Question GPU Advice for Intel Xeon-based Gaming PC?

[Argonin]

Hi there,

I recently managed to save an HP Z440 Workstation from being thrown out and I was wondering if I could turn it into a reasonable gaming PC. I know next to nothing about Xeon processors but this one is quite old. Is it sensible to put a new GPU in this system or are there bottlenecks to consider?

BUDGET RANGE:
Around 400 euros / 360 GBP

RELEVANT SYSTEM SPECS:
Intel Xeon E5-1620 v3 @ 3.50 Ghz
16 GB RAM
700w power supply

COUNTRY OF ORIGIN: UK & the Netherlands

PARTS PREFERENCES: none

OVERCLOCKING: no

SLI OR CROSSFIRE: no

MONITOR RESOLUTION: currently 1080p but 1440p later

 

[WildCard999]

The CPU performs decently (close to the i7-3770) so you could pair it with a GPU such as the RX 570/580 or 1660/Ti for 1080P gaming, you just need to make sure the PSU quality is good and that it has the correct connections for the GPU. Per the manual you posted it has two GPU connections but it doesn't specify how many pins they are.

 

[Argonin]

So I take it that for a RX 5700XT or a RTX 2060 Super the CPU would definitely be the bottleneck?

 

[WildCard999]

So I take it that for a RX 5700XT or a RTX 2060 Super the CPU would definitely be the bottleneck?

At 1080P probably but at 1440P it should be fine but it also comes down to the game as well.

 

[Argonin]

I'm intending to play games like Assassin's Creed, Battlefield, GTA and Tomb Raider. Would the Xeon E5-1620 v3 in combination with a RX 5700XT or a RTX 2060 Super be the bottleneck at 1080p and/or 1440p? Assuming the highest game settings those GPUs can handle at those resolutions.

 

[WildCard999]

It may hold back the performance at 1080P so 1440P would be ideal and if you do get a 1440P monitor I'd get one that is Freesync as it should work with either AMD or Nvidia GPU (newer Nvidia GPU drivers support Freesync).
https://www.tomshardware.co.uk/how-to-run-gsync-on-freesync-monitor,review-34820.html

 

[Serinox]

As wildcard suggested the gpus around rx580 performance levels will be a good match for your cpu. You will be cpu bound in the games you mentioned unless you are playing in 4k anyways.