Intel Xeon E7-2830 good for vray?

INULLO

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Apr 9, 2014
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Hi I have one of those.Can I use it with vray and what motherboard can I use if I can>Any other compatability issues ?..I haven't seen also comparison of the calculation power of the processor

Thanks
 
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INULLO,

Yes, a Xeon X5680 on the X58 chipset and the 1333 RAM is old technology, but with good, modern GPU, and the addition of a PERC or LSI 6Gb/s disk system, the X5680 3.33 / 3.6 GHz is completely useful.

There is a lot to said fro current processors and I recently changed my HP z420 with an E5-1620 4-core 3.6 /3.8GHz for an HP z420 to an E5-1660...


INULLO,

The specifications for the E7-2830 can be seen here:

http://ark.intel.com/products/53674/Intel-Xeon-Processor-E7-2830-24M-Cache-2_13-GHz-6_40-GTs-Intel-QPI

If this was a gift it's a slightly eccentric one as an E7 is a 2011 issued, 8-core /16 thread @ 2.13 / 2.4GHz high density calculation CPU- computational or for servers and is used in up to two CPU's on an LGA 1567 motherboard. The CPU originally cost almost $1,800.

The problem with the project is that motherboards for Xeon E7 are very rugged, high quality- and usually server oriented- rare and expensive. Most E7's are made for 4 and 8 CPU servers and the E7-8XXX series CPU's can cost up to $6,500 each. I think $$800 to $1,000 would be a good target for a used motherboard.

The 8 cores /16 threads are a plus for rendering, but given the low clock speed, the relatively low RAM speed- 1333 Maximum and the cost of the motherboards, I think you'd be better off selling the E7- perhaps $500-700 on Ebahh and consider more conventional workstation oriented hardware.

I'm a VRay user also and have since 2010 maintained two systems, one for modeling and the second as a rendering engine backup system For the second , rendering system, I choose a previous generation Dell Precision that;s been more or less fully depreciated, and upgrade it. I decided to replace my 2008 Precision T5400 (2X Xeon X5460 quad core @ 3.16GHz, Quadro FX 4800) and three weeks ago bought:

Dell Precision T5500 (2011) Original: Xeon E5620 quad core @ 2.4 / 2.6 GHz > 6GB DDR3 ECC Reg 1066 > Quadro FX 580 (512MB) > Dell PERC 6/i SAS /SATA controller > Seagate Cheetah 15K 146GB > Linksys WMP600N WiFi > Windows 7 Professional 64-bit
[ Passmark system rating = 1479 / CPU = 4067 / 2D= 520 / 3D= 311 / Mem= 1473 / Disk= 1208]

> and with shipping this system cost $190.

I bought a Xeon X5680 6-core @ 3.33 / 3.6GHz, and 24GB ECC 1333 RAM, and as I had a Quadro 4000, Samsung 840 250GB SSD, and WD RE4 enterprise 1TB HD lying around, I was able to assemble the system for a total of about $650:

Dell Precision T5500 (revised) > Xeon X5680 six -core @ 3.33 / 3.6GHz, 24GB DDR3 ECC 1333 > Quadro 4000 (2GB ) > Samsung 840 250GB /WD RE4 Enterprise 1TB > M-Audio 192 sound card > Linksys WMP600N PCI WiFi > Windows 7 Professional 64> HP 2711x (1920 X 1440)
[ Passmark system rating = 3339 / CPU = 9347 / 2D= 684 / 3D= 2030 / Mem= 1871 / Disk= 2234]

> and I can add a 2nd 6-core X5680 for about $300-350- this requires an add-on CPU. RAM / fan riser and so I'd have a 12 core / 24 thread system for about $1,000 or about $1,400 is I had to buy the parts I had lying around. If this were my main system, I'd add a PERC H310 or similar PCIe RAID controller to have a 6GB/s SATa III disk system and I may still do that. I could also have used a Xeon X5690 which is 3.47/3.73 GHz- a fully modern speed and a T7500 which has more space for drives and an 1100W PSU. There are 1000's of these system for sale at any given time on Ebahhhh,

I believe I'm safe in saying this kind of system would be much better suited to rendering than any system derived for the E7 and for less cost.

Anyway, that's an option and you might sell the E7 for a fairly good portion of the cost of a revised T5500 or T7500

Cheers,

BambiBoom

HP z420 (2015) > Xeon E5-1660 v2 six core @ 3.7 /4.0GHz > 16GB DDR3 ECC 1866 RAM > Quadro K2200 (4GB) > Intel 730 480GB > Western Digital Black WD1003FZEX 1TB> M-Audio 192 sound card > Linksys AE3000 USB WiFi > 2X Dell Ultrasharp U2715H 2560 X 1440 > Windows 7 Professional 64 >
[ Passmark Rating = 4918 > CPU= 13941 / 2D= 823 / 3D=3464 / Mem= 2669 / Disk= 4764]


 
Hi,

Thank You guys!

Bambiboom than you for the detailed answers! I am currently runnning a xeon1230v3 station and was thinking for something that could double that power.I have studied before the combination of two x5680 but felt like it is an old technology since I want to use only one station for modeling and rendering. I guess I would sell that xeon as adviced .

Thanks
 


INULLO,

Yes, a Xeon X5680 on the X58 chipset and the 1333 RAM is old technology, but with good, modern GPU, and the addition of a PERC or LSI 6Gb/s disk system, the X5680 3.33 / 3.6 GHz is completely useful.

There is a lot to said fro current processors and I recently changed my HP z420 with an E5-1620 4-core 3.6 /3.8GHz for an HP z420 to an E5-1660 v2 3.7/ 4.0 6 -core. there is lot in the bandwidth of LGA2011 and this offers more PCIe lanes- 40 instead of 28 for Xeon E3.

If you name a budget, I'm sure you'll have several suggestions for system components lists. Here's an example of the kind of system I'd recommend:

In my view, the current best cost / performance platform for a workstation is a Xeon E5-1600- series v3 on an X99 motherboard, with a Quadro GPU in the case of Autodesk, Adobe, and Dessualt (Solidworks , Catia) visualization applications or a Firepro if it's scientific/ calculation-based. The LGA2011-3 seems the best choice as the memory bandwidth is doubled and there are 40 PCIe lanes to the 28 of LGA1150, but most importantly, you can start with a quad core CPU and later change to an 18-core. With LGA1150, the limit is four cores. If you're using GPU-based rendering, fewer and faster cores are better, but rendering is one of the limited applications that can use every core.

With this is mind, here is a idea for a system that should have have good performance for the cost for your uses;

BambiBoom PixelCannon Cadamodarendergrapharific iWork TurboBlast ExtremeSignature SuperModel 8000 ®©$$™®£™©™_ 1.16.15

1. CPU: Intel Xeon E5-1650 v3 Six-Core Processor 3.5 / 3.8GHz 0GT/s 15MB LGA 2011-v3 CPU> $575
____ http://ark.intel.com/products/82765/Intel-Xeon-Processor-E5-1650-v3-15M-Cache-3_50-GHz
http://www.superbiiz.com/detail.php?name=E51650V3BX
____ http://www.amazon.com/XEON-E5-1650V3-6C-3-5G-15MB/dp/B00MU045JU/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1411580728&sr=8-1&keywords=E5-1650+v3

2. Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO CPU cooler > $31. (£26.05 Scan.UK)

3. Motherboard: ASRock X99 Extreme4 LGA 2011-v3 Intel X99 SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX Intel Motherboard > $240 (£188.39 Scan.UK))
____ http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813157543&cm_re=asrock_x99_extreme_4-_-13-157-543-_-Product

4. Crucial 16GB (2 x 8GB) 288-Pin DDR4 SDRAM ECC DDR4 2133 (PC4-17000) Server Memory Model CT2K8G4RFS4213 > $244 (£152 Scan.UK)
____ http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820148839&cm_re=Crucial_16GB_%282_x_8GB%29_288-Pin_DDR4_SDRAM_ECC_DDR4_2133_%28PC4-17000%29_Server_Memory-_-20-148-839-_-Product

5. GPU: PNY VCQK2200-PB Quadro K2200 4GB 128-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready Workstation Video Card > $459 (£378.26 Scan.UK)
____ http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814133559&cm_re=quadro_k2200-_-14-133-559-_-Product

6. Crucial MX100 CT256MX100SSD1 2.5" 256GB SATA III MLC Internal Solid State Drive (SSD) ) > $113 (OS, applications, working files) > $113. (£78.30 Scan.UK)
____ http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820148820&cm_re=crucial_mx110-_-20-148-820-_-Product

7. WD BLACK SERIES WD1003FZEX 1TB 7200 RPM 64MB Cache SATA 6.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive> $75 (£57.18 Scan UK) (Files, Backup, System Image)

8. CORSAIR HX Series HX750 750W ATX12V 2.3 / EPS12V 2.91 SLI CrossFire 80 PLUS GOLD Certified Modular Active PFC Power Supply New 4th Gen CPU Certified Haswell Ready> $130 £119.70 (Scan.UK)

9. Samsung SH-224DB/BEBE 24X SATA DVD±RW Internal Drive w/o Software (Black) SH-224DB $17.99

10. LIAN LI PC-A75X No Power Supply ATX Full Tower Case (Black) CA-A75 >$170

10A . Corsair Obsidian 750D Large Tower Case Black with Side Window No PSU > £124.50 Scan UK)
____ http://www.scan.co.uk/products/corsair-obsidian-750d-black-full-tower-case-aluminium-steel-with-side-window-3x140mm-fans-usb-30-e-a


11. Microsoft Windows 7 Professional 64-bit w/ SP1 (1-Pack, DVD), OEM MSFQC04649 > $138.99 (£119.70 Scan U.K)

________________________________________________________

TOTAL = $ 2,196 (about £1700 UK)

This kind of system would produce very good results for 3D modeling and rendering and is more future-looking it could be upgraded to up to an 18-core CPU and there is already 3000 speed DDR4. A Quadro K4200 and /or a PCIe SSD would put this one in the severely fast lane as well.

Cheers,

BambiBoom
 
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