Intel Core 2 Q6600 G0 Stepping: Cheap Quad Core Just Got Better
by Anand Lal Shimpi on August 16, 2007 11:53 AM EST- Posted in
- CPUs
Overclocking: A Speedy SLACR?
When we previewed Intel's Core 2 Duo E6750 we were quite impressed by how well the new G0 stepping was able to overclock at stock voltage settings. We managed 3.68GHz out of the 2.66GHz processor without even increasing the core voltage, but would the same hold true about the quad-core Q6600?
With more transistors to worry about, we already knew that we wouldn't be able to overclock as high as the dual-core E6750. But would G0 prove to be a tremendous improvement over the B3 stepping chips?
Our B3 Core 2 Quad Q6600 was able to run at 3.33GHz with a 1480MHz FSB and a 9.0x multiplier at 1.312V, we couldn't get the system stable at anything faster.
Our G0 Q6600, surprisingly enough, couldn't really get much higher. While the same 3.33GHz overclock was possible at a lower voltage, our max was 3.51GHz (390 x 9.0) without resorting to improved cooling. Even at our max, the system wasn't always 100% stable, we suspect that our G0 chip would end up somewhere around 3.4GHz and fully stable in the long run.
It's clear that the G0 Q6600 was able to get a slightly better overclock, as our B3 sample wouldn't post at 3.51GHz, but the improvement isn't earth shattering. We have heard of much better overclocks with G0 cores, so your mileage may vary of course.
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strikeback03 - Friday, August 17, 2007 - link
...that Newegg shipped me a pair of the B3 stepping ones in the box I opened this morning.Does anyone actually sell these for $266? Cheapest I found seemed to be around $285.
Roy2001 - Friday, August 17, 2007 - link
$266 is price for 1000 units. Since demand is high and there is no competition, retailers would price it higher. Remember how much egg wanted when they restock it? From $299 to $379.ruusnak - Friday, August 17, 2007 - link
Did you measure temperature differences under load? Even when the new stepping draws more power, the Intel spec sheet's temp curves are quite different... does G0 run hotter or cooler in practice?ruusnak - Friday, August 17, 2007 - link
I meant "even if the new stepping draws less power" of course...jay401 - Thursday, August 16, 2007 - link
What's this Intel Resource Center that's now a link at the bottom of the conclusion page next to "Home"? I don't see an AMD Resource Center at the bottom of the concluding page of AMD articles.vijay333 - Thursday, August 16, 2007 - link
Intel ponied up the cash : "This site is presented by Intel" (right on top), while AMD chose not to for some reason...mostlyprudent - Friday, August 17, 2007 - link
Or, it could have something to do with the fact that it's an article about a new stepping of an INTEL chip. This site is so pro Intel that they spent a year or more recommending Athlon X2s as the chips to buy. Must have been a conspiracy so that when the Core 2 was released they could show their true colors.vijay333 - Thursday, August 16, 2007 - link
probably deprecated due to lack of activity...jto168 - Thursday, August 16, 2007 - link
Anand,Is it possible for you to state which Batch # the B3 stepping came from?
I have found that many users with earlier Batches of B3 have found it difficult to overclock it successfully as the thermal throttling usually backs the multiplier down.
brentpresley - Thursday, August 16, 2007 - link
For the record - C2D never shipped on the B1 stepping (it was only available in ES chips). The first OEM and Retail silicon was the B2 stepping.