question about core 2 duo engineering samples!!!

what are the differences between engineering sample c2d's and retail c2d's besides the fact that one isn't out yet. specifically i am referring to an engineering sample core 2 duo t7200... that i am getting from an online reseller. i don't mind buying it because he is covering it with 1yr warranty but what i would like to know is what are the pros/cons of this vs. regular cpu in terms of performance, battery life, etc, i know its "unlocked" so i can overclock it, but i don't think i would do that, can i underclock it to say a 1.6 to save on battery? mainly im concerned about battery life... would this engineering sample help/hurt it? and how would it affect performance?

 

any help would be appreciated...

 

You will get the best bang for the buck with CPU intensive apps. For everyday use like word or internet I doubt the difference will be all that great. I can't imagine it is worth the trouble.

 

Engineering samples are just that. Early samples made to show off (and test) the chip before it's officially launched. And that's about all you can say about them. They might be just as good as final retail chips, it might be more or less overclockable, or more or less stable.

But yes, when you underclock (or undervolt), you save battery life, regardless of which cpu you're using.

 

but are there any adverse affects to engineering samples besides warranty etc?

 

No, there aren't usually. They may have some bugs in them that later revisions have fixed, but I have a pair of 3.06GHz HT'd Xeon's that are engineering samples that run perfectly fine. I wouldn't worry about it, as long as you're getting a very good price on it. Engineering samples usually aren't legit to sell, so be wary.

 

yeah, im getting a core 2 duo t7200 for 305... retails around 325... im thinkin about it...

 

Er, I answered that:

So, repeating myself a bit, there might be, and there might not be. It depends.

Generally, they don't release engineering samples unless they work. But it's always an open question *how well* they work. How stable they are, how overclockable they are, how much heat they generate. But they work.

 

i see... ok, then i think im gonna try it out... thanks guys...