Intel Core 2 Duo E8600
Drops into a supported LGA 775 board as it is; check the board's CPU list. How to check.
Intel Core 2 Duo E8600: 2-core, 3.33 GHz, Wolfdale, LGA 775, 1333 MT/s FSB, 6 MB (shared) L2, 65 W TDP.
The quickest Core 2 Duo in this database, with a 10x multiplier on the 1333 MT/s bus for 3.33 GHz. Its LGA 771 counterpart is the Xeon X5260, which has the same clock, bus and cache. Unlike the E8500 it shipped only in E0, as SLB9L with CPUID 1067A, launched Q3 2008. The shared 6 MB of L2, 65 W TDP and 72.4 °C Tcase match its sibling, so a cooler that handles one handles the other. It has SSE4.1, VT-x and Enhanced SpeedStep. Pick it for a late LGA 775 desktop where clock speed matters more than core count.
| Family | Core 2 Duo |
|---|---|
| Codename | Wolfdale |
| Socket | LGA 775 |
| Cores / threads | 2 / 2 |
| Base clock | 3.33 GHz |
| Front-side bus | 1333 MT/s (333 MHz base clock) |
| Multiplier | 10x |
| L2 cache | 6 MB (shared) |
| TDP | 65 W |
| Process | 45 nm |
| Launch | Q3 2008 |
| Dual-socket capable | No |
| VT-x | Yes |
| SSE4.1 | Yes |
| Enhanced SpeedStep | Yes |
| Max case temperature | 72.4 °C |
| Voltage range (VID) | 0.85 V to 1.3625 V |
Steppings and microcode IDs
| Stepping | CPUID | sSpec |
|---|---|---|
| E0 | 1067A | SLB9L |
A BIOS needs a microcode update matching the CPUID (and, for Xeons, the LGA 771 platform ID). See LGA 771 Xeon microcode and how to read your stepping.
Mod notes
No mod, just paperwork: confirm the E8600 (E0, SLB9L) on the board maker's CPU list and install at least the BIOS version it names. Flash from steady power, with a saved copy of the old BIOS on a USB stick.