bit-tech Shopping: Intel Core 2 Extreme X6800 Dual Core Processor

Rating: 10

Time with product: 2

Strengths: Fast, powerful, good for multi-tasking

Weaknesses: price, not quad core, not 1333FSB

Summary: This processor is great, at this point it is becoming slightly outdated as it does not have a quad core and it does not have a 1333mhz FSB, but it still screams. I have installed this in a few clients machines and they love it, it is fast as all get out.

Rating: 8

Time with product: 1 Weeks

Strengths: Tremendous speed gain, even without overclocking

Weaknesses: Expensive

Summary: If you're a serious overclocker, you can definitely buy one of their cheaper ones and push it to this speed. But this one has an unlocked multiplier, and can be overclocked to still greater highs.

Rating: 10

Time with product:

Strengths: Smokin in the speed department.Runs cooler than I expected in my system.Operates in 64-bit environment (Vista 64-bit)

Weaknesses: Cost...OUCH!

Summary: Just built a new system with lots of horsepower for handling video applications and 3D software in a Windows Vista 64-bit environment. The speed of this processor is pretty much off the charts for most freeware speed evaluation software, but looking around the net for info on this processor and my motherboard showed it could even (and very slightly) out perform an Intel motherboard. This CPU is expensive and prices will most likely come down a little after the Quad Cores come out.Overall, if you have the money and you want the speed, this is a great CPU for a 64-bit OS.Barebones system: Shuttle P37P2CPU: Intel Core 2 Extreme X6800 Dual Core ProcessorRAM: OCZ Technology 2GB PC2-5400 DDR2 DIMMHard drives: 2x Seagate Barracuda 7200 750GB, SATA II (ST3750640AS)Video card: Sapphire Radeon X1600 Pro Video Card (512 MB, PCI-e 16x)DVD burner: NEC ND-3550A Dual Layer DVD±RW WriterOS: Windows Vista 64-bit (Build 5728)

Rating: 8

Time with product: 10 Days

Strengths: Amazing performance. The fastest computing you'll find right now.

Weaknesses: Price. Core2Quadro will beat it in performance in only a few months.

Summary: I'm not sure how to feel about this chip. It's blazingly fast without overclocking, and it has an unlocked multiplier so you can overclock if you want to.Then again, it's $1000 at retail. Is it really worth $500+ for the performance lead it gains from lower chips? Or how about the fact that Core2Quadro will replace this as the king in a few short months.

Rating: 10

Time with product: 3 Weeks

Strengths: this cpu runs circles around my old fx62which was overclocked to the hilt.I have this running at stock speeds,and improved my mark 6 benchmark by 34 percent got 15.140

Weaknesses: motherboard support is lacking

Summary: I have the x6800 in a asus p5n32-sli-se motherboard 2 gigs of xms 5400 pro two bfg 7950s in quad sli and all I can say is wow.took all but motherboard and processor from my old amd rig, which was a fx62 on asus croshair motherboard.And I have to say the diference is like night in day.Not only does this setup just lay waste to my amd platform,it does it with less power and runs way cooler,when the 590 boards become availible I will be getting one,but other then the few boards offered right now this thing just rock would bye again in a newyork miniute