Intel Xeon E5-2600 v2: More Cores, Cache, And Better Efficiency

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Intel recently launched its Xeon E5-2600 v2 CPU, based on the Ivy Bridge-EP architecture. We got a couple of workstation-specific -2687W v2 processors with eight cores and 25 MB of L3 cache each, and are comparing them to previous-generation -2687Ws.

Test Setup And Benchmarks

We had Intel’s P4000 enclosure on-hand from a previous story, and used the chassis to house our dual Xeon configurations. We were able to update our Intel W2600CR2 motherboard to the latest firmware as well, adding support for the company’s Ivy Bridge-EP-based processors.

The Xeon E5-2687W v2 officially supports up to 256 GB of DDR3-1866 memory. The kits currently available operate at 1.5 V with CAS 13 timings, though. It was easiest for us to stick with the 64 GB of DDR3L-1600 at CAS 11—none of these workloads should be bandwidth-limited, after all.

Special thanks to Crucial for supplying the RAM and Intel for the platform we’ve been using for almost two years now. 

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Test Hardware
Processors2 x Intel Xeon E5-2687W v2 (Ivy Bridge-EP) 3.4 GHz, Eight Cores, LGA 2011, 8 GT/s QPI, 25 MB Shared L3, Hyper-Threading enabled, Power-savings enabled
Row 1 - Cell 0 2 x Intel Xeon E5-2687W (Sandy Bridge-EP) 3.1 GHz, Eight Cores, LGA 2011, 8 GT/s QPI, 20 MB Shared L3, Hyper-Threading enabled, Power-savings enabled
Row 2 - Cell 0 1 x Intel Core i7-4960X (Ivy Bridge-E) 3.6 GHz, Six Cores, LGA 2011, 15 MB Shared L3, Hyper-Threading enabled, Power-savings enabled
MotherboardsIntel W2600CR2 (LGA 2011) Intel 5520/ICH10R, BIOS 02.01.0002
Row 4 - Cell 0 MSI X79A-GD45 Plus (LGA 2011) Intel X79 Express, BIOS 17.5
MemoryCrucial 64 GB (8 x 8 GB) DDR3-1600 Registered ECC, MT36KSF1G72PZ-1G6M1HF
Row 6 - Cell 0 G.Skill 32 GB (4 x 8 GB) DDR3-1600 Unbuffered, F3-12800CL9Q2-32GBZL
Hard DriveIntel SSDSA2BZ200G3 200 GB SATA 3 Gb/s (SSD 710)
GraphicsNvidia Quadro FX 1800
Power SupplyIntel DPS-750XB A 750 W
Row 10 - Cell 0 Chicony CPB09-003A 1000 W
System Software And Drivers
Operating SystemWindows 8 Professional 64-bit
DirectXDirectX 11
Graphics DriverNvidia Quadro Driver 331.87
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Benchmark Configuration
Adobe Creative Suite
Adobe After Effects CCVersion 12.0.0.404 x64: Create Video which includes three Streams, 210 Frames, Render Multiple Frames Simultaneosly
Adobe Photoshop CCVersion 14.0 x64: Filter 15.7 MB TIF Image: Radial Blur, Shape Blur, Median, Polar Coordinates
Adobe Premeire Pro CCVersion 7.0.0, 6.61 GB MXF Project to H.264 to H.264 Blu-ray, Output 1920x1080, Maximum Quality
Audio/Video Encoding
iTunesVersion 11.0.4.4 x64: Audio CD (Terminator II SE), 53 minutes, default AAC format
LAME MP3Version 3.98.3: Audio CD "Terminator II SE", 53 min, convert WAV to MP3 audio format, Command: -b 160 --nores (160 Kb/s)
HandBrake CLIVersion: 0.9.9: Video from Canon EOS 7D (1920x1080, 25 FPS) 1 Minutes 22 Seconds Audio: PCM-S16, 48,000 Hz, Two-Channel, to Video: AVC1 Audio: AAC (High Profile)
TotalCode Studio 2.5Version: 2.5.0.10677: MPEG-2 to H.264, MainConcept H.264/AVC Codec, 28 sec HDTV 1920x1080 (MPEG-2), Audio: MPEG-2 (44.1 kHz, 2 Channel, 16-Bit, 224 Kb/s), Codec: H.264 Pro, Mode: PAL 50i (25 FPS), Profile: H.264 BD HDMV
Productivity
ABBYY FineReaderVersion 11.0.102.583: Read PDF save to Doc, Source: Political Economy (J. Broadhurst 1842) 111 Pages
Adobe Acrobat XIVersion 11.0.0: Print PDF from 115 Page PowerPoint, 128-bit RC4 Encryption
Autodesk 3ds Max 2012 and 2013Version 14.0 x64: Space Flyby Mentalray, 248 Frames, 1440x1080
BlenderVersion: 2.68a, Cycles Engine, Syntax blender -b thg.blend -f 1, 1920x1080, 8x Anti-Aliasing, Render THG.blend frame 1
Visual Studio 2010Version 10.0, Compile Google Chrome, Scripted
CinebenchCinebench R15.0 CPU Component
Euler3DCFD simulation over NACA 445.6 aeroelastic test wing at Mach .5
Autodesk Maya 2014Tom’s Hardware Logo render in mental ray, 1920x1080, global illumination, photo-realistic motion blur, ray-traced shadows, OpenGL Test: Generate Playblast (OpenGL preview) animation to Y: RAM drive
e-on Software Vue 2014 PLECustom workload: Landscape (generated in Vue 8 full version and imported into PLE)
File Compression
WinZipVersion 18.0 Pro: THG-Workload (1.3 GB) to ZIP, command line switches "-a -ez -p -r"
WinRARVersion 5.0: THG-Workload (1.3 GB) to RAR, command line switches "winrar a -r -m3"
7-ZipVersion 9.30 Alpha: THG-Workload (1.3 GB) to .7z, command line switches "a -t7z -r -m0=LZMA2 -mx=5"
Synthetic Benchmarks and Settings
3DMarkVersion: 1.1, Benchmark Only
SiSoftware Sandra 2014Version 2014.02.20.10, CPU Test = CPU Arithmetic / Multimedia / Cryptography / Memory Bandwidth
Chris Angelini
Chris Angelini
Chris Angelini is an Editor Emeritus at Tom's Hardware US. He edits hardware reviews and covers high-profile CPU and GPU launches.
47 Comments Comment from the forums
  • GL1zdA1
    Does this mean, that the 12-core variant with 2 memory controllers will be a NUMA CPU, with cores having different latencies when accessing memory depending on which MC is near them?
    Reply
  • Draven35
    The Maya playblast test, as far as I can tell, is very single-threaded, just like the other 3d application preview tests I (we) use. This means it favors clock speed over memory bandwidth.

    The Maya render test seems to be missing O.o
    Reply
  • Cryio
    Thank you Tom's for this Intel Server CPU. I sure hope you'll make a review of AMD's upcoming 16 core Steamroller server CPU
    Reply
  • Draven35
    Tell AMD that.
    Reply
  • cats_Paw
    Dat Price...
    Reply
  • voltagetoe
    If you've got 3ds max, why don't you use something more serious/advanced like Mental Ray ? The default renderer tech represent distant past like year 1995.
    Reply
  • lockhrt999
    "Our playblast animation in Maya 2014 confounds us."@canjelini : Apart from rendering, most of tools in Maya are single threaded(most of the functionality has stayed same for this two decades old software). So benchmarking maya playblast is as identical as itunes encode benchmarking.
    Reply
  • daglesj
    I love Xeon machines. As they are not mainstream you can usually pick up crazy spec Xeon workstations for next to nothing just a few years after they were going for $3000. They make damn good workhorses.
    Reply
  • InvalidError
    @GL1zdA1: the ring-bus already means every core has different latency accessing any given memory controller.Memory controller latency is not as much of a problem with massively threaded applications on a multi-threaded CPU since there is still plenty of other work that can be done while a few threads are stalled on IO/data. Games and most mainstream applications have 1-2 performance-critical threads and the remainder of their 30-150 other threads are mostly non-critical automatic threading from libraries, application frameworks and various background or housekeeping stuff.
    Reply
  • mapesdhs
    Small note, one can of course manually add the Quadro FX 1800 to the relevant file
    (raytracer_supported_cards.txt) in the appropriate Adobe folder and it will work just
    fine for CUDA, though of course it's not a card anyone who wants decent CUDA
    performance with Adobe apps should use (one or more GTX 580 3GB or 780Ti is best).

    Also, hate to say it but showing results for using the card with OpenCL but not
    showing what happens to the relevant test times when the 1800 is used for CUDA
    is a bit odd...

    Ian.

    PS. I see the messed-up forum posting problems are back again (text all squashed
    up, have to edit on the UK site to fix the layout). Really, it's been months now, is
    anyone working on it?

    Reply