Help selecting processor

[mongobird]

I an trying to put together a computer to assist me with modeling.

The graphics card is a XFX HD 677x F3 series card which provides 5 mini-DP connectors, to drive the 5 monitors I will need. Express 2.0x16

The proposed motherboard is a ASUS P8Z77-V LX, but that is just proposed. I am open to suggestions.

For the processor I am a bit lost. I will do a fair amount of multitasking number crunching (parallel processes), but all graphics processing should be done by the XFX board. It looks like i7 provides more cores and threads than i5, but it's not clear what processor I should shoot for.

Suggestions, or comments? I am unlikely to overclock agressively, if at all.

Thanks.

 

[rolli59]

If you are going to overclock a 2600K or 3770K are the choices if no overclock then the normal none K 3770.

 

[Pinhedd]

If you're doing professional work I highly suggest getting a 3770 (non-K) or an equivalent Xeon processor

 

[mongobird]

If you are going to overclock a 2600K or 3770K are the choices if no overclock then the normal none K 3770.

What does the non-K 3770 have vs the others. Are the K's with better cooling?

 

[Pinhedd]

What does the non-K 3770 have vs the others. Are the K's with better cooling?

The non-K version is 100Mhz slower, has a locked multiplier, is about 30-40 bucks cheaper. Unlike the K version it features vPro, VTd and TXT extensions. These added extensions can be kinda handy in professional environments, especially with certain professional software suites

 

[mongobird]

Ah, I probably will not use the pro features. The OS will be Slackware, and the application will be math routines coded in C and Octave, which is similar to Matlab. Since things are open software, I assume the use of the extensions is less.

I tend to be more concerned about longevity and reliability.

So the primary impact of a K is that it has a unlocked multiplier. Thanks.

 

[mongobird]

If you're doing professional work I highly suggest getting a 3770 (non-K) or an equivalent Xeon processor

Professional work, but poor man's budget. Looking at the Xeon's I see why you suggest (more cores, threads) but the price, and the use of a higher end socket format, pushing me to higher end MB doesn't look financially attractive. Thanks, though.

Basically, I need a number cruncher, and I have a graphics card, which can run my displays, which have nothing fancy...just numerical displays. No shading, no rotations, etc.

 

[cbrunnem]

Ah, I probably will not use the pro features. The OS will be Slackware, and the application will be math routines coded in C and Octave, which is similar to Matlab. Since things are open software, I assume the use of the extensions is less.

I tend to be more concerned about longevity and reliability.

So the primary impact of a K is that it has a unlocked multiplier. Thanks.

it sounds like you are writing your own code and if that is the case are you sure you are writing programs that are capable of using more then 4 threads?

or are you running other peoples code to crunch numbers in which case are you sure they have coded it to use more then 4 cores. i know matlab itself is multi core but only if the program is written to use X amount of cores.

 

[Pinhedd]

Ah, I probably will not use the pro features. The OS will be Slackware, and the application will be math routines coded in C and Octave, which is similar to Matlab. Since things are open software, I assume the use of the extensions is less.

I tend to be more concerned about longevity and reliability.

So the primary impact of a K is that it has a unlocked multiplier. Thanks.

The GCC actually tends to be ahead of the curve in adopting new processor extensions. With that said there's nothing in there that will accelerate basic math functions that isn't also in the K version. The only new addition to the whole generation is the new set of RAND functions.

With that said, the 1 way xeon processors (single socket only) are priced comparably to their desktop equivalent. The Xeon E3-1275V2 is only 7 dollars more than the 3770K and supports ECC memory. ECC memory is recommended if you're running math applications. I don't know if your particular use case requires those numbers to be pinpoint accurate though, but if they do it is highly recommended.

Here's a comparison between the 3770, 3770K and E3-1275V2

http://ark.intel.com/compare/65523,65719,65726

Unfortunately motherboards supporting the Xeon processors are limited. Asus does make a few however such as this one

http://www.asus.com/Motherboards/Intel_Socket_1155/P8C_WS

It is not significantly more expensive than a P8Z77-V Deluxe

 

[mongobird]

it sounds like you are writing your own code and if that is the case are you sure you are writing programs that are capable of using more then 4 threads?

or are you running other peoples code to crunch numbers in which case are you sure they have coded it to use more then 4 cores. i know matlab itself is multi core but only if the program is written to use X amount of cores.

I won't exactly be using Matlab, but rather Octave. And yes, I will be writing a portion of the code, and they can be coded to use 4 or more cores.

Everyone's help here has helped me nail things down. I am thinking a 3770K, and I am now trying to pick a MB. GA Z77 D3H is where I am leaning. Easy to upgrade MB later, or just build a new system. I have 8GB of DDR3, which I will use for now, and perhaps later get 32GB if my stuff really works. So I have an upgrade path.

Looks like the 3770K processor is about $350 and the MB is about $120. I know this thread was about picking a processor, but now that is done, I'm open to MB suggestions. Thanks, everyone!

 

[mongobird]

The GCC actually tends to be ahead of the curve in adopting new processor extensions. With that said there's nothing in there that will accelerate basic math functions that isn't also in the K version. The only new addition to the whole generation is the new set of RAND functions.

With that said, the 1 way xeon processors (single socket only) are priced comparably to their desktop equivalent. The Xeon E3-1275V2 is only 7 dollars more than the 3770K and supports ECC memory. ECC memory is recommended if you're running math applications. I don't know if your particular use case requires those numbers to be pinpoint accurate though, but if they do it is highly recommended.

Here's a comparison between the 3770, 3770K and E3-1275V2

http://ark.intel.com/compare/65523,65719,65726

Unfortunately motherboards supporting the Xeon processors are limited. Asus does make a few however such as this one

http://www.asus.com/Motherboards/Intel_Socket_1155/P8C_WS

It is not significantly more expensive than a P8Z77-V Deluxe

Pinhedd, thanks. ECC memory is not a prerequisite. I've done lots of stuff where it is, but in this simulation, a fault will probably just blow up the model. And it's not one model running for days, it is 30 models a day or something like that. I decided to go with the 3770K, as that keeps me in a mainstream socket (1155) and get a Z77 board for it. I don't need graphics on the board. Thanks again!

 

[rolli59]

Both boards mentioned here the Asus P8Z77-V LX and the Gigabyte Z77 D3H are quality and all you need.

 

[mongobird]

Both boards mentioned here the Asus P8Z77-V LX and the Gigabyte Z77 D3H are quality and all you need.

Thanks. Done. Ordered. Now just waiting. I hope everything works with the graphics card! Thanks again!