an Enzotech Ultra-X or Thermalright Ultra-120, and it's a quite bit cheaper than the E6600 (leaving room for upgrades elsewhere, such as RAM).

Also, be ready to lap your Ultra-120 for the best performance. They are commonly found with very concave bases. I'd personally go with an Enzotech. The base finish on them is absolutely excellent and they cool really the same (even better with a higher-CFM fan) as the U-120.

[ownage]

I have both an X2 5600+, and an e6400, and i like the e6400 much more, especially when overclocked :P
You can have much more overclocking fun with an e6*00 cpu.
I also like the aviable chipsets on the Intel platform more then on the AM2 platform.

[IamAnoobieCheez]

For using the stock cooler I think it's good up to max 3ghz or so, above get a decent aftermarket version ...and make sure ya case gets good ventilation because these mobo's get hot toooo
Mine is an old(shortly after the first E6600 chips came out) Conroe E6600 with an Asus P5B-D and use stocky cooler. My ambient temp is pretty warm too. I've been running 3.2 Ghz stable since I got it. It is an everyday setting.


To the original poster, the E6600 chip runs very cool. My stock HSF does it just fine in my warm room at 3.2. Sometime my room gets upto 85F and the damn thing runs stable all day all nite.

[Warboy]

Really, I'd say go with the E6420. You'll get very good clocks out if it with, say, an Enzotech Ultra-X or Thermalright Ultra-120, and it's a quite bit cheaper than the E6600 (leaving room for upgrades elsewhere, such as RAM).


Do you think i would be able to hit 3.6Ghz + with Non-Modded gear on a E6420?

[bluep3ace]

i think it'd be intel hands down.
when c2d was coming out, they did benchmarks, and the e6600 beat all the AMD offerings.