Xeon LGA2011 vs i7 LGA2011 help

[Tapion817]

Good evening everyone. I have to make a decision and I haven't been able to make a decision. I'm a 3D animator and I'm building a new computer because, well frankly, my current one is quite ancient in the 3D realm. Yes, I still currently run DDR2 RAM. I have looked around and have decided to go with a LGA 2011 socket motherboard and processor, but I am having a difficulty on deciding which one. I'm on a budget so I can't just go all out, but I do want the most for my money. The three processors I've been looking at have been the Intel Core i7-3820 Sandy Bridge-E 3.6ghz Quad Core, Intel Xeon E5-2609 Sandy Bridge-EP 2.4GHz Quad Core, and the Intel Xeon E5-2620 Sandy Bridge-EP 2.0GHz Six Core.

I do play games, but I'm not making a gaming rig, I'm making a new home workstation to work on some freelance animation work. Which one of these three should I go with and why? What are the Pros and Cons on getting i7 over Xeon or vice versa? If it is better to go with a Xeon chip, how much better would the six core be over the quad core. I've been breaking my head over it and would love to get some feedback. Thank you for your time to help me out.

 

[SSri]

I could not find your Xeon E5 2609 and E5 2620 on the CPU Benchmark site? Could you? thanks

 

[Tapion817]

No, I haven't either, which is why I haven't been able to decide and need help. I can't seem to find much info about them.

 

[SSri]

I wonder if those xeon's were ancient. They are priced less than US$400!

What's your budget? You need a CPU power and a lot of RAM. Rendering / 3D may need a good GPU. Would you be using Adobe CS5 to CS6 for animation? Do you want to overclock?

 

[IntelEnthusiast]

The Intel® Xeon® E5-2609 and E5-2620 are both designed to be the low end processors for our server line. With the exception of being able to work in a dual processor mode they are different from the Intel Core i7 with socket 2011 is the support for ECC memory. The Intel Xeon E5 processors were only released a couple months ago so they are not old at all.


Christian Wood
Intel Enthusiast Team

 

[Tapion817]

I know the Xeon chips are usually for servers, but I've heard they do a great job when it comes to working in animation and video editing since I work with physics, particles, rendering, and that sort of stuff. So should I stick with the i7 unless I go for a dual processor configuration?

 

[Tapion817]

I wonder if those xeon's were ancient. They are priced less than US$400!

What's your budget? You need a CPU power and a lot of RAM. Rendering / 3D may need a good GPU. Would you be using Adobe CS5 to CS6 for animation? Do you want to overclock?

I don't want to spend more than $425 on a processor and I already have 32gb of DDR3 RAM ready to install. I will mostly be using Adobe CS5/6 Master Suite, Maya 2012/2013, Max 2012/2013, and a few other 3D programs every so often. I usually don't mess with overclocking so I probably won't.

 

[SSri]

I know the Xeon chips are usually for servers, but I've heard they do a great job when it comes to working in animation and video editing since I work with physics, particles, rendering, and that sort of stuff. So should I stick with the i7 unless I go for a dual processor configuration?

You are looking to do a high-end work; the efficient and the powerful the CPU and RAM, the better the system for your work. I am sceptical of those two Xeons. You have got to grab a decent xeon, say 2 x Xeon x5660, which would cost you $2500 for the CPU alone.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819117230

http://www.cpubenchmark.net/high_end_cpus.html

Is the performance gain of 2 xeons over 1 i7 is worth the price. My personal view is probably not worth it. It is a server grade CPU. I have an HP xw8600 with x5450 for my real time financial market work. It is fantastic. Would I upgrade or buy another xeon with that price? NO. They are fantastic but I tend to think that the i7s would give a run for money. For $2500-$3000, you can build a nicely over-clocked new build.

Let's say, you go for a system like this....I'm sorry..I have not given the cost.


CPU is i7 3930K (6 core, 12 tread).
Mobo: Asus P9X79 Pro
GPUs: GTX 680 (when in stock) or Quadros 4000 upwards....
RAM: G.Skills Ripjaws Z 32 gb or 64gb
PSU: Seasonic X750
HDD: seagate 3tb 7200rpm hdd
SSD: Samsung 830 SSD
Optical Drive: Your choice (LG)
CPU Cooler: Noctua NH-D14 or Corsair H100.
Case: Plenty to choose from.

Intel has acknowledged that Ivy Bridge heat issues when overclocking. I hope they address them by changing around the thermal packaging.

6 months down the line, you may even opt for

CPU would be i7 3770K or something else.
Mobo: ASROCK Z77 extreme 6....

Let the summer run out....mull over these specs, wait and come back. At the moment, I think you should go for i7s.

Infact, I am thinking of a new build (for financial number crunching and video production/rendering of financial market comments)...I am going for an i7 with a plenty of RAM (32 GB OR 64 GB). I do not know much about the 3D. You have got to do some research on the GPU requirements for the 3D. Unless you do GPU rendering, which I think is pretty expensive, Video production/ rendering is about CPU and RAM.

thanks and good luck...

 

[Tapion817]

thanks, yeah I've been looking over the numbers myself. I do most high end stuff in a render farm so I don't have to go all out crazy. I guess my best bet is an i7 instead of the lower end Xeon. Thanks a lot btw.

 

[SSri]

Ah..Render Farm...with an i7 high spec build as a front end for your render farm, you will be flying...the best part of the render farm is that you may keep adding nodes as per your requirements.

happy to be help....good luck mate...

 

[Tapion817]

Best answer selected by Tapion817.

 

[weazel]

buy a server board a intel board is very expensive hols 1.5tb of ram and be weird and use a desktop cpu in it and save up for dual xeons later is the best for money 48g of 16gig sticks is 500usd on neww egg if u ful ram up u can load os in ram drive and leave every1 else in ur dust and this will last ages u can use desktop cpus in server boards get a resonable desktop cpu but put into saving for xeons 2 xeons are always better then 1 desktop cpu and xeons normaly have beter chaches