Intel Core 2 Extreme QX9770: Paper Tiger?

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X48 Chipset Required

  • The highest supported front side bus has been raised to 400 MHz (1600QDR)
  • The chipset does not support DDR2 memory.
  • DDR3-1600 is supported on an FSB of 400 MHz (1600QDR)
  • If DDR3-1600 memory is used, only one memory module is allowed per channel. Thus, the buyer must use 2 GB modules to reach 4 GB of RAM.
  • According to Intel, DDR3-1600 will operate at 1.8 Volts and CL8-8-8

The X48 chipset will use the same southbridge as the P35 and X38, namely the ICH9.

All of our tests were run on the Gigabyte GA-X38-DQ6 motherboard.

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FunctionsX48X38
Front Side Bus80010661333160080010661333
MemoryDDR3-800DDR3-1066DDR3-1333DDR3-1600DDR3-800DDR3-1066DDR3-1333
FSB:DDR3800:8001066:8001066:10661333:8001333:10661333:13331600:10661600:1600800:8001066:8001066:10661333:8001333:10661333:1333
Supported Timings800 = 5-5-51066 = 7-7-71333 = 8-8-81600 = 8-8-8800 = 5-5-51066 = 7-7-71333 = 8-8-8
Memory Voltage800/1066/13331.50 Volt +/- 5%1600 = 1.80 Volt +/- 5%800/1066/13331.50 Volt +/- 5%
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