When everyone wait for the next upgraded processors Core 2 Duo with FSB1333 in the current summer, and for the future processors 45nm Intel planned in the end of year, Intel introduced Core 2 Extreme QX6800.

New High-end-range processor come to supplement, the current Core 2 Extreme QX6700. Intel proposes to us the QX6800, processor quad core work at 2,93 GHZ, the same as Core 2 X6800 released in July 2006, but this last has only two core.

Intel Motorcycle Orange Quadcore

Intel Core 2 Extreme QX6800: An already known architecture

Without much surprise, Core 2 Extreme QX6800 which Intel proposes to us today is made on Kentsfield core, already used in Core 2 Extreme QX6700 and Core 2 Q6600 . Let us recall that the following example was made with Pentium D, Intel joins together on the same physical chip two cores Core 2 Duo.

With the absence of the most effective architectural level, the technique adopted by Intel ensure a good release rate in the production of its processors quad-core. It is easier to produce dies with small size rather than only one enormous die joining four core.

Intel Core 2 Extreme QX6800: review

Core 2 Extreme QX6800 has the Socket LGA-775 and preserves the heat-spreader appeared with the first Pentium 4. Its thermal envelope is fixed at 130 Watts, witch is largely higher than Core 2 Duo E6700. The QX6800 is not an economic processor in energy terms. In full load, its temperature rise easily to 48° C, against a maximum of 40° C generally observed in Core 2 X6800 Extreme which operates at the same frequency 2,93 GHZ.

Intel Core 2 Extreme QX6800 - CPU - 1

Intel Core 2 Extreme QX6800 - CPU - 2
Intel Core 2 Extreme QX6800: in front of, behind

Produced in 65nm, Core 2 Extreme QX6800 has approximately 585 million transistors with a supply voltage fixed at 1,32 Volts. Our tests model was equipped with Kentsfield core stepping 7 and B3 revision, the same core version which equips the Core 2 Extreme QX6700. With system bus always fixed at 266 MHz (FSB1066), the processor uses here the multiplier 11x with operation frequency 2,93 GHZ. We Note that Extreme models has free multiplier .

Side technologies, the Core 2 Extreme QX6800 has The EM64T , EIST ( witch control the frequencies and voltage according to the processor load ) . The virtualizing technology Intel VT, is also present.

	Total system power consumption	Recorded temperature
AMD Athlon64 FX-62	274 Watts	64° C
Intel Core 2 Duo E6700	203 Watts	39° C
Intel Core 2 Q6600 Four-core	210 Watts	40° C
Intel Core 2 Extreme QX6700	240 Watts	45° C
Intel Core 2 X6800 Extreme	210 Watts	39° C
Intel Core 2 Extreme QX6800	250 Watts	47° C

Total system power consumption :qx 6800

Recorded temperature :qx 6800

We have used the configuration below to test the performance of our new processor:

Asus motherboard P5W-DH Deluxe - BIOS 1901,
2x1 Gb Corsair memory DDR2 Twin2X 6400 C3,
Graphics card NVIDIA GeForce 7900 GTX,
2x hard drive Western Digital Raptor 150 Gb Serial-ATA 150

Our computer functioned under Windows XP Professional Service Pack 2 and used the last driver and BIOS available to the test date . On this Asus platform we tested Core 2 Extreme QX6800 and also Core 2 Extreme QX6700 and X6800 but also Core 2 Q6600 Four-core and Core 2 Duo E6700. And we do not forget about AMD platform :

Asus motherboard M2N32SLI Deluxe (BIOS 0903),
2x1 Gb Corsair memory DDR2 Twin2X 6400 C3,
Graphics card NVIDIA GeForce 7900 GTX,
2x hard drive Western Digital Raptor 150 Gb Serial-ATA 150

On this configuration we used the AMD processors : Athlon 64 X2 6000+ and Athlon FX 62.

3DMark 06 - v1.1.0 - Processor Test

Intel Core 2 Extreme QX6800 - 3DMark 06 CPU

We starts with 3DMark 06 whose test the processor . According to 3DMark 06, Core 2 Extreme QX6800 is 14% faster than its predecessor but it is practically twice faster than Athlon 64 FX-62. According to 3DMark 06 with equal frequency (Qx 6800 vs traditional Core 2 X6800 Extreme.), the contribution of two additional core is 78% ,

PCMark 05 - CPU - v1.2.0

Intel Core 2 Extreme QX6800 - PCMark 05 CPU

The four core processor make performance profit from passage of 2,66 GHZ (the frequency of QX6700) to 2,93 GHZ equal to 10% . The Core 2 Extreme QX6800 is 26% faster than Core 2 X6800 Extreme (witch has two core only).

PCMark 05 - Memory - v1.2.0

Intel Core 2 Extreme QX6800 - PCMark 05 Mem

PCMark 05 memory test seems to be sensitive to the processor frequency , Core 2 X6800 Extreme and Core 2 Extreme QX6800 display practically identical score. The passage from Core 2 Extreme QX6700 to the new QX6800 increases its performances by 6% .

Sandra Xi - SP1 - Processor Test

Intel Core 2 Extreme QX6800 - Sandra CPU

The first places in SiSoft Sandra processor test are for Core 2 quad-core since we finds on the first three steps Core 2 Extreme QX6800, QX6700 and Core 2 Quad Q6600. According to Sandra, the performance profit related to the rise of frequency observed on the QX6800 vs QX6700 reaches 10%. And vs Core 2 Extreme X6800, the QX6800 is here twice faster.

Sandra Xi - SP1 - Memory Test

Intel Core 2 Extreme QX6800 - Sandra Memory

Finally here .AMD get some respectable result . It should be noted that the integrated memory controller make a good part of athlon 64 performances . We have here the A 64 FX 62 and Athlon 64 X2 6000+ in the first and second place. Our Core 2 Extreme QX6800 displays here performances close to other Intel core 2 duo processor .

ScienceMark 2.0 - Primordia

Intel Core 2 Extreme QX6800 - ScienceMark 2

In ScienceMark, mathematical test , Athlon 64 X2 6000+ remains the fastest processor. As for Core 2 Extreme QX6800 it finish in equality with Core 2 Extreme X6800, the four core did not bring anything to this test. We note that Core 2 Extreme QX6800 under these conditions is 10% faster than its predecessor, Core 2 Extreme QX6700.

Cinebench 9.5

Cinebench react well to the number of core used. and here Cinebench gives Core 2 Extreme QX6800 the first place , this last being 10,7% faster than Core 2 Extreme QX6700 and 72% faster than Core 2 X6800 Extreme.

Adobe Photoshop CS2

Intel Core 2 Extreme QX6800 - Photoshop CS2

Under Photoshop CS2, we measure the time necessary for the application of radial blur an image with high resolution. The results are expressed in seconds, so the lower is better . Core 2 Extreme QX6800 vs Core 2 Extreme X6800 is here twice faster .

Windows Media encoder 9.0

Let us again recall that here we measure the time necessary for encoding video, the results are thus expressed in seconds (lower time =better=faster). Our new quad core finish this test with perfect equality with Core 2 X6800 Extreme , whereas its 23 seconds faster than Core 2 Extreme QX6700 working at 2,66 GHZ. Once more, AMD is not able to reach Intel speed , Athlon 64 are here the slowest processors.

File compression WinRAR 3.62

Under WinRAR, we compress a little more than 650 Mb data and we measure the time necessary with to complete this task . Following the example Windows Media encoder, WinRAR does not benefit from quad-core processors . And as Results our Core 2 Extreme QX6800 has the same performances as Core 2 X6800 Extreme with a ten seconds profit vs Core 2 Extreme QX6700.

3DSMax 8 - Radiosity

We thus finds Core 2 Extreme QX6700 and QX6800 in the first place. The QX6800 is 31 s faster than Core 2 X6800 Extreme .

TMPGenc 4.2.3.193 Xpress

Intel quad core processors get here the first places. And AMD processor get the latest

Pinnacle Studio 10.7

Let us remain in video with Studio 10.7. Studio 10 does not benefit from quad core processors , so the QX6800 is in equality with X6800.

Mathematica 5.1

Intel Core 2 Extreme QX6800 - Mathematica

At the head, we finds Core 2 X6800 Extreme and QX6800. The performances of Core 2 remain sufficiently high for AMD processor .

Doom 3 v1.3 - 1024x768x32

Here we have a good example of graphic card limitation. all processor are more than enough for the 7900gtx in this game

Far Cry v1.4 - 1024x768x32

In Far Cry, Core 2 Extreme QX6800 takes the top over X6800. Vs X2 6000+, Core 2 Extreme QX6800 is 34% faster ! It is noted here that at equal frequency, the quad core processors display a light advantage over their dual core analog .

Call Of Duty 2 - v1.3 - 1024x768x32

Intel Core 2 Extreme QX6800 - Cal Off Duty 2

Call Of Duty 2, just like Doom 3 give a similar result for all tested processor.

Supreme Commander - 1024x768x32

Let us finish with the recently released game : Supreme Commander. The quad core processors are found on the first three places and the difference between QX6800 and X6800 reaches 5%. Compared with Athlon 64 X2 6000+, Core 2 Extreme QX6800 is 10% faster .

Overclocking

Side overclocking, we the already high thermal envelope of Core 2 Extreme QX6800, we should not expect large capability. we was able to reach the 3.4 ghz but any higher frequency the system refuse to post .

Intel Core 2 Extreme QX6800 - OC 1

Intel Core 2 Extreme QX6800 - OC2

Overclocking Core 2 Extreme QX6800: 3,3 GHZ then 3,4 GHZ

Conclusion

Core 2 Extreme QX6800 is not a bad processor. Admittedly software environment is not fully ready to benefit from its four Core but its frequency equal to Core 2 X6800 Extreme enables it to display very good scores in video games, ( where Core 2 Extreme QX6700 was in lower performance compared to X6800 ). But we should not forget about the price. the QX6800 cost 1199 dollars for quantity unit per thousand!