What is the best workstation CPU: i7, E5, or E7?

[posterdesigner]

Dear Forum,
It is almost time to build a new workstation. I'm on a dual core with only 4gigs of ram and it is almost killing me.

I would like to build a system with between 8 to 12 cores.

Motherboard must be M-ATX to fit in my nice aluminum Lian Li case.

Some CPU options:

i7 5960 $1000+

Cons: I won't feel as bad A only having 8 cores


Xeon E5 2690 $1500+

Cons: I think these E5's would work well for me, but Isn't this processor a couple years old? It doesn't sit well with me buying technology that had a release date in 2011. Am I correct on this?

Pros: I believe this processor will drop right in a MATX motherboard like this one: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813157545

Xeon E7 4820 $1500+

Cons: I don't think there are any M-ATX workstation boards for the E7 (am I right?), and sub $1500 E7's all have low clock speeds of under 2ghz.

Pros: It is a brand new CPU.

What should I select that is high clock speed and around 10 cores, and has a M-ATX motherboard available for a workstation?

Thanks for your advice

 

[smorizio]

the intel server side cpu have been lagging the release of the desktop cpu. in may be over a year from now that you see skylake server cpu. you did not post what your doing that would need more then a 4 core cpu. i would if speed is what your looking for in the build to look at a system and use a pci ssd of good size as the main drive. then add a lot of ram. if your old cpu is a 775 cpu your going to see a big speed bost from it to any one of the newer 1150 pin cpu that are out now.

 

[posterdesigner]

I agree that anything is going to be a huge improvement over my current system. But I just wanted to make a beast of a system, so I won't have to worry about performance for a while. I will be doing adobe photoshop and illustrator.

 

[bambiboom]

Dear Forum,
It is almost time to build a new workstation. I'm on a dual core with only 4gigs of ram and it is almost killing me.

I would like to build a system with between 8 to 12 cores.

Motherboard must be M-ATX to fit in my nice aluminum Lian Li case.

Some CPU options:

i7 5960 $1000+

Cons: I won't feel as bad A only having 8 cores


Xeon E5 2690 $1500+

Cons: I think these E5's would work well for me, but Isn't this processor a couple years old? It doesn't sit well with me buying technology that had a release date in 2011. Am I correct on this?

Pros: I believe this processor will drop right in a MATX motherboard like this one: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813157545

Xeon E7 4820 $1500+

Cons: I don't think there are any M-ATX workstation boards for the E7 (am I right?), and sub $1500 E7's all have low clock speeds of under 2ghz.

Pros: It is a brand new CPU.

What should I select that is high clock speed and around 10 cores, and has a M-ATX motherboard available for a workstation?

Thanks for your advice

posterdesigner,

To optimize a workstation, more about the use is necessary. The CPU is one starting point, but the starting point of choosing the best CPU is to know more about the use.While you have listed the number of cores as a priority, in most visualization uses, there is a balance between clock speed and core/ thread count. The size and complexity of the project is important too as this helps in consideration of the disk and video subsystems. The budget is important too as all the parts should be in balance in terms of performance and scaled to use. If you are considering $1,500 CPU's, I would say a proportional budget could be about $6,000 -$9,000.

Other comments: I would not think the kind of system in this realm would work in a M-ATX case- as very nice as Lian Li are. You need a big open case for a possibly dual Xeon E5- E5-2600- series are designed for dual CPU use. It's a false economy to make a used case a condition. If you have a dual Xeon system, it will will need a big, airy and possibly full tower case.with room for a lot of drives. The Xeon E7's are amazing devices, designed to work in 4 or 8 CPU systems with up to 4TB of RAM, but the boards can cost $2,500, you can spend nearly $7,000 for a fast E7-8000-series- you can be spending $20,000-60,000 pretty quickly and these are really all living in the server realm- not workstations.

If an 8 -core is sufficient, I think the best cost / performance workstation CPU;s are the Xeon E5-1600 series. A good combination of core count, and clock speed is the E5-1660 v3. A solution for your system- a least start the conversations might be:

BambiBoom PixelCannon Calcumatharific iWork TurboBlast ExtremeSignaure SuperModel 9600 ®©$$™®£™©™_ 4.14.15

1. CPU: Intel Xeon E5-1660 v3 Eight-Core Haswell Processor 3.0 . 3.5GHz 0GT/s 20MB LGA 2011-v3 CPU, OEM > $1,070

____ http://ark.intel.com/products/82766/Intel-Xeon-Processor-E5-1660-v3-20M-Cache-3_00-GHz
____ http://www.superbiiz.com/detail.php?name=E5-1660V3

2. CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO CPU Fan > $32.

3. Supermicro X10SRA-F-O LGA2011/ Intel C612/ DDR4/ SATA3&USB3.0/ A&2GbE/ ATX Server Motherboard > $310

____ http://www.superbiiz.com/detail.php?name=MB-X10SRA

4. RAM: 32GB (4) Samsung DDR4-2133 8GB/1Gx72 ECC Server Memory > about $420

____ Check Supermicro compatible tested

5 GPU - for 3D: PNY Quadro K4200 VCQK4200-PB 4GB 256-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.0 x16 Workstation Video Card > $789

____ http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814133558&cm_re=k4200-_-14-133-558-_-Product

6. Drive Samsung 850 Pro Series 512GB 2.5 inch SATA3 Solid State Drive, Retail (3D V-NAND)> $350 (OS, Applications / Working files

____ http://www.superbiiz.com/detail.php?name=MZ-7KE512B

7. Drive 2: WD SE WD2000F9YZ 2TB 7200 RPM 64MB Cache SATA 6.0Gb/s 3.5" Enterprise Hard Drive> $130 (Files, Backup, System Image) (RAID 1)

8. Drive 2: WD SE WD2000F9YZ 2TB 7200 RPM 64MB Cache SATA 6.0Gb/s 3.5" Enterprise Hard Drive> $130 (Files, Backup, System Image) (RAID 1)

____http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822236522&cm_re=wd_se_2tb-_-22-236-522-_-Product

9. PSU: SeaSonic X-850 ; SS-850KM3 ACTIVE PFC F3 850W 80 Plus Gold ATX12V/EPS12V Power Supply > $146

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

11. Case: LIAN LI PC-A75X No Power Supply ATX Full Tower Case (Black) CA-A75$179.99

12. Operating System: Microsoft Windows 7 Professional 64-bit w/ SP1 (1-Pack, DVD), OEM MSFQC04649 $138.99

________________________________________________________

TOTAL = $ 3,717

Another approach that could yield an amazing combination of cores and speed would be to buy one of these:

Dell-Precision-T7610-E5-2687-V2-3-4ghz-32gb-4tb-SATA-240gb-SSD-K5000-Vid > $2.750

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Dell-Precision-T7610-E5-2687-V2-3-4ghz-32gb-4tb-SATA-240gb-SSD-K5000-Vid-/231454215601?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item35e3bf0db1&nma=true&si=dmxPEVx%252B%252BrbDgalSBtBQmFH8Zpg%253D&orig_cvip=true&rt=nc&_trksid=p2047675.l2557

> a completed listing for a Dell Precision T7610 with the fantastic E5-2687W v2 which is 8-core @ 3.4 /4.0GHz- $2,200 new- and if you need it you can another one. And the news gets even better, that system has a Quadro K5000- $2,000 new, 32GB of RAM, a 1300W Power supply, and best of all, you don't have to order, assemble configure, and test.

There are alternatives that are quite a bit less expensive with anther couple of generations older technology. This is not painful either- you get a lot of cores and a high clock speed.

I bought a Dell Preicison T5500 for $190 including shipping:

Dell Precision T5500 (2011) (Original): Xeon E5620 quad core @ 2.4 / 2.6 GHz > 6GB DDR3 ECC Reg 1333 > Quadro FX 580 (512MB) > Dell PERC 6/i SAS /SATA controller > Seagate Cheetah 15K 146GB > Windows 7 Professional 64-bit
[ Passmark system rating = 1479 / CPU = 4067 / 2D= 520 / 3D= 311 / Mem= 1473 / Disk= 1208]

-and with an expenditure of under $700:

Dell Precision T5500 (2011)(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 1080)
[ Passmark system rating = 3339 / CPU = 9347 / 2D= 684 / 3D= 2030 / Mem= 1871 / Disk= 2234]

And for another $350-400 a 2nd X5680 may be added for a 12 core /24 thread system running at 3.6GHz on the first two cores of each CPU. there's an X5690 too, which is 3.47 / 3.73GHz- a completely contemporary sped. I've purchased but not yet installed a PERC H310 RAID controller ($60) that make the disk system into 6GB/s. So, the only aspect that is a but old -fashioned is the 1333 RAM. However, I've done large renderings with VRay on the T550 and the time can't be more than a minute different from an HP z420 with a Xeon E5-1660 v2 at 3.7 / 4.0 GHz, 1866 RAM, and an extremely fast Intel 730 enterprise drive. Without timing them, I would say they feel they're working about the same speed. Yes obsolete technology, but the top of obsolete technology can be better than medium-level current. With a hot-rodded T7500, you'd have 12 cores/ 24 threads at high clock speeds, a budget for a very good modern GPU for the price of a 4-core Xeon E3 system with an entry or mid level workstation GPU..

There are a coupe of places to start.

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 (9SSDSC2BP480G4R5) > Western Digital Black WD1003FZEX 1TB> M-Audio 192 sound card > Logitech z2300 > 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]

Pending upgrade: HP /LSI 9212-4i PCIe SAS /SATA HBA RAID controller, 2X Seagate Constellation ES.3 1TB (RAID 1)

 

[RiseOfTH]

Xeon E7 V3 are server based mulitsocket cpus. Will they work by any chance on a consumer grade single socket MoBo such as Asus P9X79-E WS (https://www.asus.com/us/Motherboards/P9X79E_WS/specifications/)?

Dear Forum,
It is almost time to build a new workstation. I'm on a dual core with only 4gigs of ram and it is almost killing me.

I would like to build a system with between 8 to 12 cores.

Motherboard must be M-ATX to fit in my nice aluminum Lian Li case.

Some CPU options:

i7 5960 $1000+

Cons: I won't feel as bad A only having 8 cores


Xeon E5 2690 $1500+

Cons: I think these E5's would work well for me, but Isn't this processor a couple years old? It doesn't sit well with me buying technology that had a release date in 2011. Am I correct on this?

Pros: I believe this processor will drop right in a MATX motherboard like this one: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813157545

Xeon E7 4820 $1500+

Cons: I don't think there are any M-ATX workstation boards for the E7 (am I right?), and sub $1500 E7's all have low clock speeds of under 2ghz.

Pros: It is a brand new CPU.

What should I select that is high clock speed and around 10 cores, and has a M-ATX motherboard available for a workstation?

Thanks for your advice

posterdesigner,

To optimize a workstation, more about the use is necessary. The CPU is one starting point, but the starting point of choosing the best CPU is to know more about the use.While you have listed the number of cores as a priority, in most visualization uses, there is a balance between clock speed and core/ thread count. The size and complexity of the project is important too as this helps in consideration of the disk and video subsystems. The budget is important too as all the parts should be in balance in terms of performance and scaled to use. If you are considering $1,500 CPU's, I would say a proportional budget could be about $6,000 -$9,000.

Other comments: I would not think the kind of system in this realm would work in a M-ATX case- as very nice as Lian Li are. You need a big open case for a possibly dual Xeon E5- E5-2600- series are designed for dual CPU use. It's a false economy to make a used case a condition. If you have a dual Xeon system, it will will need a big, airy and possibly full tower case.with room for a lot of drives. The Xeon E7's are amazing devices, designed to work in 4 or 8 CPU systems with up to 4TB of RAM, but the boards can cost $2,500, you can spend nearly $7,000 for a fast E7-8000-series- you can be spending $20,000-60,000 pretty quickly and these are really all living in the server realm- not workstations.

If an 8 -core is sufficient, I think the best cost / performance workstation CPU;s are the Xeon E5-1600 series. A good combination of core count, and clock speed is the E5-1660 v3. A solution for your system- a least start the conversations might be:

BambiBoom PixelCannon Calcumatharific iWork TurboBlast ExtremeSignaure SuperModel 9600 ®©$$™®£™©™_ 4.14.15

1. CPU: Intel Xeon E5-1660 v3 Eight-Core Haswell Processor 3.0 . 3.5GHz 0GT/s 20MB LGA 2011-v3 CPU, OEM > $1,070

____ http://ark.intel.com/products/82766/Intel-Xeon-Processor-E5-1660-v3-20M-Cache-3_00-GHz
____ http://www.superbiiz.com/detail.php?name=E5-1660V3

2. CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO CPU Fan > $32.

3. Supermicro X10SRA-F-O LGA2011/ Intel C612/ DDR4/ SATA3&USB3.0/ A&2GbE/ ATX Server Motherboard > $310

____ http://www.superbiiz.com/detail.php?name=MB-X10SRA

4. RAM: 32GB (4) Samsung DDR4-2133 8GB/1Gx72 ECC Server Memory > about $420

____ Check Supermicro compatible tested

5 GPU - for 3D: PNY Quadro K4200 VCQK4200-PB 4GB 256-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.0 x16 Workstation Video Card > $789

____ http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814133558&cm_re=k4200-_-14-133-558-_-Product

6. Drive Samsung 850 Pro Series 512GB 2.5 inch SATA3 Solid State Drive, Retail (3D V-NAND)> $350 (OS, Applications / Working files

____ http://www.superbiiz.com/detail.php?name=MZ-7KE512B

7. Drive 2: WD SE WD2000F9YZ 2TB 7200 RPM 64MB Cache SATA 6.0Gb/s 3.5" Enterprise Hard Drive> $130 (Files, Backup, System Image) (RAID 1)

8. Drive 2: WD SE WD2000F9YZ 2TB 7200 RPM 64MB Cache SATA 6.0Gb/s 3.5" Enterprise Hard Drive> $130 (Files, Backup, System Image) (RAID 1)

____http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822236522&cm_re=wd_se_2tb-_-22-236-522-_-Product

9. PSU: SeaSonic X-850 ; SS-850KM3 ACTIVE PFC F3 850W 80 Plus Gold ATX12V/EPS12V Power Supply > $146

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

11. Case: LIAN LI PC-A75X No Power Supply ATX Full Tower Case (Black) CA-A75$179.99

12. Operating System: Microsoft Windows 7 Professional 64-bit w/ SP1 (1-Pack, DVD), OEM MSFQC04649 $138.99

________________________________________________________

TOTAL = $ 3,717

Another approach that could yield an amazing combination of cores and speed would be to buy one of these:

Dell-Precision-T7610-E5-2687-V2-3-4ghz-32gb-4tb-SATA-240gb-SSD-K5000-Vid > $2.750

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Dell-Precision-T7610-E5-2687-V2-3-4ghz-32gb-4tb-SATA-240gb-SSD-K5000-Vid-/231454215601?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item35e3bf0db1&nma=true&si=dmxPEVx%252B%252BrbDgalSBtBQmFH8Zpg%253D&orig_cvip=true&rt=nc&_trksid=p2047675.l2557

> a completed listing for a Dell Precision T7610 with the fantastic E5-2687W v2 which is 8-core @ 3.4 /4.0GHz- $2,200 new- and if you need it you can another one. And the news gets even better, that system has a Quadro K5000- $2,000 new, 32GB of RAM, a 1300W Power supply, and best of all, you don't have to order, assemble configure, and test.

There are alternatives that are quite a bit less expensive with anther couple of generations older technology. This is not painful either- you get a lot of cores and a high clock speed.

I bought a Dell Preicison T5500 for $190 including shipping:

Dell Precision T5500 (2011) (Original): Xeon E5620 quad core @ 2.4 / 2.6 GHz > 6GB DDR3 ECC Reg 1333 > Quadro FX 580 (512MB) > Dell PERC 6/i SAS /SATA controller > Seagate Cheetah 15K 146GB > Windows 7 Professional 64-bit
[ Passmark system rating = 1479 / CPU = 4067 / 2D= 520 / 3D= 311 / Mem= 1473 / Disk= 1208]

-and with an expenditure of under $700:

Dell Precision T5500 (2011)(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 1080)
[ Passmark system rating = 3339 / CPU = 9347 / 2D= 684 / 3D= 2030 / Mem= 1871 / Disk= 2234]

And for another $350-400 a 2nd X5680 may be added for a 12 core /24 thread system running at 3.6GHz on the first two cores of each CPU. there's an X5690 too, which is 3.47 / 3.73GHz- a completely contemporary sped. I've purchased but not yet installed a PERC H310 RAID controller ($60) that make the disk system into 6GB/s. So, the only aspect that is a but old -fashioned is the 1333 RAM. However, I've done large renderings with VRay on the T550 and the time can't be more than a minute different from an HP z420 with a Xeon E5-1660 v2 at 3.7 / 4.0 GHz, 1866 RAM, and an extremely fast Intel 730 enterprise drive. Without timing them, I would say they feel they're working about the same speed. Yes obsolete technology, but the top of obsolete technology can be better than medium-level current. With a hot-rodded T7500, you'd have 12 cores/ 24 threads at high clock speeds, a budget for a very good modern GPU for the price of a 4-core Xeon E3 system with an entry or mid level workstation GPU..

There are a coupe of places to start.

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 (9SSDSC2BP480G4R5) > Western Digital Black WD1003FZEX 1TB> M-Audio 192 sound card > Logitech z2300 > 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]

Pending upgrade: HP /LSI 9212-4i PCIe SAS /SATA HBA RAID controller, 2X Seagate Constellation ES.3 1TB (RAID 1)

 

[Pinhedd]

Dear Forum,
It is almost time to build a new workstation. I'm on a dual core with only 4gigs of ram and it is almost killing me.

I would like to build a system with between 8 to 12 cores.

Motherboard must be M-ATX to fit in my nice aluminum Lian Li case.

Some CPU options:

i7 5960 $1000+

Cons: I won't feel as bad A only having 8 cores


Xeon E5 2690 $1500+

Cons: I think these E5's would work well for me, but Isn't this processor a couple years old? It doesn't sit well with me buying technology that had a release date in 2011. Am I correct on this?

Pros: I believe this processor will drop right in a MATX motherboard like this one: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813157545

Xeon E7 4820 $1500+

Cons: I don't think there are any M-ATX workstation boards for the E7 (am I right?), and sub $1500 E7's all have low clock speeds of under 2ghz.

Pros: It is a brand new CPU.

What should I select that is high clock speed and around 10 cores, and has a M-ATX motherboard available for a workstation?

Thanks for your advice

Hi,

the Xeon E7 series CPUs are designed for enterprise servers. These CPUs are usually unavailable to consumers; they are purchased through Intel's enterprise partners such as Dell, HP, and Oracle. Furthermore, they utilize their own sockets (LGA-1567 and LGA-2011-1) which renders them wholly incompatible with the more common Sandybridge/Ivybridge (LGA-2011-0) and Haswell/Broadwell (LGA-2011-3) platforms.

The Xeon E5-2000v3 (Haswell) series CPUs are a touch bit more expensive than the Xeon E5-1000v3 series CPUs but are able to be used in dual-socket motherboards. The Xeon E5-1000v3 series CPUs are virtually identical to the consumer Haswell-E CPUs.

Should you wish to do so, you could purchase a dual-socket motherboard and a single Xeon E5-2000v3 CPU and install a second, identical Xeon E5-2000v3 CPU at a later date.

As for formfactor, you should rule out M-ATX. Just get a new case.

EDIT: some clarity on Intel's Xeon naming scheme

Xeon E3 = single socket platform. LGA-1156/1155/1150/1151

Xeon E5 = single/dual/quad socket platform. LGA-1356/LGA-2011-0/LGA-2011-3

Xeon E7 = quad/octal socket enterprise platform. LGA-1567 and LGA-2011-1

The 4 numbers following this indicate the wayness, platform, and relative performance.

1000 series = single socket only

2000 series = single or dual socket

4000 series = single, dual, triple, or quad socket

8000 series = up to eight sockets

x400 series = entry level server AKA EN (LGA-1356, up to two sockets only)

x600 series = mid level server AKA EP (LGA-2011-0 and LGA-2011-3, up to four sockets)

x800 series = enterprise level server AKA EX (LGA-1567 and LGA-2011-3)

Some combinations obviously don't exist. There are no 4400 series Xeon E5 microprocessors because the EN platform only supports up to two sockets. Similarly, there are no 8400 series or 8600 series microprocessors because the EX platform is the only platform that supports eight sockets.

Finally, the v1/v2/v3/v4 indicates the generation of the architecture

v1 (implicit) = Sandybridge

v2 = Ivybridge

v3 = Haswell

v4 = Broadwell

For example

Xeon E5-4640v3 tells us the following:

Haswell architecture (v3)

Capable of being used in a system with up to four sockets (4000 series)

EP platform (x600 series) + LGA-2011-3 (v3)

The E7/EX microprocessor releases always lag the E5 microprocessor releases by up to a year or even more. This is due to their being architecturally different where as the E5 microprocessors are literally cut from the same silicon as their consumer counterparts.

 

[RiseOfTH]

Hi,
Thanks for reply.

I need E7 V3 for TSX (Transactional Memory support) with higher core counts. I have already a 4 core Xeon E3 1230 V3 with TSX on an AsRock MoBo. Only E7 V3 and E3 V3 supports TSX.

Is E7 V3 LGA2011-1 compatible? What I get info on E7 V3 (http://ark.intel.com/products/84685/Intel-Xeon-Processor-E7-8890-v3-45M-Cache-2_50-GHz) that they are FCLGA2011 which is a LGA2011 compatible too.

Can I run one CPU on a dual socket MoBo keeping other one open?

[/quotemsg]

Hi,

the Xeon E7 series CPUs are designed for enterprise servers. These CPUs are usually unavailable to consumers; they are purchased through Intel's enterprise partners such as Dell, HP, and Oracle. Furthermore, they utilize their own sockets (LGA-1567 and LGA-2011-1) which renders them wholly incompatible with the more common Sandybridge/Ivybridge (LGA-2011-0) and Haswell/Broadwell (LGA-2011-3) platforms.

The Xeon E5-2000v3 (Haswell) series CPUs are a touch bit more expensive than the Xeon E5-1000v3 series CPUs but are able to be used in dual-socket motherboards. The Xeon E5-1000v3 series CPUs are virtually identical to the consumer Haswell-E CPUs.

Should you wish to do so, you could purchase a dual-socket motherboard and a single Xeon E5-2000v3 CPU and install a second, identical Xeon E5-2000v3 CPU at a later date.

As for formfactor, you should rule out M-ATX. Just get a new case.[/quotemsg]

 

[Pinhedd]

Hi,
Thanks for reply.

I need E7 V3 for TSX (Transactional Memory support) with higher core counts. I have already a 4 core Xeon E3 1230 V3 with TSX on an AsRock MoBo. Only E7 V3 and E3 V3 supports TSX.

Is E7 V3 LGA2011-1 compatible? What I get info on E7 V3 (http://ark.intel.com/products/84685/Intel-Xeon-Processor-E7-8890-v3-45M-Cache-2_50-GHz) that they are FCLGA2011 which is a LGA2011 compatible too.

Can I run one CPU on a dual socket MoBo keeping other one open?

Hi,

Transactional Synchronization Extensions (TSX) were introduced with the Haswell microarchitecture. However, a bug was detected by Intel that could not be patched by a microcode update so the instructions were disabled. This bug is present in Haswell, Haswell-E, Haswell-EN, and Haswell-EP microprocessors as well as some Broadwell microprocessors. As far as I know it is not present in Haswell-EX as well as newer Broadwell CPUs. All Skylake CPUs are unaffected.

The Xeon E3-1230v3 that you have would appear to be affected by the documented bug.

As for the E7, LGA-2011-0, LGA-2011-1, and LGA-2011-3 are mechanically identical sockets, but the key notch is different on each. It is not possible to insert an LGA-2011-0 CPU (Sandybridge/Ivybridge) into an LGA-2011-3 socket or vice versa. Similarly, only LGA-2011-1 CPUs (Ivybridge-EX/Haswell-EX) CPUs can be inserted into an LGA-2011-1 socket.

It is possible to insert fewer than the maximum number of supported CPUs into a motherboard. However, keep in mind that DIMM slots and PCIe slots that are connected to unpopulated sockets will be unused.

 

[RiseOfTH]

Thanks again for reply. These are good educational resources.

Since I can't afford any SuperMicro 4 socket MoBo. But I got a good deal for E7 Xeon 8880 V3 at Ebay.

I am looking for Asus PX79-E WS (https://www.asus.com/us/Motherboards/P9X79E_WS/specifications/) or, ASUS Sabertooth X79 (https://www.asus.com/us/Motherboards/SABERTOOTH_X79/), Dual socket Asus (Z9PE-D8 WS).

They are all LGA2011 based

What kind of problems I may face if I install any E7 Xeon V3 cpus on these MoBo? Will their current BIOS (https://www.asus.com/ca-en/Motherboards/P9X79E_WS/HelpDesk_CPU/) support this generation of processor?

Hi,
As for the E7, LGA-2011-0, LGA-2011-1, and LGA-2011-3 are mechanically identical sockets, but the key notch is different on each. It is not possible to insert an LGA-2011-0 CPU (Sandybridge/Ivybridge) into an LGA-2011-3 socket or vice versa. Similarly, only LGA-2011-1 CPUs (Ivybridge-EX/Haswell-EX) CPUs can be inserted into an LGA-2011-1 socket.

It is possible to insert fewer than the maximum number of supported CPUs into a motherboard. However, keep in mind that DIMM slots and PCIe slots that are connected to unpopulated sockets will be unused.

 

[Pinhedd]

Thanks again for reply. These are good educational resources.

Since I can't afford any SuperMicro 4 socket MoBo. But I got a good deal for E7 Xeon 8880 V3 at Ebay.

I am looking for Asus PX79-E WS (https://www.asus.com/us/Motherboards/P9X79E_WS/specifications/) or, ASUS Sabertooth X79 (https://www.asus.com/us/Motherboards/SABERTOOTH_X79/), Dual socket Asus (Z9PE-D8 WS).

They are all LGA2011 based

What kind of problems I may face if I install any E7 Xeon V3 cpus on these MoBo? Will their current BIOS (https://www.asus.com/ca-en/Motherboards/P9X79E_WS/HelpDesk_CPU/) support this generation of processor?

Those are both LGA-2011-0 motherboards. They can accept Sandybridge-E, Sandybridge-EP, IvyBridge-E, and IvyBridge-EP CPUs only. LGA-2011-3 motherboards can accept Haswell-E and Haswell-EP CPUs only (as well as Broadwell-E and Broadwell-EP when released).

LGA-2011-1 motherboards can accept IvyBridge-EX and Haswell-EX. There is no SandyBridge-EX and Broadwell-EX has not been announced yet.

If you attempt to install a Broadwell-EX CPU into that motherboard, you will find that the key notch is different and the CPU will not be seated.

 

[bambiboom]

posterdesigner,

If you have a workstation in mind having 8-12 cores, the best cost / performance solution is typically to use the fewest CPU's- and used ones.

If you compare various Xeon E5s you can see that the E5-1600 series for the same core count have higher speeds at a lower cost than Xeon E5-2600 series that are designed for dual CPU configurations. In the case of Xeon E7's which may be 4 or 8 CPU configurations, this trend continues. Having more CPU's allows many more cores.

I don't believe there is any dual CPU motherboard that is MATX, they are mostly E-ATX and some are SSI-EEB. There is certainly no E7 4-CPU board that fits a conventional case and these typically cost over $2,000.

I think that trying to retain the MATX case is a false economy. Small format motherboards have fewer RAM slots that are crowded next to the CPU and can cause clearance problems- it limits the choice of CPU coolers. The air flow is more restricted too.

If you are running projects requiring many cores and an LGA2011, you will probably coincidentally have a powerful GPU, big power supply- 800W+ and typically a number of drives. I'd recommend as big a case as you have space for: it's easier in building, it can accommodate the large motherboards.

I'd say the best cost /performance scenario would be to build a dual LGA2011 CPU system and buy a pair of used 6 or 8 core E5-2600 v2 CPU's, or start with a single 8-core like the amazing E5-2687w v2 8-core # 3.4/4.0GHz. If your work is highly rendering-oriented, buy a pair of 8 or even 10-core at a lower clock rate. Have a minimum of 32GB of RAM for each CPU. Add a Quadro M4000, a fast SSD- PCIe or M.2 if possible and storage disks, possibly configured in RAID.

The value of this approach is to have everything be new except the CPU's which are depreciated but still running at current cycle rates. The E5-2687w v2 is still No. 10 on the Passmark dual CPU chart. The GPU and disks are current.

If you think an 8 core will be sufficient, build a single CPU system on an X99 LGA2011-3 motherboard to take advantage of M.2. The CPU will new but as there is one instead of two, the cost may be similar or less than the used pair. But, used are impossible to beat in cost/ performance. The two 6-core Xeon X5680's in my Dell Precision produce a Passmark CPU score of 14361 at a cost of $230 + $170 = $400. that's 36 points per Dollar. In the HP z420 the E5-1660v2 produces 13989 points for $1,050 or 13 points/ $. As the X5680 is 3.33 /3.6 to the E5-1660 v2 3.7 /4.0GHz the single thread performance of the 1660 will be better, but with double the cores /threads, the X5680's will walk away in a rendering competition and economically at just over 1/3 the cost per calculation.

For best results, suggest a budget to work to and provide more description of the priorities in work- 2D drafting /graphic design, 3D CAD modeling, scientific /mathematical, and rendering all have their different hardware emphases.

Cheers,

BambiBoom

2D /3D Modeling, CAD, graphic design,: HP z420 (2015) > Xeon E5-1660 v2 six-core @ 3.7 / 4.0GHz > 32GB DDR3 ECC 1866 RAM > Quadro K4200 (4GB) > Intel 730 480GB (9SSDSC2BP480G4R5) > Western Digital Black WD1003FZEX 1TB> M-Audio 192 sound card > 600W PSU> Logitech z2300 > 2X Dell Ultrasharp U2715H (2560 X 1440) > Windows 7 Professional 64 >
[ Passmark Rating = 5064 > CPU= 13989 / 2D= 819 / 3D= 4596 / Mem= 2772 / Disk= 4555] [Cinebench R15 > CPU = 1014 OpenGL= 126.59 FPS] 7.8.15

Rendering, database, mathematical, simulation: Dell Precision T5500 (2011) > 2X Xeon X5680 six -core @ 3.33 / 3.6GHz, 30GB DDR3 ECC 1333 > Quadro K2200 (4GB ) > Samsung 840 250GB / WD RE4 Enterprise 1TB > M-Audio 192 sound card > 875W PSU > Windows 7 Professional 64> HP 2711x (1920 X 1080)
[ Passmark system rating = 3671 / CPU = 14361 / 2D= 653 / 3D= 3561 / Mem= 1741 / Disk= 2249]

 

[RiseOfTH]

Looks like these MoBos support Ivybridge EX (Xeon E7 V2) and dual LGA2011/Socket R based (LGA2011-1). The motherboard naming is very confusing. Is there a good chance that I can able to run Haswell EX (Xeon E7 V3) on these MoBo? Do I need new BIOS support?

Intel® Server Workstation Motherboard W2600CR2 Socket R Dual LGA 2011
http://www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/motherboards/server-motherboards/server-board-w2600cr.html

Supermicro X9DRI-LN4F+ Dual LGA2011 Intel C602
http://www.supermicro.com/products/motherboard/Xeon/C600/X9DRi-LN4F_.cfm

Thanks all for great education

Thanks again for reply. These are good educational resources.

Since I can't afford any SuperMicro 4 socket MoBo. But I got a good deal for E7 Xeon 8880 V3 at Ebay.

I am looking for Asus PX79-E WS (https://www.asus.com/us/Motherboards/P9X79E_WS/specifications/) or, ASUS Sabertooth X79 (https://www.asus.com/us/Motherboards/SABERTOOTH_X79/), Dual socket Asus (Z9PE-D8 WS).

They are all LGA2011 based

What kind of problems I may face if I install any E7 Xeon V3 cpus on these MoBo? Will their current BIOS (https://www.asus.com/ca-en/Motherboards/P9X79E_WS/HelpDesk_CPU/) support this generation of processor?

Those are both LGA-2011-0 motherboards. They can accept Sandybridge-E, Sandybridge-EP, IvyBridge-E, and IvyBridge-EP CPUs only. LGA-2011-3 motherboards can accept Haswell-E and Haswell-EP CPUs only (as well as Broadwell-E and Broadwell-EP when released).

LGA-2011-1 motherboards can accept IvyBridge-EX and Haswell-EX. There is no SandyBridge-EX and Broadwell-EX has not been announced yet.

If you attempt to install a Broadwell-EX CPU into that motherboard, you will find that the key notch is different and the CPU will not be seated.

 

[Pinhedd]

Looks like these MoBos support Ivybridge EX (Xeon E7 V2) and dual LGA2011/Socket R based (LGA2011-1). The motherboard naming is very confusing. Is there a good chance that I can able to run Haswell EX (Xeon E7 V3) on these MoBo? Do I need new BIOS support?

Intel® Server Workstation Motherboard W2600CR2 Socket R Dual LGA 2011
http://www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/motherboards/server-motherboards/server-board-w2600cr.html

Supermicro X9DRI-LN4F+ Dual LGA2011 Intel C602
http://www.supermicro.com/products/motherboard/Xeon/C600/X9DRi-LN4F_.cfm

Thanks all for great education

Thanks again for reply. These are good educational resources.

Since I can't afford any SuperMicro 4 socket MoBo. But I got a good deal for E7 Xeon 8880 V3 at Ebay.

I am looking for Asus PX79-E WS (https://www.asus.com/us/Motherboards/P9X79E_WS/specifications/) or, ASUS Sabertooth X79 (https://www.asus.com/us/Motherboards/SABERTOOTH_X79/), Dual socket Asus (Z9PE-D8 WS).

They are all LGA2011 based

What kind of problems I may face if I install any E7 Xeon V3 cpus on these MoBo? Will their current BIOS (https://www.asus.com/ca-en/Motherboards/P9X79E_WS/HelpDesk_CPU/) support this generation of processor?

Those are both LGA-2011-0 motherboards. They can accept Sandybridge-E, Sandybridge-EP, IvyBridge-E, and IvyBridge-EP CPUs only. LGA-2011-3 motherboards can accept Haswell-E and Haswell-EP CPUs only (as well as Broadwell-E and Broadwell-EP when released).

LGA-2011-1 motherboards can accept IvyBridge-EX and Haswell-EX. There is no SandyBridge-EX and Broadwell-EX has not been announced yet.

If you attempt to install a Broadwell-EX CPU into that motherboard, you will find that the key notch is different and the CPU will not be seated.

Neither of those are compatible with E7 cpus