Intel Core 2 Quad Q9450

The performance gains over a similarly clocked Q6600/Q6700 Kentsfield are not earth shattering but definitely noticeable. With that said, there are distinguishable improvements in power requirements and performance which places this chip a step ahead. So if you are looking to start a new build or ready to upgrade your processor, Intel's Q9450 quad core CPU is definitely worthy for consideration and should be at the top of your list.

What you have with the Q9450 when overclocked is performance that beats the QX9770 in all but a few instances. On this account the Q9450 is a success. Ultimately, it means top end performance for bottom line dollars (at least for a Quad Core). Priced at $379, it does cost more than the Q6600, but is a far cry from the $1400 of the QX9770. Again, on this point it is a success. But is the performance that much better than the Q6600 it replaces for that same price? It really depends on what you want to do. In the scientific testing, it sure was. In the gaming, it was not as much of an improvement as I would have hoped for. For almost $200 more (at this point), the price may be a bit steep to make a switch from the old to the new, but ultimately any performance increase for an enthusiast is an increase. The Q9450 performance scales well as the clockspeeds increase, so with that being said, quad core 45nm performance can be had without the "Extreme" dollars that were needed up till this point. The price/performance ratio is there. If you are in the market for a new quad to add to the stable or just looking for a performance boost, Intel's non "Extreme" 45nm quad core is out right now! Finally!

Where that's concerned, there are no complaints to be had, either. As seen on the last page, 3.2GHz (QX9770 territory) could be achieved by increasing the FSB to 400MHz. On our particular motherboard, that didn't even require a voltage increase on the northbridge. The CPU didn't need a boost either, so it's a completely free overclock all around. Pick up some DDR3-1600 to match that 3.2GHz, and you've got one fast machine (understatement). Even further though, bumping the voltage up to a modest 1.35v allowed us to hit 3.44GHz stable, and even that didn't require a northbridge increase. In fact, 1.35v is a voltage a lot of people seem to use even at stock speeds, since it's still within Intel's warranty limits. A 780MHz boost free of charge on a Quad-Core? That sounds like $350 well spent.