https://community.intel.com/t5/Intel-ISA-Extensions/CPU-recommendation/m-p/880293#M2497 <P>I am looking for recommendations on CPU's. I have a budget of $300 and the CPU will be overclocked. It will be used in a computer designed for gaming. I will be cooling the unit with a water cooling kit.</P> Fri, 30 May 2008 10:16:52 GMT audiobahn1000 2008-05-30T10:16:52Z https://community.intel.com/t5/Intel-ISA-Extensions/CPU-recommendation/m-p/880293#M2497 <P>I am looking for recommendations on CPU's. I have a budget of $300 and the CPU will be overclocked. It will be used in a computer designed for gaming. I will be cooling the unit with a water cooling kit.</P> Fri, 30 May 2008 10:16:52 GMT https://community.intel.com/t5/Intel-ISA-Extensions/CPU-recommendation/m-p/880293#M2497 audiobahn1000 2008-05-30T10:16:52Z https://community.intel.com/t5/Intel-ISA-Extensions/CPU-recommendation/m-p/880294#M2498 <P>Check the hardware review sites like tomshardware.com and anandtech.com. They often have tables comparing price and performance of various CPUs.</P> <P>I would personally go for Core 2 Quad Q9450 if you can find one.</P> <P>I also wouldn't overclock it — you won't need it because they are already great performers, and more important 45nm chips are more sensitive to higher voltages and overclocking strain.</P> <P>If you still insist on overclocking you do it at your own risk. At any rate, stay below 1.400V for VCORE at all times, and <A href="http://www.anandtech.com/weblog/showpost.aspx?i=428" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">beware of high VTT</A>. Here is <A href="http://www.anandtech.com/cpuchipsets/intel/showdoc.aspx?i=3184" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">an article</A> with usefull guidelines for 45nm parts overclocking, but please remember that my personal recommendation is not to overclock because the gain is usually not worth the risk.</P> Mon, 02 Jun 2008 14:30:44 GMT https://community.intel.com/t5/Intel-ISA-Extensions/CPU-recommendation/m-p/880294#M2498 levicki 2008-06-02T14:30:44Z