Core 2 Quad Q6600

[Blux]

I just got one of these for free from work.

We recycle old computers and had someone come in with a dead power supply, dead mobo, no HDD machine they got at a garage sale.

I told them it just needed to be recycled.  I then asked them if I could have the processor out of it.

They said yes!

So, is this worth spending $150 on to get a mobo/ram/video card off of newegg to have to put in the arcade machine.

[Grimoz]

I would say yes do it, for $150 you could end up with quite a decent PC setup. Im still stuck in the Dual Core days myself 

[Donkbaca]

Actually a core 2 duo is the best processor for Mame (and most gaming)  quad cores are optimized for multitasking, so real world work stuff is good for it.  Most games only take advantage of dual cores, and if they don't, then its the fast processors that matter the most, and core 2 duos are easier to overclock.

For 150 you can get a 3 ghz core 2 duo off flea bay.

Do you even know if the processor you have is alive?

[Blux]

Actually a core 2 duo is the best processor for Mame (and most gaming)  quad cores are optimized for multitasking, so real world work stuff is good for it.  Most games only take advantage of dual cores, and if they don't, then its the fast processors that matter the most, and core 2 duos are easier to overclock.

For 150 you can get a 3 ghz core 2 duo off flea bay.

Do you even know if the processor you have is alive?

That is where the real test comes in.  One of my friends has a LGA775 socket mobo in his HTPC.  He told me to bring the processor and some thermal paste by and we'll test it out.

Hopefully its not shot.

[drventure]

If you've got a fry's nearby, I know they can test CPUs. When my house got struck by lightning, they were able to test all the components individually and point out which parts were toast.

Places like Bestbuy and such +might+ be able to do it, to, but when I took mine in, all they'd do is give me a "verification that the PC was bad" for insurance purposes, which is to say, they just plug it in and see if it comes on. 

The snag with testing components is you run the risk of frying the good part if the part being testing is bad in such a way that it shorts out the good part you're testing with.

[Blux]

No Frys nearby..

I work at Best Buy on the Geek Squad so thats how I acquired the CPU 

We definitely don't have a way to test individual components, besides a PS tester... and an old ass modem tester...

But, the computer that my friend is willing to test it in only has a $50 mobo anyways... So worst case scenario, I buy him the same mobo from newegg.

[larsoncc]

The Q6600 is a great processor.  Emulation and modern games work great, as long as your video card is OK. 

2 of the cores might not be used in most cases, but this is changing in recent games.  This proc is as fast as an E8400 or E8600 in tasks locked to two cores, and bests these CPUs in many modern apps.  While a Sandy Bridge i3 2100 can definitely go faster, it doesn't really make sense to toss this proc to the curb just yet.

Emulation hardly takes any processor power, relative to something like Battlefield Bad Company 2 or Crysis (or anything else, really).  Any 3D game is really limited by graphics card in this price range.  I'm still running my 6600 to game, no problems here.

Don't spend more than 300 on ALL components for the PC you'll build around this processor, as a new barebones quad core from either Tiger or NewEgg, of comparable speed (AMD Athlon 620 and up) is 300 bucks even (usually 4gb ram, 500-1TB storage, etc).

RAM on this proc is DDR2 667 (PC2 5300).  Plan on $15 / GB. 
You need a 400W or better PSU, I use 550.  Get the case with the power supply, NewEgg has a case/ 585w power combo for 60.

$30 for Ram, $60-70 mobo, $60 for power & case, $50 for HDD = $200, or $220 with optical drive. 

Sounds workable, and should be a pretty darned capable machine.  For $350 (added video card), this becomes a phenomenal gaming machine which won't have any problem running any game.

[Blux]

Snip

I already have a Case, PSU, HDD, and two Geforce 6800GS 256MB cards.

How about this:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813131680

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835200012

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820134786

Do I need to upgrade the graphics card to something a little newer or will it work fine for this setup??  Also I need a cooler because the Dell I got the CPU out of had some weird fan shroud/massive heatsink two piece setup that I knew I couldn't get to work with my current case.

[larsoncc]

Double check the mobo and RAM.  Again, what I see on mine is DDR2 RAM clocked at 667 (not DDR3), so I certainly don't run RAM that fast, but it might be compatible.  Hence the mobo might also work...  I think.  Basically, I think your machine will just downclock everything.  But I'm not an expert at what the 6600 will and won't run, or how many die revisions there are, or anything like that.

Here's one set:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813121423
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820134641

I know that my version of the chip will run 800 DDR2 RAM - and it's a couple bucks cheaper than 667.  Just don't know about faster than that - if you get it and it works, please let me know.

Don't forget to get some Arctic Silver when you're getting that fan.

A Geforce 6800GS will do great for emulation and general desktop use.  Should be fine in an arcade machine, depending on the monitor...  more on this in a sec...  However, 6800 is really a 3D card that is happiest in Half Life 2 territory, not Crysis/BF2:BC territory.  So if you're talking for general use, as in "this is my main game PC, and I like PC games", consider a graphics upgrade (I run a 8800GT on my 6600, my comp is a few years old - I don't run mine on arcade).

About the arcade monitor - if you're talking about a real monitor / cab, you'll likely need a J-PAC to hook up your joysticks and monitor, and in addition to that, you'll need to run Soft 15khz (see the monitor forum).  If you're making something from scratch, save yourself some hassle and get a monitor that doubles as a computer monitor, so you don't have to worry about khz and wiring and such.  I got my arcade cab as a gift, my arcade monitor was made in 1991.

[Blanka]

The Q6600 is an old beast. It is a 65nm processor, so not very well suited for OC and getting hot very fast.
Probably an el cheapo mini-itx with i3 for 150$ will blow it away. Hey, we are talking 32nm today, 2 generations of Moore ahead and 4 times the power/watt!

[MonMotha]

The Q6600 was a great value for its day, but that day is probably gone.  If you can find a mobo/ram for cheap, it'll make a decent machine, but I wouldn't spend more than $50 making it work.

[larsoncc]

The Q6600 was a great value for its day, but that day is probably gone.  If you can find a mobo/ram for cheap, it'll make a decent machine, but I wouldn't spend more than $50 making it work.

Yeah, you know...  I don't know why we're talking NewEgg - I see a LGA 775 supporting this proc for $15.50 -shipped- on eBay.