A CPU Upgrade Now?

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aristide1
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A CPU Upgrade Now?

Post by aristide1 » Mon Mar 01, 2010 4:29 pm

Con - My PPD keeps dropping.
Pro - A faster CPU may get me bonus points as well as more regular PPD.

Con - Up front outlay.
Pro - A faster CPU will be available for everything I do, not just folding.

Con - An i7 big PPD.
Pro - Smaller investment on my main system, where a new board, memory, and HD would require another version of Windows as well. That last one makes me want to hurl.

So I am considering replacing a really old E6400 with an E7400.

Old - 65nm
New - 45nm

Old multiplier - 8
New Multiplier - 11?

Current speed - 2.8MHz ( 400 * 7 )
New Speed - Either 3.2 ( 400 * 8 ) or 3.6GHz ( 400 * 9 )
(No OC for memory, DDR 800 4-4-4-12)

Old SSE 4 instructions - No
New SSE 4 instructions - Yes

Old L2 Cache - 2MB
New L2 cache - 3MB

Old Power consumption - 250 watts everything folding (CPU + GTX 260).
New? - Hoping for the same, really happy if it actually drops.

Pro - No additional boxes laying around the house.
Con - I have too many boxes so as it is, ergo none.

Old VT - None
New VT - Yes

This last one took some doing, Intel keeps changing when and where VT is available, but matching the Intel part # on Intel's and NewEgg's site states that the one I'm considering now has VT, which may be worth more during folding than the extra cache (but probably no more than say 5% performance improvement.)

Currently finishing WU 2653 in about 2000 minutes and WU 2665 in about 3000 minutes. One day = 1440 minutes.

I'm curious how much faster my PC would fold with an additional 400MHz, another 1MB of cache, and VT. And maybe an extra 800MHz?

I have heard using VT does make the CPU run hotter.

Thoughts?

cordis
Posts: 1082
Joined: Thu Jan 15, 2009 10:56 pm
Location: San Jose

yep

Post by cordis » Tue Mar 02, 2010 12:30 am

Well, sounds like a plan. But you know, I dunno, in your position I might just sit tight, and wait to see how much cheaper things get down the line. Sticking with a core 2 duo? For 800Mhz extra? Meh. Probably not worth reapplying thermal compound. Save up a little more, at least go quad with maybe a speed bump. Or hell, wait for me to upgrade and I'll send you one of my old quads. Interested?

aristide1
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Post by aristide1 » Fri Mar 05, 2010 9:08 am

Send me a note when it's time, we'll see what's going on.

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