My first build (i have a xeon i would like to know more about

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AJ54

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My first build (i have a xeon i would like to know more about it)

I have a xeon with a 1366 socket type and is clocked at 2.66GHz but their is not model number or distinct marking on it or the box it and i would like to more about the spec on it. My dad get gave it me he said that it was original a test chip from intel and the intel guy left it after his presentation at Schlumberger and when they call him later that day he said they could keep it. well anyway my dad gave it to me about two years
bout and told me does not know any more than what i have collected on it. I would like know if it is worth using it in my first build and if it is what mobo should (I will be using it for gaming and CAD) I think is it from the E5 series
 

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Based on it being a pre-released chip from a couple of years ago, the E5 and speed you listed I would think that it was an E5640.

http://ark.intel.com/products/47923/Intel-Xeon-Processor-E5640-12M-Cache-2_66-GHz-5_86-GTs-Intel-QPI

The good is that it is a quadcore with hyper threading (good for CAD). The bad is that it has a low processor speed compared to modern CPUs (games love this). You can overclock it if you get the right kit although that won't be the easiest task since 1366 is a dead platform you'll probably have to get an x58 mobo off Ebay which supports xeon chips.

Overclocking can be done although you'll need to use an old skool method of base clock overclocking to do so. Have a read of this and see what you think.

http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/xeon-e5620-overclocking-westmere-ep,2767.html

It might be easier to get a modern setup - an i7 3770K on something like a MSI z77 Mpower would be your best suited option but that all depends on funds.

EDIT: Pictures weren't added when I wrote this.
 
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M&P pretty much summed it up :)
For CAD, the Xeon is epic, but for gaming it won't be optimal.
You might probably be better of getting a 1155 system with a 3770k for CAD, or if you're a big spender, a socket 2011 rig with an i7 3930k (even the 3820 will do, it's even overclockable).
The Xeon is decent, and it is overclockable, but 1366 is a dead platform, as stated above.
Good luck mate!
 
AverageNinja said:
M&P pretty much summed it up :)
For CAD, the Xeon is epic, but for gaming it won't be optimal.
You might probably be better of getting a 1155 system with a 3770k for CAD, or if you're a big spender, a socket 2011 rig with an i7 3930k (even the 3820 will do, it's even overclockable).
The Xeon is decent, and it is overclockable, but 1366 is a dead platform, as stated above.
Good luck mate!
Click to expand...

Sorry but that's a load of cack mate.

I *think* this is the 920 'alike' and if it is it's pretty much an I7 920 with HT that is of much higher quality BIN so will clock hard.

Most MSI/Gigabyte boards are known to support Xeons so I would track down a board and use it, providing it is what I think it is.

X58 was years ahead of its time and any one rocking a 950 or above would have had no reason to upgrade to Sandy other than an itchy wallet IMO.
 
AlienALX said:
Sorry but that's a load of cack mate.

I *think* this is the 920 'alike' and if it is it's pretty much an I7 920 with HT that is of much higher quality BIN so will clock hard.

Most MSI/Gigabyte boards are known to support Xeons so I would track down a board and use it, providing it is what I think it is.

X58 was years ahead of its time and any one rocking a 950 or above would have had no reason to upgrade to Sandy other than an itchy wallet IMO.
Click to expand...
Good point, but what I said was just my opinion, should´ve stated that I guess.
And (at least where I look for parts), I couldn´t find any X58 boards.
So you´ll have to go second hand. If you´re OK with that, it´s fine, but I´d rather buy unused components :) Then again, that´s my opinion. I know a lot of people buy second hand parts. Though especially for your first build I´d get unused parts.
 
I would say if you can get a motherboard that's compatible with this CPU for a good price go ahead, it's still a decent CPU by most standards (probably, if the people responding above are correct).

A few things to keep in mind/investigate further:
  • It lists on the packaging label that it is dual CPU compatible (meaning it has two QPI links to communicate between CPU and M/B and between CPU0 and CPU1, respectively). So make sure to get a motherboard that is compatible with dual QPI link Xeon CPUs. I know that there were quite a few M/B that were compatible with Xeons back in the day, but I'm not sure if those single socket M/B were compatible with dual QPI link Xeons. Investigate this properly before making a buy.
  • Those mainboards were quite expensive back in the day since they were targeted at professional users, and they still might be. Also, as AverageNinja mentioned, they might be quite difficult to come by, especially unused.
  • If you have found a M/B, make sure to get the proper memory. Some Xeon motherboards might require ECC memory (expensive). I'd recommend avoiding ECC-requiring M/B, since non-ECC memory can be clocked higher.

If you get the right motherboard you would probably be able to get a very decent overclock out of this baby and have a system which, while not as fast as what money can buy these days, would still be up to most challenges you could throw at it in practice.

However, all of this might get more expensive than doing a proper 1155 build from scratch. So once you have a price for all components you'd need to complete a build with this CPU, spec up an 1155 rig with a 3770k (useful for CAD work due to hyperthreading) or maybe an i5 (completely adequate compared to the CPU you have probably, but maybe slightly slower in CAD work since no hyperthreading, absolutely not sure about that one), and compare prices on those two.

If an 1155 scratchbuild is about the same price, I would recommending going for that. If you can save a decent amount of money using this CPU, I'd use this CPU. Where the tipping point lies is for you to decide though ;).

Have you considered maybe writing to Intel directly for info about this CPU?

EDIT: On another note, maybe a mod should move this thread into here? /EDIT
 
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Obviously it would be a good idea to investigate this further but as I said Gigabyte and MSI do offer support for Xeons.

As an example I've had my Xeon in three motherboards (1155 Sandy) now and it's been fine in all of them. Actually make that four, though I broke support by upgrading an Asrock H61m by flashing to an Ivy bios..

I know the X58 UD3R or whatever it was called supported the 1366 Xeons.

Link test, but here is a list of Gigabyte X58 boards and the Xeons they support..

http://www.gigabyte.com/support-dow...EB653B8D5BBA0B7340&s=Socket 1366&cs=Intel X58

Edit yup that works. Note though that only the UD3R rev 2.0 supports Xeons. The Rev 1.0 does not.
 
I already wrote this in my answering PM, but I thought I'd post it here for general information/discussion:

Are there possible compatibility issues since this CPU was never released to the public and might therefore not be a final production sample?

Also, that EVGA board seems like a good deal if the answer to above question is no. The dual QPI Xeons are on the CPU support list, after all.
 
alpenwasser said:
I already wrote this in my answering PM, but I thought I'd post it here for general information/discussion:

Are there possible compatibility issues since this CPU was never released to the public and might therefore not be a final production sample?

Also, that EVGA board seems like a good deal if the answer to above question is no. The dual QPI Xeons are on the CPU support list, after all.
Click to expand...

Shouldn't be any issues.
It's most likely to be a review sample I'd have thought - or something similar anyway.
I'd imagine any from actual beta/alpha testing with Intel would be destroyed, so this is most likely to be a final pre-retail sample, ie - as close to the retail version as you can find.

There wouldn't be any compatibility issues - other than those that the retail version may have too.
It would have been pointless for Intel to have made testing chips that weren't even compatible with hardware wouldn't it.

I'd also say if you have it, and can find a decent deal on a motherboard, I wouldn't hesitate on going down that route.

Sure, performance won't be as good as current 1155 Ivybridge, but you're looking at like 5 times the cost going down that route than just buying a 1366 board.

Maybe look to buying Haswell or something when you next come to upgrade, and hopefully you may get a few extra $/£ for selling an unmarked pre-retail Xeon anyway.
 
I would keep the Xeon tbh. I had a I7 950 and at 4ghz it wasn't far off of a 2500k at the same clocks. I only really upgraded to cut down heat and power usage but I *think* the Xeons had a lower TDP than their equivalent I7s.

It's definitely certain that there's pretty much nothing it won't do.
 
http://www.cpu-world.com/CPUs/Xeon/Intel-Xeon X5550 - AT80602000771AA (BX80602X5550).html

Type CPU / Microprocessor
Market segment Server
Family Intel Xeon 5500
Model number ? X5550
CPU part numbers AT80602000771AA is an OEM/tray microprocessor
BX80602X5550 is a boxed microprocessor
Frequency ? 2667 MHz
Bus speed ? 6.4 GT/s QPI (3200 MHz)
Package 1366-land Flip-Chip Land Grid Array (FC-LGA8)
1.77" x 1.67" (4.5 cm x 4.25 cm)
Socket Socket 1366 / B / LGA1366
Introduction date March 30, 2009
End-of-Life date Last order date is September 28, 2012
Last shipment date for tray processors is March 27, 2015
Price at introduction $958
 
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