2 vs. 4 cores (LGA 775)

Hey, I've got this old PC running a weak Core 2 Duo, and I'm thinking about slapping a better chip in there. Is it worth it?

I see some decent deals on eBay for E8400 processors, maybe around $30, and then there are those quad-core Xeons that perform like a Core i7, usually sold with LGA 775 adapters for about $100

I'm trying to figure out which one is actually the better move for just casual stuff—you know, web browsing, watching movies, Microsoft Office, messing with photos or some videos from my camera. Nothing heavy, no hardcore gaming or pro software, but I spend a lot of time on this machine so I just want it to feel snappier.

The E8400 would probably hit around 4.3-4.5GHz, while the Xeon would sit somewhere between 3.5-3.8GHz depending on the model. That’s what I'm banking on given my current setup and cooling.

The Xeon, being a quad-core, is probably going to run hotter and louder, plus it'll cost me roughly $33 more upfront. It's not a huge deal, but I really want to know if it's actually worth the jump. Will I even notice a difference?

Thanks.

You aren't going to see any real-world difference from overclocking, no matter how extreme you go. For everyday tasks—browsing the web or streaming movies—your biggest bottlenecks will actually be your RAM if you're stuck with 1-2GB (on Windows 7), or a cluttered HDD with poor access times that hasn't seen a defrag in ages. At that point, the processor doesn't matter much; whether it's a dual-core at 1.86 GHz or a quad-core at 3.6 GHz, you won't feel it.
The jump from a single-core Pentium 4 with 256-512MB of RAM to a dual-core setup with 1GB is night and day.
Don't waste your money here. I’d suggest saving up until you're ready to overhaul the entire system.

So, what are you running right now?

It’s not actually a piece of junk. It was a killer machine back in the day with an Intel Core 2 Duo E7500, if I recall correctly, but I hit a massive financial crunch and had to swap the CPU for something weaker—basically just a downgrade on the processor itself. That’s been the situation for years now. Everything else holds up fine: I've got a Gigabyte P35-ds4 WD motherboard, a beefy heatsink, and I recently slapped in some top-tier 2*2GB memory I snagged on eBay for about $30. Even the drive is relatively fresh, a 1TB model from maybe a year or two ago, plus a solid Corsair power supply... my buddy, who actually knows his stuff, put this thing together for me. So, dropping $200-$100 isn't even a big deal.

A whole new rig would run me at least $3,000, and honestly, I don't even need one.

fadedorca66 said:So, what kind of rig are you running right now?

Alright, here’s the breakdown:
Intel Core 2 Duo E2160 processor
Gigabyte P35-ds4 WD
WD black 1TB
hitachi 320 GB Mushkin 2 x2GB
Mushkin 2x2GB Ram 1066Mghz
HD6570 Scythe
Scythe cooler (can't remember the exact model)
Corsair power supply

Maybe try overclocking that processor first to see if you actually like it? Those models tend to overclock like crazy...

If you're going for an upgrade anyway, I guess I'd go with a quad-core.

You really just need to pick up a CPU, motherboard, and some RAM... maybe an FX 6300 paired with an Asus M5A97 R2 plus 2x4GB of DDR3 would run you about $667, and I guess you could probably overclock that FX to 4.3-4.5 GHz on that board.

If that's pushing it too much, then maybe just stick with a C2Q.

I'm not buying anything brand new. A $200 or even $300 difference $667 is just way too much money for what I actually need to do.

Sure, this thing is fast, but let's be real—it's still struggling. It's sluggish when I'm zipping or unzipping files, it crawls when I try to install heavy software, and it's a pain when I'm trying to resize videos straight from my camera. Even opening big PDFs or PowerPoint presentations makes the whole thing glitch out. I think it only has 1MB of cache, which probably matters more than people admit, especially since the newer ones are rocking 6 or 12MB.

I still don't get it, though. For my specific workflow, does a higher clock speed actually matter more than having extra cores? From what I've gathered, those extra cores are mostly for hardcore gaming or heavy-duty stuff like Photoshop and Premiere...

You should really consider adding an SSD to the mix—it’s essentially a massive shot of adrenaline for your drive speed.

John Clark9 said:I'm not buying anything new. That $200-$300 gap for $667 is just way too much for what I actually need to do.

The thing is—even if it's "fast"—it still feels sluggish. For instance, zipping and unzipping files takes forever, installing larger programs is a drag, and resizing videos from my camera is a chore. It even chokes when I try to open large PDF or PowerPoint files. I don't know, maybe it's because it only has 1MB of cache—which I assume matters—whereas the newer ones have 6 or 12

Still, I can't wrap my head around whether a higher clock speed or more cores actually matters for my specific setup. From what I've gathered, extra cores are mostly for heavy-duty gaming or pro software like Photoshop and Premiere...

Look, something is clearly wrong with your Windows installation. There’s absolutely no reason you should be struggling with PDFs and other basic nonsense on a processor like that. When was the last time you actually did a clean reinstall?

You can find an e8400 on eBay for $83, maybe even less.

Look, nobody’s actually "struggling," it’s just slow. It chokes a bit when I try to open massive PowerPoint decks or PDFs that are over 100 MB, and even watching YouTube HD gets all stuttery and laggy

A buddy of mine has a newer rig—nothing fancy, just a decent setup—but man, everything just flies on it. He’s running a fresh Windows 7 Pro, installed from the exact same disc I used for mine.🤷

Seriously though, I want my machine to fly just as fast.😁

I usually run HDTune to check my transfer rates and random access times, along with monitoring memory usage. When was the last time you actually defragmented your drives? I’d suggest using something like Defraggler. Also, do you stay on top of clearing out junk files with CCleaner? Honestly, the fastest way to get a speed boost would be a fresh OS installation.