Ok, we're in the middle of like the Christmas push here so all the QX9650s are going out the door. Just some thoughts:
. People on Nvidia 680i boards: you're totally f*(&*. It doesn't work. Hell, it barely posts. But, like the Q6600, it just sticks at multiplier 6 when it does post.. and that's not often. Humorously, the Intel 965/Q33/P35/X38 all get it. (The Intel 975 does not..). So, if you invested heavy in a 680i board and SLI.. you're hosed until the 780i, which isn't until the 17th. . The performance is SICK. Forget the fact that it's the same speed as the QX6850.. the thing runs damn near cold. Using an Artic Pro 7 fan, the processor easily sticks under 30C.. that's pretty incredible. * Team it up with an X38 P5E3-WiFi, and you get 5.9's down the board in Vista.. not bad. * DDR3 is still incredibly expensive compared to DDR2, and you really don't want DDR3-1066, you want DDR3-1333. * Sticking with your 680i? Wolfdale 2 core out in January. Phenom... Thoughts: * Less $ then a Q6600, and doesn't perform to a Q6600 except in certain applications. * Does distribute tasks very well, and so in some functions works out really solid (Server x64) * For AMD folk who have an AM2 MB, at least they don't have the issue of "new chip, doesn't work" that Nvidia users on Intel have.. this drops into damn near every AM2 board I've tried.. from a POS Biostar AM2 Via board w/AGP to a 790FX. So, that's a pro. * AMD needed a lot better performer then this. * This combines really well, though, with a 790FX and a 3870 as a really "affordable" but "high end" box. * Like the QX9650, runs surprisingly cool. I was really surprised, I expected a mini-oven, but definitely not. * Bundled fan though sucks, at least the few I've seen.. they have this "warble" in them like the fan is off-center which makes this noise. Replace with any generic fan and you're OK * If you already have an AM2 MB, this is a much, much cheaper route to just drop in this chip rather then replace everything. That's it, brief rundown :) I should post some pictures of some boxes sometime.
