Product ReviewsIntel Core 2 Extreme QX6850 3GHz Quad-Core (HH80562XJ0808M) Processor

The Perfect Retro Socket 775 Gaming CPU

A perfect choice for a retro Windows XP build. It does work with Windows 7 64 bit, but graphics cards rated much higher than a GTX 1050 may encounter CPU bottle necks.
Using stock voltage with a multiplier of 10x will net a stable 3.33Ghz. Overclocking to 3.66Ghz is harder to achieve with stable results on some of these CPU's.
Be aware that this CPU lacks SSE 4.1 instruction sets so your use in modern day applications that require this will be restricted. (some versions of Denuvo DRM required this)
Considering this CPU has lost around 97% of its original value in 2018, it's now affordable enough for that older socket 775 retro gaming system you have always wanted.Read full review...

Verified purchase:  Yes | Condition: pre-owned | Sold by: wrghope

nice processor very quick just didn't last more that 10 minutes

it worked for 10 minutes and stopped.

so I know it installed right and the heat level was at 38 degrees C so it was not too hot it just quit.

Verified purchase:  Yes | Condition: pre-owned | Sold by: cheaperthanchina

Fantastic processor, worth the upgrade cost, but runs very hot.

This is a former $1000 processor, so to put it into perspective, this is the 775 socket's i7 990x. It runs like a warhorse, very efficient and never afraid to show its true strength.

Pros: If you're trying to squeeze life out of your old 775 socket system, this is definitely a great way to do it.
Most buying this are coming from dual cores ranging from 2.4 to 3.0 GHz, and while the step up may seem mediocre compared to the newer builds, it easily outperforms those dual cores by two to three times.
Overclocking is the specialty with the Extreme series. With an unlocked multiplier capable of up to 16, and stock set to 9, you can successfully jump 0.3GHz each time. It's stable at up to 5.1GHz if you want to take it there.
Some claim the q6600, the much more affordable option is the better choice, as it can OC very easily to that of this processor. Believe what you please, but if the cost difference is fairly narrow, this CPU trumps it in every category.

Cons: HEAT - My god, this processor gets HOT compared to anything else. Under my motherboard's stock heatsink, stock clocks, I was getting temps as high as 90ºC under load. HIGHLY suggest the best aftermarket air cooling you are willing to afford.
Some motherboard compatibility issues, ensure that your motherboard supports this processor before buying, or that you update the BIOS.Read full review...

Make sure you are running Win 7 to get full advantage of this chip.

I had most of the same issues as reviewed here.

Bought this to breath a little life into my 4 year old Velocity Micro computer while I await the release of the new 2012 bus chips. I went from an E8600 to this and my Windows CPU score went from 6.9 to 7.3. Not too shabby.

Easy to install on my Evga 680i (make sure you have the latest BIOS update) using my existing Artic 7 heatsync. Overclocked from 3.0ghz to 3.3ghz but 3.6 was running hot (80C).

I was considering getting water cooled but I'll save that for my new computer upgrade.

Nice chip, good stable performance, although I would have been very disappointed had I purchased this 3 years ago at retail prices because the boost in performance isn't 'all that', but for what I did pay for it now it's well worth the bump in performance.
I use it mostly for FSX which is heavily CPU based and benefits from the extra cores.

The only reason I didn't give it 5 stars is because it gets hot when overclocking but, as I said, although I'm not using the stock cooler I probably could get temps down with water. But I'll wait.
Even if you're not an overclocker, this would still be a good upgrade.Read full review...

QX6850 Extreme great buy

I installed this cpu and it had excellent response. Only issue I had was it wasn't immediately recognized in W10 until I deleted my previous 4 cores and updated Device Manager which caused the the QX6850 to show. Speed performance increased significantly from my old Q6400.
Now if I could just find some 4 or 8GB DDR2 ram at a good price.
Read full review...

Verified purchase:  Yes | Condition: pre-owned | Sold by: iseetheworld

Rare CPU these days, but still capable of competing with the new technology

Pros: This thing can still hang with the quad cores of today...if you're looking to maximize your socket 775 motherboard without going to the i3 i5 i7 CPUs and break your bank...then this is the CPU to do it with!

Gaming is unreal...Battlefield Bad Company 2 all on max settings, all other games with the settings turned up, and this thing doesn't even hiccup.

Cons: This thing can get hot! Make sure you get a good heatsink and some artic 5 thermal paste because the temps turn up when all 4 of these cores are fired up and blasting away at information.Read full review...

Its a cost efficient way to extend the life of your Socket 775 system!

She is a beast. While it is no Intel I5 it still holds up extremely well for it's age. I personally will not be overclocking this processor as it is for my son to play some games, do homework and other things. I have it paired with a Radeon HD 5770 and 8 gigs of DDR2 memory. It will serve him well for the next year or so, then I was thinking about converting the system into an emulator box.

TL:DR

Costs about the same as a Haswell Pentium Dual Core but it can OC and its a quad core. Can be a gamble buying used parts that are 7 years old but these processors are die hards and I do not regret this purchase.Read full review...

Dated, but still a BEAST!

Even though this processor was released three years ago, it still holds up to the latest Core i3 and i5 Processors. Being a quad core processor clocked at 3.0Ghz, this chip is capable of handling multi-threaded applications as well as taxing 3D games. This is the best processor my P5N32-E SLI board can take, and it performs up to the Core 2 Extreme standard.Read full review...

QX6850

Very fast CPU. It runs any program or game with ease. Only one problem though. This isn't a problem for me but it will be for most. It runs quite hot at times, just make sure you have good cooling and you'll be okay. Four cores at 3 Ghz means this thing flys. My old Q6600 suddenly looks very slow compared to this. In a Dell XPS 720 (non H2C) and load temps never go above 65 on each of the cores. Keep it cool and it will make you happy.Read full review...

Rare CPU to speed up old computer. Great!

Very good dealer for such a rare cpu. Thank you!

Verified purchase:  Yes | Condition: pre-owned | Sold by: cheng3930