Strengths: it can be easily and safely overclocked to at least 3.0Ghz

Weaknesses: 2mb cache...

Summary: I bought an OEM version of this Cpu and put a Nirvana 120 cooler. Currently i have it working at 3.4Ghz with nearly 1.5V on a GA-EP35C-DS3R with 2gb of geil ultra (800mhz 4-4-4-12) and it runs soooo sweet. Temperatures at idle are around 23degrees and under full load 55-60 degrees depending on the fan speed. If you find one don't hesitate to get it.

Strengths: Good value - price vs performance; overclockable

Weaknesses: Stock CPU cooler

Summary: I was building a HTPC, but didn't want to break the bank. I wanted the computer to do HD-DVD & Blu-Ray video decoding, but planed on using an nVidia 8600GT to offload those tasks. As a result, I didn't need super CPU performance. However, I would be doing occasional mid-range gaming, so wanted some tradeoff. Thus far, I am overjoyed! I have had no stutters during playback of HD content. I use PowerDVD Ultra and the 8600GT, and the CPU rarely reaches 25% during playback of HD movies.The installation was a snap, and my motherboard (ASUS P5K-VM) recognized the CPU right away. I initially used the stock CPU fan/cooler, but ended up dropping in an after-market one to get better performance. The stock fan/cpu is a tad loud for me, and it doesn't do that great of a job cooling down the processor. I wish Intel would design something better!

Strengths: Overclock to 3.2Ghz, cooler running than other e4xxx, high multiplier

Weaknesses: stock cooler, no virtualization

Summary: Received a GO stepping that runs cooler than e4300 I have overclocked. Hits 3.2Ghz easily. High multiplier helps with budget boards. This is a very economic and stable processor. If you do not need VT or the higher cache of higher end Intel dual core this is a very good chip for overclocking.

Strengths: Cool. Quick. OC'ing.

Weaknesses: Cache

Summary: Great little CPU, and you can't get better performance for the price (well, the E2160 is prob close). Great OC'ing ability. And is compatible with most Core 2 Duo ready motherboards. Only complaint would be the 2MB cache, wish Intel made a 4MB cache version with 800MHz. Oh, and you will want to replace the stock cooling if you plan on doing any real OC'ing.

Strengths: highly overclockable

Weaknesses: 2MB cache ram

Summary: This is my 5th Intel Core 2 processor, and once again it does not disappoint. The 11x multiplier will allow you to overclock your processor with minimal stress on your FSB and ram. I safely took this processor to 3.2GHz without a problem.

Strengths: Can easily overclock, cheap.

Weaknesses: Not a big L2 cache, only 2mb shared. Not the greatest stock fan

Summary: This is a great processor. I upgraded from a P4, and wow what a difference. Its able to run a lot of games that my old processor just couldn't handle. Runs at a cool temp of 23C idle and about 47C under load. This chip has a huge potential to overclock also which is a big plus. Great performance for the money

Strengths: Overclocks easily. Ran upto 3.10GHz. Can go higher. Low temps.

Weaknesses: Stock HSF is quite lame. Doesn't cool well & it's all aluminum alloy, unlike it's C2D E6xxx counterpart.

Summary: Using the above board & Kingston KVR 667 RAM (DRAM Chips are Kingston also)i managed hit upto 3.1GHz till my RAM gave way. I've upped the volts to 2.0 on RAM +0.1 on Northbridge & stayed @ 1.35 volts for the cpu. Stable but have to check with some other tools to verify stability.Sandra Lite XI, when running the tests the systems get stuck, but after completion regains control. so have to tweak a little more.

Strengths: Good CPU. Stable with overclocking. Low temperature with the fan and heatsink included.

Weaknesses: Non.

Summary: This is a good processor with relatively cheap price compared to other Intel's other high-end processor. I was able to overclock up to 3GHz (1.35V) without any problem. The temperature is noramally under 40 degrees. The fan and heatsink included works well and quiet. Also it is fast and stable enough to run many 3D games.

Strengths: Price, performance, OC potential, included fan works well and is quiet

Weaknesses: None

Summary: Bought this processor for $99 from a local / online retailer. It is dual core, 65nm (Conroe) M0, has a 2MB L2 cache, and is rated at 2.2GHz. It is LGA775 / Socket T and has an 11X multiplier. The stock fan is surprisingly quiet and does a decent job of cooling ? much better than I had expected based on reviews I had read.I am using it on a FoxConn P35A motherboard with the HP PX976AT 667MHz memory sticks, seeing the following overclock results (sorry for the formatting):CPU f / Load / Vcore / Temp2.2GHz / Idle / 1.15V / 28 deg C2.2GHz / Load / 1.20V / 48 deg C3.0GHz / Load / 1.20V / 54 deg C3.1GHz / Load / 1.25V / 60 deg C3.2GHz / Load / 1.30V / 67 deg C3.3GHz / Load / 1.30V / 69 deg CIt appears that I could go higher with a better HS, but I do not currently have one, and since the proc is rated at 73 deg C this is as far as I pushed it. I plan to use it at around 3GHz. I am very happy with my purchase and would definitely recommend this processor. Make sure you shop around and don?t overpay for it.

Strengths: Low Power; good value; overclockable

Weaknesses: Cheaper?!

Summary: This worked great in my ASUS P5K-VM motherboard. I am not planning on overclocking right away, but wanted that option in the future once I start running HD content in my HTPC. Using the stock fan, it ran a cool 33 degrees celcius at idle. Very impressive, compared to the old Intel Pentium D days!There are a myriad of Intel Core2Duo processors, but this proved the best bang for the buck at $120.

Strengths: Low price, overclock potential

Weaknesses: 2MB shared L2 cache

Summary: If price is the major concern for you like me, this is the best dual-core Core2 processor for the price in my opinion (I bought for $125). The default performance is absolutely fine but it can easily overclock to 3GHz without even increasing the core voltage. I have the M0 stepping with 1.1875v default core voltage which enables even higher overclocks that the performance can compare with the high-end dual-core CPUs. Another advantage is 800FSB of this CPU; overclocking is possible with cheaper motherboards (even with 945P chipset) and slower RAM (as low as DDR2-667).

Strengths: Fast value priced processor with dual core.

Weaknesses: Smaller level 2 cache compared to E6xxx series.

Summary: One of the best dual core processors on the market today, the E4500 works as fast as more expensive E6xxx series, and more cache performance from the low cost E2xxx series. This one sits in the middle with its excellent value proposition of good performance and lower price. It also beats AMD A64x2 series hands down in terms of power use, temperature, and performance.

Strengths: value priced, 2MB cache, dual core, overclocks well

Weaknesses: a bit slower than i expected. upgraded from a 2400+ barton @ 2.3ghz, and default 2.2ghz seemed slower than the barton at 2.3ghz in games. This could be an issue of Vista taking more resources though.

Summary: After I overclocked the CPU to 2.77ghz it seems to be a lot faster. The default speed seems to actually bottleneck the system. I'm satisfied with the CPU but I haven't really tried to maximize the overclock potential because I'm planning on upgrading the CPU within a year. The overclock was simple, I just changed the fsb and it worked without even changing the voltage.

Strengths: Great price and performance, easily overclocked and stays cool.

Weaknesses: none, for the $ (bought from microcenter for $100), no complaints at all.

Summary: I am happy with this CPU. It perfectly balances the price and performance, right in the middle of 6xxx and 2xxx series. Though I am not a hardcore overclocker, this CPU impressed me by how easily it could be overclocked, only 35C when it runs at 2.8GHz, way much lower than my old AMD CPU. I really enjoyed the upgrade.

Strengths: fast, cheap, large multiplier, low power consumption

Weaknesses: none for me

Summary: I bought this core 2 duo processor from microcenter for $99 shipped. I have to say this little stuff is very powerful. not only it can be easily oced to 3.2G with stock fan and stock vcore, but it is quiet. the core temp is 24C at idle, and about 50C at full load. I hate my P4 3.0 system, very load and hot. so you know how much I like the new build.