Intel Core 2 Extreme QX9770: Paper Tiger?

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Test Setup

Operating System: Windows Vista Enterprise

We have recently switched to a different version of Windows for our benchmarks. Now, all benchmarks at THG are run on Windows Vista Enterprise. While this version is not available in stores, its performance results are identical to Windows Vista Business and Windows Vista Ultimate. However, we were forced to make this switch, since this is the only version that offers an Open License. This License allows us to activate Windows Vista over the Internet repeatedly, without having to make calls to Microsoft's activation hotline each time.

Windows Vista Enterprise

Hardware Configuration

We have updated our testbed system with new components, such as the graphics card, sound card and hard drive, in order to offer our readers results based on a platform that is both current and practical.

Hardware Setup

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System Hardware
AMD Platform AM2(Nvidia Nforce 5)	Asus M2N32-SLI Deluxe, Rev.1.03GNVIDIA nForce5, BIOS: 1001 (03/13/2007)
Intel Platform S775(Intel P35)	Gigabyte P35C-DS3R, Rev. 1.0Intel P35, BIOS: F2o (05/11/2007)
Intel Platform S775(Intel X38)	Gigabyte GA-X38-DQ6, Rev. 1.0Intel X38, BIOS: F4 (09/19/2007)
Memory	2x 1 GB A-Data DDR2-1066+ Vitesta Extreme Edition
DVD-ROM	Samsung SH-D163A , SATA150
Graphics Card	Foxconn Nvidia GeForce 8800 GTXGPU: 575 MHzShader: 1350 MHzVideo Memory: 786 MB DDR4 (900 MHz, 384 Bit)
Sound Card	Creative Labs Sound Blaster X-Fi XtremeGamer
Power Supply	Zalman, ATX 2.01, 510 Watt

Graphics Card: Foxconn Nvidia Geforce 8800 GTX

RAM: A-Data Vitesta 1066

Sound Card: Creative x-Fi Gamer

Hard Drive: Western Digital Caviar SE 3200 AAJS

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3 Comments Comment from the forums

Capitannimo

I am not sure why you are not mentioning the cooling system you use.
Also why you don't mention that this processor needs water cooling system even if not over clocked.
Reply
Intelextreme

Looks like a Zalman fan to me in the pictures so maybe water cooling is not needed, at least for those not into cases (something I typically consider "benchmark machines" and was surprised by the lack of dry ice. By the way thermoelectric, chilled water, cooling using peltiers can't be beat! Finally I have a QX6850 and I get a 3mdMark06 of 18,548 with a Gigabyte EX38-DQ6 and a Shappire Radeon HD4870 X2 2gb (using not yet anywhere near perfected drivers) and without overclocking the GPUs until a water block is released for it. I was going to upgrade to a QX9770 now that I can pick one up for a good price since the 9775 came out but since reading that the difference in speed is not incredible I have decided to wait for the new Core i7 or whatever they call the new extreme processor and motherboards with new sockets coming out soon.
Reply
Intelextreme

To show the QX9770 overclocked alone is bias as I run my QX6850 overclocked. When compared to the QX9770 running at stock speed, the QX6850 differs typically by a few points, it is not until the QX9770 is overclocked to 4ghz that the difference becomes as high as close to 20% in come cases. However, that ignores the fact that a lot of the other processors are good overclockers, and I can overclock my QX6850, using thermoelectric chilled water cooling, to a stable 3.8. Therefore, the difference between the two in terms of speed is not enough at this point to justify purchasing an X48 chipset motherboard and a QX9770 when a new socket and extreme CPU is coming out soon. If I was putting together a computer now I would likely go cheap and look for a used QX6800 and as good a used motherboard as possible just because I would be selling them soon anyway.
Reply