Four cores, 8MB cache, 3.2GHz air-cooled & stable using just 1.1625V Vcore!
An eBay review for the Xeon X3210 Socket 775 quad-core, 8MB cache "2.13GHz" CPU:
I bought one of these used here on eBay in July of 2012 with a G0 (SLACU) stepping code. The starting bid was just $39.99, and I ended up winning it for that. (I also had won an Asus P5E3 Pro motherboard here on eBay for $40 and 4x2GB of DDR3-1600 for $30, so I had under $110 sunk into a great Socket 775, dual-GPU motherboard, this CPU, and 8GB of 1600MHz DDR3 RAM !) Awesome, but it gets better. I then put the CPU to the test with those parts. Here are some of the results:
Prime95 is a free utility that stress-tests CPU's to make sure that they are completely stable, and to test how well they are being cooled under the most severe stress. The program is known as P95 for short. This Xeon X3210 CPU, which runs stock from the factory @ 266x8 = 2.128GHz, was P95 stable pushing all 4 cores @ 100% using its "Max. Heat torture test" @ 400x8 = 3.2GHz, cooled on AIR by a GeminII 6-heatpipe CPU cooler with 2x 120mm fans. OK, so what, right ? Here's where this gets AMAZING: I did this with the Vcore set in BIOS to 1.1625V, showing as 1.152V in CPU-Z under full P95 load ! Idles @ 35/33/32/36C in Windows Vista (according to RealTemp GT 3.70), full load @ 55/51/51/56C. You read that right, CPU-Z reporting the actual Vcore of the CPU under full P95 load as 1.152V. Wow. If I had known how well this would do, I might not have bought a Q6600 back in the day. Maybe I'd have bought an X3210, or maybe its big brother, the X3220 2.4GHz version. Anyway, WOW.
Compared to modern X58 and Core i7 -based stuff, the parts I've described in this review will absolutely hold their own -- for WAY less money, unless you can use 8 threads well (many VM's or something in a server, for example). It's actually amazing. Also, I got this CPU to POST @ 480x8 = 3.84GHz @ 1.5V Vcore, but it wouldn't boot Windows Vista. 400x8 (which is what Intel calls a "1600MHz" "quad-pumped" FSB) is great for use with DDR3-1600 RAM, anyway. It's just amazing, and no downside that I can tell. Amazing value.
So, to recap: This CPU:
1) could be had at times here on eBay in July of 2012 for under fifty bucks,
2) has 8MB of cache RAM built in to it,
3) has four CPU cores,
4) can run stably at 3.2GHz (or more) when paired with other good parts,
5) can run amazingly cool even while overclocked by 50% or more, and
6) can do all this while being fed an unbelievably-low 1.1625 volts Vcore.
Amazingly capable CPU, and just an incredible value for the money spent.
It receives my highest recommendation, and may very well be THE best bang-for-your-buck CPU deal in existence as of the summer of 2012, especially when the costs of compatible motherboards & RAM are taken into consideration.
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