Core 2 Duo experience

[OTZ]

I just wanted to share my experience so far with a C2D based PC....up until 4 days ago I was running an S939 x3800 system. Not very fast, but it got the job done. Unfortunately, due to human error my water loop popped open and sprayed H20 all over the place. Fortuantely, my system lived, but I felt it was also time for an upgrade.

Totally ignoring the expected July 22 price drops, I ordered a 6320 and a P35 based mobo. Since putting it all together I already have the FSB up to 360 (stock voltage), without any hiccups. I am just floored at how easily these chips OC. It's truly incredible! What's even "cooler" is the CPU temp has not gone above 28C after running Orthos for 10 hours. These chips are crazy!

If I can get the FSB past 500, I'll add my results to the OC thread if it's still around...if I don't, I won't shed any tears since I'm already impressed with the OC I have on her now...

[shadowarmy75]

This makes me happy. Wish I could get water cooling. How much was yours?

[OTZ]

This makes me happy. Wish I could get water cooling. How much was yours?

I think in total the WC set up cost about $130 CDN...50 for the CPU block, 40 for the pump, 30 for the rad, and 10 for hose/clamps/

[shadowarmy75]

Really? From what I see on Newegg, it would cost at least $100 USD. Oh wait, checking the exchange rates it seems it's almost the same. Since when did the USD lose so much ground to CDN?

[UnderdawgIV]

Only to 360 FSB? Ramp that sucker up! It seems my chip would go higher, but my motherboard is holding me back. It is pretty much stuck at 440FSB (3.08Ghz) at stock voltage. I need to up the voltage to something like 1.45 just to get to 450.

[OTZ]

360 is just a start...I don't want to end up frying the thing (that would make my wife a little unhappy)...I'm now up to 375. I'll take it to 400 and run Orthos overnight to be sure it can handle it.

@ Shadowarmy...predictions were the Canadian dollar could see parity with the USD by late fall/winter.

[Erik]

What's even "cooler" is the CPU temp has not gone above 28C after running Orthos for 10 hours. These chips are crazy!

There are three temperature sensors on the CPU:
One in each core, at the hottest spots.
And one in between the cores, at a much cooler spot.

What you are reading is almost certainly the cold spot, not the hot spots inside the cores.

[OTZ]

Any idea how to be sure of this? Or is there anyway I can see the other temps? The BIOS is registering the same temps as the ASUS software monitor. I figure the fact that the chip is watercooled, and the ambient temp in my basement is around 20C may be partly to blame as well...

[Erik]

Any idea how to be sure of this? Or is there anyway I can see the other temps?

You can use a program called core temp:
http://www.thecoolest.zerobrains.com/CoreTemp/
It's free, but it's still pretty much beta and not 100% guaranteed to show the correct values.

The BIOS is registering the same temps as the ASUS software monitor.

Yes, that's almost certainly the "cool" spot between the cores.
This is the standard way of displaying C2D temperatures, and there isn't really anything wrong with that.
As long as the "cool" temperature stays below its maximum (60 degrees IIRC) then the "hot" core temperatures will also stay below their maximums (90 degrees or so, depending on the model)
You don't really need to know the "hot" core temperatures.

I just mentioned it because you seemed to make a temperature comparison between C2D and Pentium or AMD chips.
But since every chip family has its temperature sensors at a different spot, such on-chip temperature comparisons are invalid.
The only way to fairly compare temperatures is by using an external sensor.

[Freddie]

I prefer not to up the voltage when overclocking because it significantly reduces a CPU’s lifespan, with Core 2 Duo’s you can get decent results whilst keeping the CPU at stock voltage.

In terms of performance the biggest difference I noticed with Core 2 is when it comes to encoding videos, on my older P4 2.8Gz it took nearly 3 hours to encode a DVD to AVI but now I can get the job done in half and hour.

[OTZ]

Thanks for the program....it reads the same as my BIOS and ASUS utility though. There might be a 1-3 degree difference once in a while.

I've broken the 400 FSB mark now, and the temp is still no more than 35C under load, and 23C idle

[Cyrus the Virus]

. It's truly incredible! What's even "cooler" is the CPU temp has not gone above 28C after running Orthos for 10 hours. These chips are crazy!

That is good, mine starts at 30 C, usually when normal useage, at 41/40/39/38, when pushing it its 50.
As long as its not 75 it's good..