Stock vCore Overclocking

Before I delve into an array of graphs and you ignore everything I write, let me discuss what most of you are reading this for: Overclocking.

First, I began by finding the maximum stable (3 hours of OCCT due to time constraints) overclock at each CPU's stock core voltage. 

With both CPU's stock core voltage being 1.24v, it was an easy comparison.  The E3110 (C0) achieved a stable overclock of 3.51GHz (390 x 9.)  While the E8600 (E0) was able to obtain nearly identical FSB speeds at stock core voltage resulting in a core speed of 3.93Ghz (393 x 10) rock solid stable.

I was pleased to say the least, being what could most certainly be the last of the great dual cores (with Nehalem on the horizon and no word on making anything less than a quad core) still had some factory headroom left in it.

Particularly for gaming, a 3.93GHz Wolfdale is nothing to shake a stick at and at the present, will oust nearly every quad core (save the QX chips with unlocked multipliers that generally clock to this speed for 24/7 usage) in nearly every game for the time being.

I would have loved to do a temperature comparison between the two steppings, but, as many of you know, early releases of the 45nm CPUs from Intel were often plagued with stuck, inaccurate, or completely off-base temperature sensors.  Sadly my E3110 is one of those CPUs and consistently reads below ambient which is entirely impossible with water cooling.

I will say that the E8600 was in no way difficult to keep cool, at stock voltage it never climbed over 40C at full load (assuming the temp sensor is correct!)  This is with a modest water cooling setup, this CPU is certainly an air cooling gamer's dream.

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Index: Page 1 - Introduction Page 2 - Let's meet the competitors: E8600 E0 vs. E8400 C0 Page 3 - Benchmarks and Settings Page 4 - Stock vCore Overclocking Page 5 - 1.4v vCore Overclocking Page 6 - CPU Intensive Benchmarks Page 7 - Graphics and Gaming Benchmarks Page 8 - Conclusions Page 9 - Update 9/29/08