Power Consumption

We decided to conclude our review with the power consumption measurements for our systems (without the monitor) working in nominal as well as overclocked modes. The system configurations were the same as during our performance tests. Enhanced Intel SpeedStep and Cool’n’Quiet 2.0 power-saving technologies were activated. The processors were loaded with Prime95 25.5 utility.

Lower power consumption is one of the strengths of 45nm processors with four as well as two cores. No doubt that the new Core 2 Quad Q9300 turned out much more economical than its predecessor. Moreover, this quad-core CPU working at its nominal frequency can even be compared to the dual-core Core 2 Duo E8500 in terms of power consumption levels.

Overclocking, however, makes quad-core processors more “power-hungry” than the dual-core ones. That is why if you intend to overclock, you should keep in mind that the thermal and power parameters of your CPU as well as the entire system will increase dramatically. However, the new Core 2 Quad Q9300 can still be considered highly economical even when running at the frequencies far beyond the maximum, compared with the overclocked Core 2 Quad Q6600 from the Kentsfield generation.