[SOLVED] [URGENT] Dual xeon E5220 or single xeon W3690

Mar 20, 2021
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I just bought a z600 with dual xeon e5220 without HDD or ram for 185USD and after i just bought it i found an ad online for a T3500 with single xeon w3690 without HDD and 12gb ram for 166USD, i cannot really find a good comparison between dual processor and single processor and i can't find out which is better, dual e5220 or single w3690 i want it for video editing tho, maybe some gaming with the rx 470 4gb Nitro+
 
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No it's quad core x2
No it is not.

https://ark.intel.com/content/www/u...sor-e5220-6m-cache-2-33-ghz-1333-mhz-fsb.html

It is a 2 core CPU with 2 threads so when you have 2 of these CPUs, you have a 4 core 4 thread computer. The W3690 will kill this.

Both the W3680 and W3690 can be overclocked. At default voltage, they usually top out at 4000 MHz or 4133 MHz when all 6 cores and 12 threads are fully loaded. They both have an unlocked maximum multiplier, similar to a K series. These Xeons are exactly the same as the Extreme Core i7-980X and 990X.

This picture is from a T3500. Use ThrottleStop to overclock it.

kyJZimE.png


The T3500 comes with an awesome...

RagedAPE

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Looks to me like the w3690 was made in 2011 and has 6 cores and 12 threads so it's 3 years newer than the dual xeon e5220 which only has 2 cores and 2 threads.

Yes it is comparing a single core performance which is best for gaming so the w3690 has more powerful cores and more of them, but in multitasks the w3690 will still be better since it has more cores to use.

P.S I am sorry I misread you say dual cpu, so two of them, I was thinking 2 core when you said dual. My moneys on the single newer more powerful chip since it still has more cores, more threads and newer architecture.
 
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Mar 20, 2021
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Looks to me like the w3690 was made in 2011 and has 6 cores and 12 threads so it's 3 years newer than the dual xeon e5220 which only has 2 cores and 2 threads.

Yes it is comparing a single core performance which is best for gaming so the w3690 has more powerful cores and more of them, but in multitasks the w3690 will still be better since it has more cores to use.

P.S I am sorry I misread you say dual cpu, so two of them, I was thinking 2 core when you said dual.
No it's quad core x2 means 8 cores and 12 thread with 12 mb cache for both but in the other hand w3690 is a hexa core 12 thread cpu that's why i cant really choose the right one , w3690 has higher ghz tho
 

Karadjgne

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Depends on your software. Not hardware. If your software can better use core volume, the dual cpus will dominate. If your software uses higher IPC and core speeds, then the single will dominate.

That's why 32 core Xeons exist at 2.2GHz, and mainstream 6 core cpus at 5GHz exist. Covers a 'who needs what'.
 
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So the w3690 has a faster single thread rating so will feel faster in things that primarily use a single process. However, the e5520 in dual cpu configuration has 2 more cores and 4 more threads so might be faster in applications that need more cores:
https://www.cpubenchmark.net/compar...Intel-Xeon-X5680/1275vs1243vs1300vs1304vs1312

The other advantage to the z600 is that it potentially supports faster processors too:
 
No it's quad core x2
No it is not.

https://ark.intel.com/content/www/u...sor-e5220-6m-cache-2-33-ghz-1333-mhz-fsb.html

It is a 2 core CPU with 2 threads so when you have 2 of these CPUs, you have a 4 core 4 thread computer. The W3690 will kill this.

Both the W3680 and W3690 can be overclocked. At default voltage, they usually top out at 4000 MHz or 4133 MHz when all 6 cores and 12 threads are fully loaded. They both have an unlocked maximum multiplier, similar to a K series. These Xeons are exactly the same as the Extreme Core i7-980X and 990X.

This picture is from a T3500. Use ThrottleStop to overclock it.

kyJZimE.png


The T3500 comes with an awesome heatsink but it is a silent design. Strap a low speed case fan to the side of it and temperatures at 4133 MHz will be great.

View: https://i.imgur.com/Ft1cXJz.jpg
 
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Solution

Karadjgne

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Well wt.... That changes this whole conversation because the E5520 is a quad +HT, making that a 8/16 platform. But, it's still slower individually.

So slower but more threads vs faster but less threads. So we are back to software demands, because gaming will favor the W3690.
 
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An E5520 will run at 2400 MHz when loaded compared to the W3690 which should have no problem running at 4000 MHz. The W3690 is better binned compared to the W3680 so it might be able to run reliably at 4133 MHz.

2400 MHz X 8 cores = 19200
4000 MHz X 6 cores = 24000

That means in multi threaded the W3690 will win and in single threaded, it will be almost 60% faster.

The E5520 are 45nm Nehalem CPUs. Two of those will suck lots of power, create lots of heat and the fans necessary to keep them cool will drive you crazy.

A T3500 with an overclocked 32nm Westmere W3690 is almost silent in comparison. It will run cooler and consume way less power.

That changes this whole conversation
Not really. W3690 still wins.
 
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An E5520 will run at 2400 MHz when loaded compared to the W3690 which should have no problem running at 4000 MHz. The W3690 is better binned compared to the W3680 so it might be able to run reliably at 4133 MHz.

2400 MHz X 8 cores = 19200
4000 MHz X 6 cores = 24000

That means in multi threaded the W3690 will win and in single threaded, it will be almost 60% faster.

The E5520 are 45nm Nehalem CPUs. Two of those will suck lots of power, create lots of heat and the fans necessary to keep them cool will drive you crazy.

A T3500 with an overclocked 32nm Westmere W3690 is almost silent in comparison. It will run cooler and consume way less power.


Not really. W3690 still wins.
This really isn't a fair comparison because you're overclocking a cpu that can't be overclocked on the z600, so you need to compare based on stock speeds. For argument's sake, we'll use the base clocks without turbo:

2300 MHz X 8 cores = 18400
3500 MHz X 6 cores = 21000

With the e5520, the w3690 will provide slightly better performance. But w3690 is the very top end processor, which will cost more as well (currently $70+ on ebay).

And the e5520 can easily be upgraded to something like the x5670, which will be pretty cheap as these are just 'mid-line' server processors (currently $30 for a pair on ebay). Then it looks a lot different:

2900 MHz X 12 cores = 34800
3500 MHz X 6 cores = 21000

Here a dual x5670 z600 absolutely kills a w3690 t3500 in overall processing power.

And again I'd pick the z600 because of the dual processors as well as the ability to use at least 16GB ecc reg modules and possibly even 24GB and 32GB modules (I haven't tested them in mine yet) for 96GB, 144GB and potentially even 192GB of ram (I have 96GB in mine).
 
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Karadjgne

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Well nobody runs an intel cpu without turbo.
2.53 x 8 = 20,240
3.73 x 6 = 22,380

Not much of a difference overall. But thats not really equitable because the dual cpus have a combined 16Mb of cache vs the 12Mb of the W3690, which makes a difference, 4 QPI vs 1QPI, 11.8GT/s vs 6.4GT/s, etc.

There are definite advantages to the E5520 that the W3690 just can't match, which don't apply to simply multiplying speed x cores.

Oh, and the 80w TDP of the E5520 isn't exactly hard to cool, not like the 130w + OC? of the W3690.
 
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This really isn't a fair comparison...
Did you read the first post? He found a T3500 with a W3690 locally. This combination has proven to run reliably at 4000 MHz. I would buy the T3500 and sell the Z600 but I can understand your point. Investing $50 bucks for a pair of X5670 would kill an overclocked W5690 when running any software that can use more than 12 threads. For anything using less than 12 threads like games, the W5690 is the better choice.
 
Well nobody runs an intel cpu without turbo
The E5520 only runs at 2533 MHz when 1 core is active. It drops to 2400 MHz as more cores become active. A W3690 can maintain 4000 MHz regardless of load.

There are definite advantages to the E5520
Like what? The only advantage is you can sell those 2 CPUs for $10 if you can find a buyer and invest in a pair of 6 core Westmere CPUs if you need 12 cores and 24 threads.
 
Did you read the first post? He found a T3500 with a W3690 locally. This combination has proven to run reliably at 4000 MHz. I would buy the T3500 and sell the Z600 but I can understand your point. Investing $50 bucks for a pair of X5670 would kill an overclocked W5690 when running any software that can use more than 12 threads. For anything using less than 12 threads like games, the W5690 is the better choice.
Yes I did. And that's why I explained why the z600 is an overall better platform in general.