computer experts?

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So I just got the comp I ordered from dell and I ran a little diagnostic program to tell me what hardware i have installed to make sure i got what I ordered. Everything seemed to match up except the L2 cache.

I ordered the " Intel® Core™ 2 Q6600 Quad-Core (8MB L2 cache,2.4GHz,1066FSB)"

This is what I got after running Belarc (diagnostic prog).
Processor
2.40 gigahertz Intel Core2 Quad
64 kilobyte primary memory cache
4096 kilobyte secondary memory cache

That seems like half of the cache that I ordered. Or does it have something to do with the fact that it's a quad core?
Or could it be that the program isn't registering the other 4MB of cache because it's in use?

[kmk]

Belarc is not seeing it. Could be a compatibility issue. Did you try SIW ? (http://www.gtopala.com/)

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I tried that program as well and I got

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I ordered the " Intel® Core™ 2 Q6600 Quad-Core (8MB L2 cache,2.4GHz,1066FSB)"

The 6600 only has 4MB of L2 cache. Dell has their specs screwed-up if they told you it has 8MB of L2 cache.

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I'm pretty sure the Q6600 has 8MB of L2. All the sites I've seen (including intel) confirm this. You may be thinking of the the E6600 (the dual core version) which has only 4MB.

In any case I figured it out. The programs I was using to determine what hardware was installed were the problem. It's actually 2 sets of 4MB. I used another program called cpuZ (grreat program btw) and it showed 4096kb x 2. I then confirmed this with the BIOS (which is what I should have done in the first place but didn't think of it). Thanks for the advice guys.

Btw, I HATE Vista. Freakin' memory hoggin, verify askin', non compatible P.O.S. Not only does it take up half of the 2GB of ram just for itself but I got this comp specifically do video/photo editing and the OS seems to have huge problems with all the software I use. Going back to XP asap.

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I'm pretty sure the Q6600 has 8MB of L2.

I stand corrected. Missed that little "Q."

[Alex Franke]

It's only seeing one processor pair -- that processor has 8MB shared, or 4MB per core pair.

That seems like half of the cache that I ordered. Or does it have something to do with the fact that it's a quad core?
Or could it be that the program isn't registering the other 4MB of cache because it's in use?

Edit: Whoops -- I should have kept reading!

[LinuxRandal]

I'm pretty sure the Q6600 has 8MB of L2. All the sites I've seen (including intel) confirm this. You may be thinking of the the E6600 (the dual core version) which has only 4MB.

In any case I figured it out. The programs I was using to determine what hardware was installed were the problem. It's actually 2 sets of 4MB. I used another program called cpuZ (grreat program btw) and it showed 4096kb x 2. I then confirmed this with the BIOS (which is what I should have done in the first place but didn't think of it). Thanks for the advice guys.

Btw, I HATE Vista. Freakin' memory hoggin, verify askin', non compatible P.O.S. Not only does it take up half of the 2GB of ram just for itself but I got this comp specifically do video/photo editing and the OS seems to have huge problems with all the software I use. Going back to XP asap.

Let me know any tricks or problems installing XP on that. My one Windows machine died (either motherboard, processor, or both), and I really don't want to make my server (Linux on all other systems) dual boot for the two games I play. If it is the model I am looking at (spoofee about 5 days ago), it's not offered with XP.

[Bob Bassett]

Dual Core Processors and CPU Utilization

System monitor shows that I have a 100 % CPU utilization most of the time when opening programs or loading files. Does a Dual Core processor help with this problem?

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Let me know any tricks or problems installing XP on that. My one Windows machine died (either motherboard, processor, or both), and I really don't want to make my server (Linux on all other systems) dual boot for the two games I play. If it is the model I am looking at (spoofee about 5 days ago), it's not offered with XP.

I've read on another forum that you can call in and request XP. So if I were you I'd call and ask. Unfortunately for me, I found out about it several days after I ordered it. I contemplated about refusing the package and getting a new one with XP but I kinda wanted to try out the new OS (big mistake).

But if you can't and want to install XP yourself, one thing I've read you need to do is to make sure to turn RAID off.

I may wait to do the install after I get my Raptor so I don't have to go through the whole hassle of the install yet again. I probably would have done a fresh install even if I had gotten XP originally as dell seems to pack it with programs I don't need, especially Norton.

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System monitor shows that I have a 100 % CPU utilization most of the time when opening programs or loading files. Does a Dual Core processor help with this problem?

Do you have SP2 installed? If so, that could be the culprit. MS does have a hotfix for it and I suggested emailing them to get it. But only install it on the computer with the problem (assuming you have others).

Multi-core cpus really excel in multi-tasking (ie using multiple programs at one time). I was able to download over 4 gigs of data from my external, install a program, and play warcraft all without a hiccup. On my old comp playing a game while doing even one of the other 2 tasks would have been impossible. Another advantage is programs that can take advantage of the multiple cores. For me it's Photoshop and my video editing programs. It's supposed to make rendering much faster. But I wouldn't know cuz Vista has compatibility issues with them.

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Well I just finished installing XP SP2 on it with no problem. The driver disk Dell sent was a little confusing but I figured it out. I decided to install XP now (instead of waiting to get a Raptor) since I wanted to make a vid for my niece as a present for her upcoming bday. Well more for her parents as she's only 1. Can finally run my video programs. And man is this thing fast. Rendered at project in 1:37 when it used to take me about 15minz.

[JSUPreston]

Paul, I get the MS Action Pack, and back in Feb. I got Vista as part of my quarterly update. My machine, although now 3 years old, still is a beefy system. I built it primarily for Photoshop and Premiere use.

I backed up all my data, reformatted and installed everything fresh with Vista Business. Right off the bat, my HP All in One was no longer supported. I had to get a hacked driver for my 3Com on-board NIC, which is still in production. Other drivers were built in or had Vista versions.

Anyway, although my Adobe apps are older versions, they still do everything I need. Premiere was pretty unstable, and Photoshop was broken completely. After multiple unexplained crashes, messed up Outlook settings, etc. I went back to XP Pro. Been happy ever since.

I'm hearing that Vista SP1 may come out later this year. I hope so, because M$ has said they are not allowing OEMs to sell XP after Dec. 31.

I've been building and supporting computers professionally since the 286/386 days, and I haven't had this much trouble with an OS ever. Even the move from Windows 3.1/DOS 6.x to Windows 95 was easier.

Personally, I think you made a wise choice going back to XP. Hope everything works out for you.