Hello all! I recently got ahold of an old Dell server/workstation INSPIRON T3400, bought a new PSU and GPU (GTX 460), and set out to get the old machine running Windows 7 for some late 2000's gaming. Problem is, the only resolution I can run my games at is seriously undertaxing my GPU so that my 460 is being bottlenecked by my Core 2 Quad q6600. I have a motherboard with overclocking capabilities, and is officially stated by Gigabyte on their website to support SPECIFICALLY the q6600. This motherboard is tested and working with a Core 2 Duo E8400 I believe. The Motherboard is called the GA-EP45-xxxx. I forget the last few numbers, but it has 4 ram slots, a yellow and red color scheme, and a gold heatsink. LGA 775 socket, I know all of the components individually work, and together they all work except for the q6600 and this motherboard, various RAM, GPU, PSU, BIOS (the ones I could find), and SSD configs are tested working, but the q6600 refuses to boot with the motherboard. What do I do next? I am stuck looking for a solution, I have no idea what to do next. Also, Windows 7 refuses to install without corrupting, so Windows 10 is what I am forced to use for the time being with the stock DELL motherboard.

Motherboard troubles with older hardware.

By DANK_AS_gay
August 6, 2021 in Troubleshooting

Go to solution Solved by Bombastinator, August 6, 2021

So I had to take the trash out (I forgot) which means I had to get dressed again so I went down to the basement and it wasn’t under as many things as I thought. It need a ablow out which I definitely can’t do tonight. It’s raining no idea what the mobo, video card or cpu is. There’s some memory in it that I thought was in a box. It’s way way too dusty to try booting. Just asking for blue smoke. Mechanical HD. No idea what is on it. This thing needs a going over.

Posted August 6, 2021

1 hour ago, DANK_AS_gay said:

I am not experienced at all with OC'ing, do you mind explaining it, especially for these older BIOS's?

I think you are gonna be better off using an e8600 but you could still use your e8400 if you want and buying a gigabyte g31 or p31 board as those boards will do 500fsb with ease

Mine does 510 but craps out due to ram

Ep45 will go 600 easily but ocing that is gonna be confusing asf cause you need to do some fine tuning which takes hours

Whereas g/p31 all you have to do is shove the fsb/vtt, mch/nb to max and you are good to go, though boards like the p31 ds3l does have gtl but all you have to do is put that at 61 or whatever the lowest value is

I suggest g31m s2c or p31 ds3l for a good board

You will also need to find some 1066mhz ram or you can just get an e8600