Question Does the purchase of a E5 1650 V3 make any sense in 2020?

[Emian]

TL;DR a Ryzen build would cost me considerably more than normal because of where i live. A Z440 with a 1650v3, 32gb ddr4, complete build goes around $600.

Hello everyone here hope you're all doing fine in these trying times.

I have a question that needs some explaining so bare with me. I've come across a Z440 workstation with a 1650 v3. They're quite common in tech shops here. We don't have amazon or an equivalent so in box stuff tends to be overpriced. To put that in prespective a R5 3600 would be me behind $250 on a good day and a PSU MOBO CPU and 16 GB of RAM(3200) would cost me around $600ish not counting other parts which i have so that is why I am looking for alternatives.

Anyway, the full Z440 has 32 Gb of DDR4, a 256 GB ssd, 1 TB drive, a K2000 and In total it goes for 559 Euros or $610. Is this a better route to go considering some parts could be swapped out instead of the original like the way most second hand stores operate? Worried mostly about the Psu here?

I've got no prior knowledge regarding xeons nor these sorts of workstations so excuse me for the lack of better explaining.

 

[tamz_msc]

A 1650v3 is a low-clockspeed Haswell 6 core which will be somewhat slower than an R5 3600. Since you've said that new parts would cost about the same as the used Z440, it makes no sense to choose the latter. Besides as you've rightly pointed out that the PSU in the Z440 might be a problem if you want to swap parts(not because of the wattage, but probably due to lack of standard connectors, same goes for the motherboard), it is better if you just spend a little more to get a full new custom build.

 

[Thunder 57]

A 1650v3 is a low-clockspeed Haswell 6 core which will be somewhat slower than an R5 3600. Since you've said that new parts would cost about the same as the used Z440, it makes no sense to choose the latter. Besides as you've rightly pointed out that the PSU in the Z440 might be a problem if you want to swap parts(not because of the wattage, but probably due to lack of standard connectors, same goes for the motherboard), it is better if you just spend a little more to get a full new custom build.

And use considerably more power. Consider that as power tends to be expensive in many EU countries. Also what kind of warranty (if any) would you get with the Xeon workstation? Do you already have a video card? The 300 would require one.

 

[eek2121]

Note that you can also get first gen Threadripper parts pretty cheap. I can put together a complete Threadripper 1920X system for between $500-$600 with 32gb of RAM.

 

[eek2121]

And use considerably more power. Consider that as power tends to be expensive in many EU countries. Also what kind of warranty (if any) would you get with the Xeon workstation? Do you already have a video card? The 300 would require one.

PCs use very little power in general. The switch from incandescent lights to LEDs (just 3-4 bulbs!) saves far more power than a PC ever consumes. Also, if your power profile is set up correctly, there is no difference in power consumption.

 

[Thunder 57]

PCs use very little power in general. The switch from incandescent lights to LEDs (just 3-4 bulbs!) saves far more power than a PC ever consumes. Also, if your power profile is set up correctly, there is no difference in power consumption.

The light bulb comparison may be true, but an old workstation vs a modern 65W TDP CPU? Idle may not differ a lot, but you bet it will use more power under load.

 

[Emian]

The light bulb comparison may be true, but an old workstation vs a modern 65W TDP CPU? Idle may not differ a lot, but you bet it will use more power under load.

That was one of my worries coming into this. Not about the power consumption regarding bills, but more about the heat produced and the cooling that would be required. More and more reasons to back off the Z440 it seems.

 

[Emian]

A 1650v3 is a low-clockspeed Haswell 6 core which will be somewhat slower than an R5 3600. Since you've said that new parts would cost about the same as the used Z440, it makes no sense to choose the latter. Besides as you've rightly pointed out that the PSU in the Z440 might be a problem if you want to swap parts(not because of the wattage, but probably due to lack of standard connectors, same goes for the motherboard), it is better if you just spend a little more to get a full new custom build.

Rightfully so. I'm thinking of going for the R5 build, saving quite a bit on ram by buying it used as well as buying the PSU used, thinking if it's a good 80+ from a reputable manufacturer then it would hold up great? Leaving just the R5 and Mortar Max motherboard to be bought it in box. Does this sound like a good way to go about it?

Thanks for the replies!

 

[Shmee]

I would be cautious about buying a used PSU, but I suppose it would be fine if it was in like new condition, very little use. Also, those Xeons are decent, especially if you can OC them! But obviously you won't be able to in a dell. That said a decent X99 board and a Xeon or 6 core i7 is no slouch when OCed!

 

[Emian]

I would be cautious about buying a used PSU, but I suppose it would be fine if it was in like new condition, very little use. Also, those Xeons are decent, especially if you can OC them! But obviously you won't be able to in a dell. That said a decent X99 board and a Xeon or 6 core i7 is no slouch when OCed!

Yeah I actually looked at used PSU listings and saw no good deal so I'm going with a new one, better spend a bit more while knowing it wont bring up any problems.

As stated by other people, the TDP on the xeon would force me to get a more beefy cooler.

I've decided on the MSI Mortar Max cuz of it's Vrms, R5 3600, but i'm still torn on the ram. Would 3000 or 3200 be my best bet?

 

[ArisVer]

3200 MHz minimum for a Zen 2 CPU. Better go for 3600 MHz if you can afford that.

 

[Thunder 57]

I have a few rules when it comes to buying PC hardware. One is never buy a used storage device. Another, never buy a used PSU.

 

[Shmee]

Just a side note on these xeons, I got a great deal on an e5 1660 v3, so I ordered it as an upgrade for my X99. Should be fun seeing what I can do with it.