The 'new' Pentium

[alienware]

So whilst out in town last week I stopped into WHSmith and picked up a CustomPC. I love it as it offers different opinions ETC. It's also bloody great for taking into the bog for a hands on your knees and squeeze session.. Any way, enough of the TMI..

So this month they did a "build a gaming PC !" thing. It consisted of a choice of parts either low end to mid range. Basically this PC can chuck out any game made.

In it I noticed they suggested this new Pentium CPU (6950 IIRC). What was startling was the price - $99 shipped. It's 1156 and there's only one model to choose from. However it mentions Clarkdale which I have heard of before. What startled me though was the headroom this sucker has.

They reccomend using it with a Gigabyte UD2 (the micro crossfire/SLI board) with a Gelid Tranquillo. Then they go on to do an entire guide on getting it from 2.8ghz to 4.2ghz without it even breaking a sweat. For ram they chose Corsair XMS3 and when me and my pal priced it all up it came to less than $320.

So, I think my pal is finally going to get a new setup. In the guide they used a 1gb 460 but he already has a 5850 so there's no point getting a 460.

Has any one used or played with this new Pentium thing? Gotta say it looks pretty sick for the pennies. Sadly it's £75 here which is a bit olbocks but hey, still sounds very reasonable !

 

[KapteinFruit]

Sounds nice. Any specifications on the Pentium? Dual core? Quad core? Probably I dual core with 2MB cache or something. But 4,2GHz without a sweat is pretty nice. I wonder how it stacks up to an i5-750/760.

 

[alienware]

It won't stack against an I5 as they cost twice as much (literally).It's a budget CPU that can go really fast

Model

Brand

Intel

Series

Pentium

Model

BX80616G6950

CPU Socket Type

CPU Socket Type

LGA 1156

Tech Spec

Core

Clarkdale

Multi-Core

Dual-Core

Name

Pentium G6950

Operating Frequency

2.8GHz

L3 Cache

3MB

Manufacturing Tech

32 nm

64 bit Support

Yes

Hyper-Threading Support

No

Integrated Graphics

Yes

Graphics Base Frequency

533MHz

Virtualization Technology Support

Yes

Thermal Design Power

73W

Cooling Device

Heatsink and Fan included

Manufacturer Warranty

Parts

3 years limited

Labor

3 years limited

 

[tinytomlogan]

G9650 is just a watered down i3 tbh.

Its not a bad cheap cpu BUT the i3 530 is very fast for the money and imho thats where people should start unless its for someone that doesnt use their rig like a small child or your missus for surfing the net.

Anyone who really wants a rig for gaming ect the 530 is as low as Id go. My server and htpc both have them

 

[alienware]

K cool. The reason I'm suggesting that to him is that neither of us have any overclocking experience with the I3 or I5 or the Bclks and so on.

With this setup he is almost assured the same results because not only did CustomPC achieve them but a few companies are selling it as a pre overclocked bundle using the same parts... Parts are -

Gigabyte GA-P55M-UD2 (any idea why the H55 is so much cheaper?)

Intel Pentium G6950

Corsair XMS3 PC3-12800 4gb (twin 2gb)

Gelid Tranquillo.

And then a full two page guide on overclocking it with all of the exact settings.

I made the mistake a few years ago of not buying the board suggested for the 1.8-3ghz on air Conroe and got a cheaper MSI. Needless to say that by 2.3ghz it refused to post

 

[tinytomlogan]

You can give rough settings, but nothing exact. Really winds me up when people say that in magazines as its SO inccorrect.

Tbh dude i3, thats the advice from me Ive given reasons too. That and its only 20quid more.

 

[alienware]

Could I follow the same principals?

As I say I have absolutely no experience with these new Intels at all.. And I don't want to tell him to buy something that can't be made a lot faster.

Here are the settings they used..

Disable Turbo Boost.

Increase the base clock to 200 from 133.

SPD to 6.0

Enable LLD (load line callibration)

Vcore to between 1.4 and 1.45V

QPI/VTT to 1.2v

PCH core to 1.3v

CPU PLL to 1.9v

Dram voltate to 1.64v

CPU temp in prime should remain under 60c

 

[tinytomlogan]

Yeah that Vcore is huge see. Get the 530 and if he wants it clocked learn it and learn it right.

 

[thestepster]

i had no experience overclockin an i7 when i got money but a few words with kup and it was up and running at 4ghz no problem, id still go with tom on this one and say an i3 is as low as u should go and in there own rights pretty damn nippy cpu's

 

[alienware]

OK cool.

The problem is he's a rank amateur. I mean, he knows how to fit the lego together but knows nothing about the ins and outs of a bios.

I do, and, when I read about the new fancy terms (IE Bclk or base clock OR FSB) I know what it is. Base clock would be a front side bus.

However, for me to try and explain all of this could end in tears and I can't make him a pictoral lol.

So it needs to be something visual that he can read and copy verbatim

 

[AMDFTW]

there must be guide on the internet fella.

thats how i learnt,but saying that i just use the multi and up the volts from there,i leave the ram alone

 

[tinytomlogan]

there must be guide on the internet fella.

thats how i learnt,but saying that i just use the multi and up the volts from there,i leave the ram alone

Thats the wrong way though mate. Up the BCLK and just watch the ram divider, its soooo simple if you cba to think about what you are doing.

 

[alienware]

This is the guy who can't even mount an aftermarket cooler though

TBH he would need to buy absolutely identical hardware than that being used in a guide. That's really the only way to guarantee he doesn't blow something up.

Mind you, what I'll do is relay what happens here and advice can be fed back to him via here

As of now it's either the UD2 or an MSI fusion P55 on special open box for $130.

 

[AMDFTW]

201fsb gives me a no restart.

and were can i find the divider.

ile not hijack the thread i just would like to know

 

[tinytomlogan]

In the bios mate

 

[AMDFTW]

thanks Tom