Intel xeon cpu's

[leggydan]

Would the xeon 5660 CPU range be any good for building a decent spec desktop around. Mainly being used for video and photo editing and the occasional gaming session. I know its more for servers. But I'm sure it would be more than enough for a desktop machine

 

[PhoenixUK]

How much video/photo editing you'll be doing ( is that going to be full-time 6-8hrs a day or just a bit ? ).

What software do you use? ( Not all applications benefit from extra cores ).

What kind of performance you're expecting ? What's ur current setup?


Nearly grand for a CPU is a lot, the i7 970 comes closer to mind if you want extreme power for desktop CPU for 300quid less but a quad i7 might just be enough for you and there is no point spending ridiculous amount of money on something u're not going to use to its full potential.

 

[leggydan]

How much video/photo editing you'll be doing ( is that going to be full-time 6-8hrs a day or just a bit ? ).

What software do you use? ( Not all applications benefit from extra cores ).

What kind of performance you're expecting ? What's ur current setup?


Nearly grand for a CPU is a lot, the i7 970 comes closer to mind if you want extreme power for desktop CPU for 300quid less but a quad i7 might just be enough for you and there is no point spending ridiculous amount of money on something u're not going to use to its full potential.

I already have the CPU so im just wondering is it a good choice to build a desktop go for the more cost effective I7 cpu's maybe.

It won't be a lot of editing, just holiday clips etc

Current setup up is way to old to even mention(old P4!) I have been using a macbook pro the last few years but with the recent purchase of a Full HD camcorder, i have already accumulated a lot of footage i need to edit together nicely, and i just want to have a pc i can sit down at and do some work rather than a laptop on the couch!

Starting using Powerdirector for video editing but runs terribly on the P4!

Could probably build a system for a less than 500, im thinking i could get a pretty good system to go with that CPU. So something that can handle full hd video editing and a bit of gaming,

 

[vasek]

In my opinion for the stuff you need, a xeon would be overkill especially since the prices will probably drop soon enough. A good quad would be a better choice, unless you have lots of cash to throw away

 

[f12f12]

you have the cpu so use it.

it may be intended for servers but it is still more than capable of normal desktop work.

 

[leggydan]

Im thinking something like this should work out cheap enough and be enough for my needs. look ok?

-Intel Xeon X5660 2.80GHz
-Gigabyte GA-X58-USB3 Intel X58 (Socket 1366) DDR3 Motherboard
-Geil Black Dragon 6GB (3x2GB) DDR3 PC3-10666C9 1333MHz Triple Channel
-Cooler Master GX 750W Power Supply
-HIS ATI Radeon HD 5450 1024MB GDDR3 SILENT Low Profile PCI-Express Graphics Card
-Akasa AK-CCX-4002HP Venom CPU Cooler
-Coolermaster Elite 334 Midi Case - Black

 

[PhoenixUK]

Sell the CPU while it's still worth something ( probably will drop price by half or more within the next 3-4months when new stuff comes out ).

Grab a cheap AM3+ x6 build, that will have PLENTY of power for your needs, probably more than you'll need anyways.

Your basket
Product Name Qty Price Line Total
AMD Phenom II X6 Six Core 1055T 2.80GHz (Socket AM3) - Retail AMD Phenom II X6 Six Core 1055T 2.80GHz (Socket AM3) - Retail £150.39
(£127.99) £150.39
(£127.99)
Patriot Viper 4GB (2x2GB) DDR3 PC3-12800C7 1600MHz Dual Channel Kit (PVS34G1600LLK) Patriot Viper 4GB (2x2GB) DDR3 PC3-12800C7 1600MHz Dual Channel Kit (PVS34G1600LLK) £70.49
(£59.99) £70.49
(£59.99)
Gigabyte GA-880GM-UD2H AMD 880G (Socket AM3) microATX DDR3 Motherboard Gigabyte GA-880GM-UD2H AMD 880G (Socket AM3) microATX DDR3 Motherboard £59.98
(£51.05) £59.98
(£51.05)
Antec Basiq Plus 550W Modular Power Supply Antec Basiq Plus 550W Modular Power Supply £52.99
(£45.10) £52.99
(£45.10)
NZXT BETA Evo Classic Series Case - Black NZXT BETA Evo Classic Series Case - Black £35.99
(£30.63) £35.99
(£30.63)
Cooler Master Hyper 212 Plus (Socket AM2/AM2+/AM3/775/1156/1366) Cooler Master Hyper 212 Plus (Socket AM2/AM2+/AM3/775/1156/1366) £19.99
(£17.01) £19.99
(£17.01)
Samsung SH-S223L/RSMN 22x DVD±RW SATA Lightscribe ReWriter (Beige/Black/Silver) - Retail Samsung SH-S223L/RSMN 22x DVD±RW SATA Lightscribe ReWriter (Beige/Black/Silver) - Retail £12.98
(£11.05) £12.98
(£11.05)
Sub Total : £342.82
Shipping cost assumes delivery to UK Mainland with:
DPD Next Day Parcel
(This can be changed during checkout) Shipping : £11.75
VAT is being charged at 17.50% VAT : £62.05
Total : £416.62

GPU of your choice, I'd probably stick around with the onboard for the next month or so and see what the new stuff has to offer before buying any.


This setup is at least 10 times faster than what you currently have.
If you overclock it, that would increase the difference even more.

 

[davieg]

Damn Pheonix, thought you had found an AM3+ board for a sec skim reading, put a space in between the AM3 and the +, or you will get silly buggers like me all over excited thinking AM3+ had hit

Dave.

 

[leggydan]

thanks for the info, dont think i would be interested in overclocking it. Was more leaning towards an Intel based system so ill have a better look at your spec mentioned . It has been years i built a pc, things have changed a lot!

 

[PhoenixUK]

i7 build will be very similar as well so if you prefer that route then go with that.
Intel will have slightly better performance ( nothing u'll notice in your kind of usage ) but will also cost a bit more ( around 160-200 depending on motherboard ).

But then as said again, not only whatever you pick will be a lot more than adequate for your needs, there are also new CPUs coming next year so I won't spend more than needed.

PC Tech is now changing faster than ever so there's no point trying to buy expensive kit just in hope for it to be 'future-proof'.

If you really have extra cash to burn and feel the need to spend then do it on one ( or few ) of the following instead on CPU that you're not going to use:

- SSD
- Bigger monitor OR dual monitor setup ( obviously helps if you want to do anything with video or images )
- Good mouse ( G9X ) - extra buttons and precision increase your productivity and make the use software or gaming a much better experience.
- Good quality case - will keep your components cooler and allow you for easier and better upgrades in the future - a good case ( they start around 100+ mark, 150-200 high end cases ) will last you many years.

 

[SirCanealot]

I'd second selling the CPU. You can probably sell it for enough to make an AM3 system...

 

[mothermachine]

AFAIK, but I'm not certain, since Xeons are designed to work in tandem as a pair (or even 4 or more) on one motherboard, I think (again, not certain) that using only a single Xeon in one board will partially cripple it, at least you'll experience bottlenecks. They're designed to work in pairs basically, unlike "consumer" chips like the equivalent i7 etc.

At any rate your best bet would be to sell it and get a regular consumer chip. You'll probably find that a consumer chip at roughly the same speed will be a little quicker. The alternative would be to do it properly and buy a second identical matching Xeon and you're good to go. But you're talking MAJOR expense there, including (even if you go with option 1) an expensive Xeon board. You're also probably looking at having to buy ECC RAM too.

Basically it's not worth it. Sell it

Actually, thinking about it, I'm not sure if you could even run one Xeon... Too much hassle to make it worthwhile in my experience. I'm running a small farm of dual xeon machines here and they're awesome but I get the same speed from each with my single 6-core i7 machine, and it cost half as much... you see where I'm going

 

[leggydan]

AFAIK, but I'm not certain, since Xeons are designed to work in tandem as a pair (or even 4 or more) on one motherboard, I think (again, not certain) that using only a single Xeon in one board will partially cripple it, at least you'll experience bottlenecks. They're designed to work in pairs basically, unlike "consumer" chips like the equivalent i7 etc.

At any rate your best bet would be to sell it and get a regular consumer chip. You'll probably find that a consumer chip at roughly the same speed will be a little quicker. The alternative would be to do it properly and buy a second identical matching Xeon and you're good to go. But you're talking MAJOR expense there, including (even if you go with option 1) an expensive Xeon board. You're also probably looking at having to buy ECC RAM too.

Basically it's not worth it. Sell it

Actually, thinking about it, I'm not sure if you could even run one Xeon... Too much hassle to make it worthwhile in my experience. I'm running a small farm of dual xeon machines here and they're awesome but I get the same speed from each with my single 6-core i7 machine, and it cost half as much... you see where I'm going

hmm was just about to put through an order, when i saw your reply. i thought you could still run Xeon CPU's independently but the work better together, as in it works like an i7 on its own but uses the QPI link when used on a dual cpu motherboard to make the most of the dual cpu setup.

Worst case scenario im thinking the xeon cpu doesn't work and i need to buy an i7 and sell the xeon! Not sure who would buy it though!

 

[mothermachine]

hmm was just about to put through an order, when i saw your reply. i thought you could still run Xeon CPU's independently but the work better together, as in it works like an i7 on its own but uses the QPI link when used on a dual cpu motherboard to make the most of the dual cpu setup.

Worst case scenario im thinking the xeon cpu doesn't work and i need to buy an i7 and sell the xeon! Not sure who would buy it though!

well this is the thing. some people here might be able to confirm if you can run 1 x Xeon at a time but ultimately you're going to be left in the position one day where you want to sell it and people rarely buy 1 x Xeon at a time obviously.

to be honest you're far better off just going down the i7 route. much much cheaper and easier all round and better long-term resell options.

 

[Sultan of Ping]

A single Xeon will run absolutely fine by itself.

There is therefore a market for selling your Xeon CPU, which would be a good idea unless you would be making a loss. In that case you should consider keeping it.

More than one would be total overkill for your needs, anyway.

You may also run into problems finding reasonably priced desktop motherboards that offer suuport for your Xeon CPU - I've checked the Gigabyte CPU support list for the GA-X58-USB3 mobo and your Xeon is not listed, so make sure you check things like that first!

 

[leggydan]

A single Xeon will run absolutely fine by itself.

There is therefore a market for selling your Xeon CPU, which would be a good idea unless you would be making a loss. In that case you should consider keeping it.

More than one would be total overkill for your needs, anyway.

You may also run into problems finding reasonably priced desktop motherboards that offer suuport for your Xeon CPU - I've checked the Gigabyte CPU support list for the GA-X58-USB3 mobo and your Xeon is not listed, so make sure you check things like that first!

i was looking to get the Asus X58 Sabertooth board. i sent a webnote to Ocuk staff and they said that this board is compatible with the Xeon 5660 cpu, according to intel site, but i cant find that info anywhere myself