Hi all, I would like to upgrade my CPU without buying a new motherboard. I currently have a Core 2 E6600 with ASUS P5N-E, 4 mb 667 ram and 9800gt. What is the best processor for FSX that can be installed into a 775 socket motherboard. I don't want to spend more than $500 in total. Is there anything else I should consider upgrading. Thanks, for your help.

Well, the simplest answer I can possibly give...Q9650 is you go with 4 cores or...E8600 if you go 2 cores.

Here is a CPU compatibility list for your motherboard. Looks like it only supports the 65nm Core 2 family and earlier chips. I'd say your best bet is to buy a new motherboard and a Q9 series chip. I recently did that for $269 @ MicroCenter. Picked up a Q9550 and a Gigabyte P45 board and overclocked to 4GHz with ease. Best upgrade I've done in awhile.

My manual says the mobo support the quad core up to a 1066 front side bus. What's the difference between the Q9650 and the Q9550. It seems to be hard to find the Q9650?

The Q9 chips have a 1333 FSB, which your board does not support. The only difference between the Q9550 and the Q9650 is an extra 166MHz clockspeed (thanks to another .5x multiplier) on the Q9650. That and about twice the price ;)

TechGuy,I did not see your list before. I see what you mean. That's disappointing.

It is only disappointing if you're absolutely set on keeping your current motherboard, which I do not see the need for but perhaps you have reasons you'd care to elaborate?

I was just hoping for a rather quick and easy upgrade. I have experience at installing just about every component except for a motherboard. Will all of my current components work with the new mobo?

I will need to do some more research, in reviewing my manual it says the following for FSB:1333**/1066/800/533 MHz (**avaliable when CPU's are ready for 1333MHz FSB)

It doesn't matter what you manual says, the website (which is far more up-to-date) says it's not supported. You could buy the CPU and try it anyway but don't be surprised if it doesn't work. As for whether or not your components will work I can't say yes or no with a certainty since I don't know what you're running, but generally speaking when you're swapping out one motherboard for a similar board of the same technology your parts are likely to transfer over without issue.

I understand, you have me convinced it's not supporting the 45nm chips. Thanks for your input. Now I have to decide if I should spend the extra money for an i7 since I need a new mobo anyway. One last question, is there a CPU for my current mobo that would make much of a difference for FSX beyond the E6600. I guess I could overclock and buy a fan...

You could try a QX6 chip but those are hard to find, and rather expensive. You're simply better off getting a newer 775 board and a Q9 series chip. As long as you follow instructions it's not terribly difficult to swap out a mobo.

I suggest official tech support to clear the confusion. To say "it doesn't matter what the manual says" isn't exactly sound advice. Though I typically trust the mentioned compatibilty list, it could save you the price of a new motherboard...

I suggest official tech support to clear the confusion. To say "it doesn't matter what the manual says" isn't exactly sound advice. Though I typically trust the mentioned compatibilty list, it could save you the price of a new motherboard...

It is sound advice when taken in context. The official support site for his mobo lists no 45nm quad core chip support. The website is more up-to-date than a manual printed many months before said chips were even on the market. Also, any tech support representative he contacts will be accessing the same document I've already linked. Motherboard makers tend to do this sort of thing. They'll use early information from the chip manufacturer about upcoming chips that their board may be able to support, and then when the chips actually come out they find the board is lacking certain features or capabilities that are in fact required to support the whole family of products. In this case they can still say their claim of "1333 FSB" support is true because they do indeed support dual-core and quad-core 65nm 1333 FSB chips (even some 45nm dual-cores ), just not the 45nm quads.

I ended up getting a ASUS p6t with i7 920 and 3gb 1600 mhz ram. Went a little over my budget but everything is working great. Now I just need to overclock this setup. Any advice?