3.6GHz Core 2 Quad for £176!

Posted at: 3:06am 12th September 2007 by Ben Hardwidge

We test the G0 stepping of Intel’s Core 2 Quad Q6600, which costs £176.24 from Scan, and find that it overclocks to 3.6GHz just using a £15 heatsink

Every now and then Intel and AMD decide to chuck overclockers a particularly tasty treat in the form of a cheap CPU that overclocks like Flavor Flav in a watch factory.

Previous favourites have been the Celeron 300A, which could be clocked up to 450MHz back in 1999, as well as the Mobile Athlon XP 2500+, which was reputed to come from the same wafers as the more expensive 3200+. The latest clock-hungry chip that everyone in the overclocking community is talking about is the G0 stepping of Intel’s Core 2 Quad Q6600, which, if the rumours are to be believed, is an overclocker’s wet dream.







Step on it!

In case you’re unfamiliar with steppings, the CPU stepping code essentially denotes the revision of the core with which the processor has been built. During a CPU’s lifetime, the design will go under several revisions, where the manufacturer will try to iron out any bugs, or improve the thermal efficiency and so on.

Each time it revises this, the chip gets a new stepping code. In the case of Intel chips, this is signified by a letter and then a number, with changes to the letter usually signifying significant changes and new numbers denoting minor updates.

The G0 stepping is the latest revision of Intel’s Core 2 chips and was first introduced with the Core 2 Extreme QX6850, although it has now also been stamped on the significantly cheaper Core 2 Quad Q6600.

The Q6600’s previous (and still the most common) stepping was B3, and the G0 promises a significant improvement over this stepping. Firstly, the TDP has dropped from 105W to 95W, signifying that it runs cooler. Secondly, the ‘Thermal Specification’ has increased from 62.2°C to 71°C, which essentially means that the G0-stepping CPU is able to sustain a higher load temperature (and therefore a potentially higher overclock and core voltage) than the B3-stepping chip before the thermal trip mechanism kicks in and shuts down the CPU.





Make sure you're a SLACR

You can easily see what stepping your CPU has by using CPU-Z, but you can also find out by looking at the sSpec number on the box’s label before you buy it. In the case of the Q6600, the G0 stepping’s sSpec number is SLACR, while the B3’s sSpec number is SL9UM. You can also check which specifications go with which sSpec numbers by using Intel’s Processor Spec Finder.

Alternatively, some companies such as Scan are offering the G0 stepping of the chip for just a few quid more than the B3 stepping, and doing the work for you. So is the G0 stepping worth the extra few quid? We got a B3 and a G0 Core 2 Quad Q6600 in from Scan to find out.