i7-3970x vs Intel Xeon E5-2697 v2

[pugheaven]

Ok, here's a question. I'm running my i7-3970x @ 4600mhz on all 6 cores. However, I know that the Xeon 2697 has 12 cores running at 2.7ghz (1 core I believe turbos to 3.5ghz) and will plug straight in my x79 board.

However the multiplier is locked... for gaming, I'd expect that the 3970x is the better choice? The only way you could clock the Xeon is BLK upping which is hit and miss at the best of times...

What you guys think? I'm so tempted to pick up the Xeon and just see how it reacts... or peole think it'll be a waste of time?

 

[pugheaven]

For gaming that 2011 generation only the Q series Xeons with unlocked multi are worth it even then I'd put the money towards a newer setup though saying that you can tune the 2011 Xeon/Ivy-E setups for very low button to pixel latency in gaming which is one of the reasons I've stuck with my 4820K.

Yeah was looking at the 8 core Intel Xeon E5-1680 v2 which had the multi's locked... as these can hit 4600mhz as well... was just contemplating cheap way of upgrading but the 1680's command around £200 quid which is way more than I'd want to spend, where'as the 12 core 2697 can get fro £100, a lot of power for the money meaning I can keep all my other gear...

Just wondered whether anyone was running a 12 core Xeon 2697...

 

[pugheaven]

Edit: Misread post, thought it was a Threadripper 3970x!

Wouldn't bother with an Xeon for gaming, the 3970x is a far better choice.

I wish I could afford one hahaha yeah I've just realised they called it the same, amazed Intel didn't have something to say about that lol.

 

[pugheaven]

What are you doing with the other 26 cores??

It's an Intel, not the threadripper hahaha, something I didn't notice until posting that they're called the same thing.

 

[pugheaven]

The 8 core unlocked 1680 V2 is the one I would be after.

Have a look at tech yes city on youtube, he's done some good videos with that CPU.

Yeah was looking at that one as well, 8 cores and if could hit 4600mhz, gives me another 30% hahaha. Might be keeping an eye out for one but they hold their prices pretty well tbh.

 

[pugheaven]

Well, ended up picking up a cheap E5-Xeon 1680V2 and switching the i7-3970x out and will sell on if this proves a good chip, currently runnung 4,500mhz on all 8 cores now, 100% stable after an hour, temps within reason, so lets see how far this Xeon can go... I'm excited... hahaha basically if I sell the i7-3970x it means I've got another 2 cores for free

 

[pugheaven]

Well, seem to be getting some speed out of this badboy at minute... just hit 4,700mhz. The weird thing is with these chips is, you can run 4,500mhz on 1.310v... to hit 4,600 and above requires 1.385v and the temps start climbing by around 10C on max load after 10 minutes ish... so will put some new 2,300rpm fans on the heatsink tomorrow and see what I can do... be nice to run 4,700mhz, but I'm not having the temp in 85c plus range, always like my Intels in the 70's even if it's high 70s!

 

[pugheaven]

Yeah they often clock well and with a bit of RAM tuning you can get some pretty decent system latency as well.

EDIT: Just watch out for the VTT (or whatever your board calls it) too high on that can kill them in months even though they can take a fair bit of vcore OK.

Yeah got it running stable topping out 4,[email protected] which is perfectly acceptable or 4,600mhz @1.385v which is quite a leap, I can't hit 4,600mhz with anything less... so for me, really, for the sake of 100mhz... and lower temps, stress etc, other than for benchmarking may as well just use 4,500mhz and be a happy man!

Under load, at 4,600mhz, the vcore is 1.368v, however, not sure I fancy rocking that 2/47 tbh as this is a 24/7 machine... so, reckon I'll keep this this week, make sure all is good which I'm sure it is then sell one of these spare chips, sitting on an i7-3820 quad core and an i7-3970x six core processor, may as well get up for sale soon I think.

tell you what though, have to say these X79 boards are absolutely stunning really and been looking are commanding mental money nowadays...

 

[pugheaven]

I can't remember off the top of my head is there any difference with AVX/AES extensions, etc. to your old CPU that might have an impact on some newer software?

Yeah originally I thought the same, however, judging by this (ok it was the model lower than the i7-3970x, however same series), however it seems the Xeon seems to have more, how reliable this is is another matter and doesn't match up with INTEL site.

 

[pugheaven]

Settled on [email protected] as my 24/7 setting, however, it will run and benchmark at these speeds on all cores! WOW! Not that far behind the Ryzen there tbh, makes you wonder how far we've really come, however that's me done. This chip is a keeper!

 

[pugheaven]

Is a great cpu, very close the 5960x.

Juts looked at your sig, that's one hell of a CPU mate. That 4.8ghz on all cores or some? That must monster through everything wow... just looking at the specs juices me hahaha.

 

[pugheaven]

Incredible, I've literally just realised that the Xeons have this Spectre_Meltdown "patch" in Windows to protect against the security breaches on the pre 2017 is it Intels? However, little did I realise how it effects performance... On v's Off. All my benchmarks have now gone up by various %.

 

[pugheaven]

Great stuff. I have it all turned off as well on Intel machines.

How much did you pay for the Xeon, if you don't mind saying?
And did you get hit with any import duty?

Hi matey, I got it from down south and paid £140 delivered which tbh for the power and saves me upgrading anything is an absolute steal. You may be able to get cheaper on certain Asian sites but tbh, I'd prefet to have something like this just get to me soon as possible. Have to admit I['m astouned it clocks so well and so stable, hopefully it stays that way as it'll give me a few more years on this rig as long as I upgrade GPU as and when. I may just sell my i7-3970x 6 core on now as well as my i7-3820 4 core and get some coinage back.

 

[pugheaven]

Well, its' great to see us "older" tech folk can still hold our own and to me this really does point, that in Intels case, other than MHZ, I'm stuggling to see how we're in a better place CPU wise in 8 years... only AMD seem to have made great leaps in their IPC, while Intel just keep throwing mhz at the problem... I would LOVE to see a modern 8 core Intel declocked to say 4.6ghz like my XEON from 2013 and lets just see what improvements we really have!