Computers & Networking

[Slimblizcrayon]

I'll be the first to admit I don't know a ton about computers so I'm in need of some help. I've managed to establish that my processor (Asus P5N-E SLI) is capable of going from it's current duel core set up to a new quad core processor. I'm however, unsure of what processor I should get to achieve the most bang for my buck and have it be compatible with my motherboard. Any suggestions would be awesome!

Thanks guys!

[cpm]

Intel® Core™2 Quad Processor Q9400

Model: BX80580Q9400 | SKU: 9486433

This Core™2 Quad processor features 2.66GHz processor speed per core and 6MB L2 cache memory for enhanced multitasking power and efficiency.

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Sale: $199.99

[seekrtz]

Please tell us what processor you are currently using now.

The 775 socket series of Intel processors is difficult to recommend because of the lack of price drops in the better models (e.g. e8500, e8400, and the e3110 Xeon equivalent).  All have held their value incredibly well since their debut back in 2008.  I own an e3110 Xeon myself and got it around $180 back then, the e8400 still sells for around $169 today.  There are also the quad core variants around the same price range Q8400/Q8300 ($169/$149).

Since the i5 series sells around the same price and runs cooler, uses less power, and performs better, means that you are in a difficult situation as far as upgrades go.  You might want to reconsider the CPU upgrade and hold out for more complete upgrade (motherboard, DDR3 RAM, i5 or i7 CPU) in the near future. 

Overclocking is another factor to consider, since all mentioned processors overclock quite well, but the extra cost of a good heatsink can up the cost another $40-$80 depending on your poison.

[NoNoBadDog]

Sorry, but any compatible processors would not give you much "bang for the buck",  Your older acrchitecture motherboard has bottlenecks that will negate what small speed bump you might have gained from upgrading from 2 cores to 4..  You would be better of maxing out the RAM, or alternatively upgrading the motherboard altogether with a leter generation processor.