Is the Xeon 1230v3 or I5-4770k better for Gaming while running Fraps recording program on the side?

luzhun

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Hi all. I am just curious since these 2 CPU's are roughly about a $10 difference. Which would you choose if you only had these 2 cpu's as a choice?

Intel i5-4670k
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819116899

or Xeon E3-1230 V3
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819116906

Can you tell me what differences there are between the Xeon and i5 or i7? What makes the i5 or i7 better for gaming if over clocking was not an option for any of them? How are they better optimized for gaming use? Can you give specifics? I haven't really looked at any charts comparing the i5 or i7 to the Xeon when running games. I am sure there are some out there but it wouldn't surprise me if the Xeon is next to them in performance.

I can only go for either an i5 or the Xeon which again is only a $10 difference. With the Xeon, it at least has HyperThreading, which is important for me since I am going to be using recording programs such as Fraps to record while being in games which should help with that. Xeons are also built to last a long time or produce less heat as well?

Others on this same forum say the Xeon is like getting a stock or locked i7 (being a few hundred MHz slower) for an i5 price. This would actually change if I make use of the Turbo Boost feature of the Xeon making it go to 3.7ghz. I am not into over clocking a cpu too much (if you consider Turbo Boost to be over clocking), so one that can go up to 3.7ghz is fine with me and you are not paying extra for "integrated graphics" which gets disabled once you use a dedicated graphics card.

I am just making these same points that others have, so.. I am still open to your all's ideas or thoughts if you really think an i5 is better for gaming, but would you get the Xeon because of hyperthreading or what would be your reasons of your choice? How is the i5 better made for gaming? Would there even be much of a difference? The Xeon would probably help more with games in the future as well correct?

Thanks for your thoughts or understanding of these cpu's and if you can provide some charts showing how the Xeon compares to the i5 or i7, that would be cool too! :)
 

luzhun

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Cool. Thanks for the fast response. If you were not even going to make use of the CPU Video since going to be buying a dedicated graphics card anyways, that really wouldn't be a usable feature for the i5 or i7 though? How much are the i5 or i7's that are "not" over clockable since I don't really want to do that? I would search this up myself, but I am not sure what their model numbers are. The ones without a K are non-overclockable correct?
 
Hello... YES, you need a "Z" MB to use a "K" CPU for Overclocking, with extra Cooling/Cooler needs... NON-K's are not OVERCLOCKABLE...
You can use a MB/CPU video to run another Low Performance 1080P Dual monitor setup... internet surfing, Document reading/editing... it is a Kewl feature from a MB/CPU... great at the office or at home...
It all depends on your personal needs... you have options.
You Will have 8 EIGHT CPU cores Available/Visable to Windows and Programs with the XEON !!! or any i7.
You have 4 FOUR with a i5.
 

Eggz

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The 4770k is made for gaming, and the Xeon is made for servers. The difference is mainly in two respects: (1) overclocking, and (2) memory.

OVERCLOCKING: Possible on 4770k but not on Xeon. This will get data to the video cards much faster, which will help performance in games.

MEMORY: Xeon supports ECC memory, which self-corrects for stability. The 4770k doesn't.

They seem to be roughly the same chip tuned for different uses. If you're into gaming, don't go with a server processor. It's slowed down in several ways to make it very stable and reliable. They are meant to be in a closet for a year at a time without having to fuss with them. Gaming CPUs, on the other hand, are meant to be tinkered with. You want to max out performance, and you shouldn't mind fine tuning things constantly. Push it to the point where you have trouble, and then adjust from there to get the most out of it. Server CPUs won't even give you that option.

http://cpuboss.com/cpus/Intel-Xeon-E3-1230-v3-vs-Intel-Core-i7-4770K
 


I believe OP meant the i5 4670k, not the i7 4770k.

In this case, I assume your response would be different. The Xeon 1230v3 is no different than an i7 4770, it just lacks an integrated GPU and is a few hundred MHz slower, as well as supporting ECC Memory but it is not a necessity. After typing this out, I just noticed that Ironsounds had already replied.

OP If your concern is multitasking while gaming then take the Xeon. If it was pure gaming you would be able to OC the 4670k for a little more performance, but honestly that Xeon won't bottleneck anything and the benefits of hyperthreading will allow you to multitask more easily.

When looking at benchmarks I suggest you compare the i7 4770(k) and i5 4670(k) both at stock speeds, as that's essentially what you'll be getting. Any particular games of interest?
 

luzhun

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Hi. I know that sounds confusing when I brought the i7 into the question as well. Sorry about that. I guess I just wanted an overall comparison since I will be using the turbo boost for the Xeon (3.7ghz), but I was really seeing if someone would buy the i5 over the Xeon though.
 

luzhun

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Hi. Is ECC much slower than RAM memory? I was looking to get DDR3 1600mhz. Does self correcting mean it lasts longer? or self corrects certain kind of errors within the memory itself?

Here is CPU Boss comparing the i5 with the Xeon.

http://cpuboss.com/cpus/Intel-Xeon-E3-1230-v3-vs-Intel-Core-i5-4670K

I am concerned with too much over clocking. I would want the CPU to last a long time.

Thanks for your response! :)
 


I remember reading that ECC is about 2% slower than non-ECC RAM.
 

AshyCFC

Honorable
Overclocking doesn't make a CPU last MUCH longer than it would normally.

I'd say the extra threads of the xeon 1230 v3 are superior to mere clock speeds in terms of future proofing.

Higher end CPU's last longer than lower end ones, OC or not and that's the bottom line.
 

luzhun

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Hi again Jook-D. Thank you once again for replying to me on this new post (as you did on another one). That's awesome. I think the other one closed because the topic was getting off subject, so I just started this one being more relevant, lol.

Umm.. it is mainly Skyrim (heavily modded - HD texture over haul packages Skyrim) for the most part plus running Fraps recording program on the side while playing games. I would also like to ensure the system lasts and is able to keep up with the latest games for years to come as some mentioned before that HT would help, with those additional cores, in future games once they start making use of them. That is why I do not consider over clocking as an option (most likely severely limiting myself by doing this, but my loss then), if Turbo Boost is not considered as over clocking.


That is also why I am going for 1600mhz memory since that is the highest standard without over clocking if I am correct, so the memory will last a long time too. :)



 

luzhun

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Thanks everyone for your answers. Umm.. if I could afford an i7, should I end up getting that? How much is a non-overclockable i7? I am sure it is cheaper than the 4770k? Would it run more hot than the Xeon? How does it compare to it? :D
 

luzhun

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Ahh here you go Jook-D: http://www.crucial.com/kb/answer.aspx?qid=3692

I saw another Thread started on Toms Hardware about ECC Memory and the conclusion was that it was pointless for home users or for gamers. Hmm..
 
Hello... Memory $$ has trippled in the last year... Due to current Non-ECC Prices, USED ECC 8gb sticks are much cheaper on EBAY now... but I have not looked into or tested "How current 77 and 87 Model boards" will accept them, by just using these Xeon models. ???

Also There is the E3-1240 v3 3.4-3.8 Ghz
if you want a socket 1155 MB get v2 versions... socket 1150 for the v3 versions...
 

AshyCFC

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Xeon 1230 v3 and i7 4770 perform very similarly but xeon costs less but has no integrated graphics and neither have heat issues even on stock cooler, if you want a cooler superior to stock just grab something like the cooler master tx3 its only about $18
 

Eggz

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You're right. Sorry about the confusion. Nonetheless, I still recommend getting the non-server processor.

More cores on a gaming PC is a bad idea compared to faster cores (assuming you have at least 4 cores).

Games use only 2-3 cores (rarely more). That means your Xeon with 8 logical processors will be treated as a 2 or 3 core processor. Putting more cores in the same physical space results in slower cores. Also, hyperthreading's logical cores are slower still. All said and done, a game utilizing 2 cores on the Xeon might actually only utilize 1 physical core (i.e. two threads on the same core). Given that the Xeon core itself is slower than the i5's, especially counting overclocks, you're buying a slower machine when it comes to gaming.

If you don't believe me, just test your game on the Xeon chip your considering and watch the "Performance" tab in task manager. You'll get not much more than 25% usage. That means that only one of the four physical cores is doing anything, and that core is working as hard as it can. If it goes over 25% by a little, then other cores are still doing almost nothing.

You have to remember that these chip actually have four independent processors on them, in the same way you'd get if you installed four single-core processors onto a motherboard with four CPU sockets.

I have a 3930k OCed to 4.2 Ghz, which has 6 cores and 12 logical processors, and I am convinced that a 4770k or 4670k would have more gaming headroom because each core on those processors is faster, even though the chips cost half as much. More cores is only for software that knows what more cores are, and most games simply have no idea how to recognize more than 2 or 3 cores.

As for overclocking, don't worry about it as long as you have a decent cooler and don't increase your clock speed more than 800 Mhz - 1 Ghz. The lifespan depends mostly on heat. If cooled properly, the lifespan will maybe decrease from 10 years to 8 years, but you no one keeps gaming chips that long anyway.
 

Eggz

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True, but it helps at the cost of his game's performance.


If you can afford the 4770k, that is the superior chip of all mentioned here. Get that.
 

logainofhades

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4770k is only really superior if the OP wants to overclock. The 1230v3 is an i7 without IGP and far cheaper. Not to mention the cheaper motherboard that can be used. Would give more money for a better GPU. They could pair up a 1230v3 with even an H81 board and save a crapload vs buying a 4770k and a Z87 board.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: Intel Core i7-4770K 3.5GHz Quad-Core Processor ($319.99 @ Amazon)
Motherboard: ASRock Z87 Extreme4 ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($129.99 @ Microcenter)
Total: $449.98
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-03-06 10:41 EST-0500)


vs

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: Intel Xeon E3-1230 V3 3.3GHz Quad-Core Processor ($244.30 @ SuperBiiz)
Motherboard: Asus H81M-A Micro ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($54.99 @ NCIX US)
Total: $299.29
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-03-06 10:41 EST-0500)

An extra $150 for a gpu can go a long way.
 

Eggz

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A good point. At this point, it comes down to personal preference. Given that the 4770k is meant to be overclockec - hence the "K" in the name - it should be overclocked.

But price on a video card will probably see a more tangible performance gain for playing games, though not so much for recording them. A bit of a tradeoff, it seems, will arise from prioritizing playing games vs. recording them