This chip ROCKS!!! Superfast. Inexpensive. Makes computing fun again.

Author's Rating:

Pros: 
Fast.
Great Multitasking.
Runs Cool.
Overclocks Well.

Cons: 
Not Free.

The Bottom Line: 
Superfast, enthusiast friendly. The price keeps going down and down. Good for all uses. There are better options for gaming.

Author's Review
Introduction
I needed a powerful computer. One that could tear through video editing. I also wanted something that could handle the games of the era, should I ever get back into serious gaming. I did research, and more cores seemed to be the way to go. The only one on the market in my price range when I was researching the topic was the Core 2 Quad Q6600, and this thing was very reasonably priced for the power it gives you.

Specifications

4 Cores (2 cores x 2 dies in a single assembly)
8mb shared cache
266mhz FSB (double pumped to 533mhz)
LLGA775

Please Note!
This is an OEM chip. That means that these chips do not come in a box, do not include any accessories, such as heatsinks and fans, nor any cables tools or documentation. Only the chip itself, some packing material, and a stingy 30 day warranty. If you have the money, spend the extra $20 on getting a retail edition, unless you are absolutely confident that these stipulations will not be a problem.

I got it for $240, and it was worth every penny.

I made sure to get the G0 stepping, which is a newer fabrication of the chip that runs cooler and handles overclocking better than previous revisions.

The Result
I dropped this into my MSI P6N Platinum, and away it went! This was a huge upgrade from my AMD X2 4200+. It isn't even close. This thing can encode a DVD, play a game, and run an antivirus program simultaneously without a hiccup. I found that I could overclock this chip to 2.7Ghz. Your mileage may vary, but I think this chip could go a lot higher, as I think I am limited by my BIOS version to overclocking the buss to 299mhz (prior BIOS revisions of my motherboard apparently were able to surpass this boundary, but at the cost of RAM expandability).

I paired this chip with a COOLER MASTER GeminII heatsink, because I bought an OEM version with no included heatsink/fan. The COOLER MASTER GeminII was paired with to Rosewill 120mm fans, that keep this chip under 50C even under load on a hot day. This setup is loud, but provides a crazy amount of airflow.

Each of the 4 cores show their own temperature information using HWMonitor.

Conclusion
The price of this chip has since fallen, and newer options are available. I am told that a good Core 2 Duo is better for flat out gaming, but if you want a reliable chip that is superfast, and runs cool (never more that 50C overclocked and stressed), than this is the chip for you. Just make sure your motherboard can handle it.