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Xeon cpus - i7s / differences? gaming

eXalin

eXalin

eXalin

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Joined
5 Oct 2008
Posts
121
I noticed oc have put up some new systems with Intel xeon processors, I know that xeon processors are used for server systems, but I was wondering what benefit they would have over an i7 for gaming?


Would a xeon processor perform better than an i7 in terms of gaming performance? do they require certain motherboards?
 
For this generation, the i7 chips, iirc the Xeon equivalents have an extra QPI link and prefetchers tuned to server applications, but other than that are pretty much identical apart from the name. Most Xeons require server motherboards, some make it over to the desktop.

There are no advantages to Intel's desktop chips for gaming.
 
Agreed with reflux.

I'm running a Xeon 3450 on a Maximus III Gene, and for all intents and purposes, it's an i7 860 basically (is read by Core Temp as an i7 850...)

It's only worth getting one if:
a) you are running a server or server applications
b) you can get one cheaper than the equivalent i7 (like me - it cost me £139.99 new)
 
MooMoo444 said:
Being server processors, they're possibly more 'robust' :)
Click to expand...

Same process and its not like Intel chips fail in normal running.

Never had one fail yet in all my years. With my last company we had 100's of desktop chips running 24/7 from 486s to Core 2 and we never had one cpu fail. Things that fail are PSU's, Hard Disks and Monitors generally in my experience.

The only difference might be that they are binned for lower vids which would reduce heat and power consumption.
 
generally speaking xeons are more premium binned chips

either way, you are not going to see any drastic improvement ofver the consumer grade counterpart.
 
I've got the xeon version of the q9550. Only diff is that the coltage doesn't go as high as the q9550.

Only got it coz it was a steal on the bay when i was looking to go quad.
 
milkinc13 said:
it's incredibly rare for a CPU to fail under normal working conditions. overclocked then that can reduce the life span, but by the time that happens it would have been replaced.
Click to expand...

No CPU is infallible however.

I am under the impression that a server CPU has a lower time to error rate than a normal CPU.

(That is, time between the CPU making an incorrect calculation)
 
Just wondering with servers having more RAM than your average computer, might Xeons have better memory controllers? Well what I mean is more tolerant of an overclock with more RAM?
 
arc@css said:
So the more ram you have the lower the potential overclock? Never knew that. :)
Click to expand...

It's all to do with the memory controller. The more RAM you have, the more strain there is on the memory controller :)

As far as I know that how it works. Someone else can probably give a better explanation :)
 
Xeons aren't strictly server chips, they are primarily aimed at multi cpu installations, and those historically have been both workstation and server rigs.

We use them for workstations running 3DS Max that can make use of the extra cores that doubling up cpus gives you. Games on the whole don't yet use all those cores as effectively, so the i7 is all you need to provide the extra pep multi cores give to your overall system responsiveness, of course multithreading will become more advantagous in the future.

If you get one cheaper than the equivalent i7 then great, but you don't really need to buy one unless your looking at multi cpu boards, and those run a lot more expensive than single cpu boards.
 
the only sever grade chips which had any big advantage over there normal counterpart was the 939 opterons they alwasy used to clock a lot higher but thats about it well in my experiance anyways
 
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