xeon vs i7

[dominicr]

im building new computers for work and had a question on which processor is better. im either going with i7-3930 or xeon qc-e5-2643. these are used to run solidworks, catia, unigraphics, and all cad software. im going to post the video card question on the video card forum. any input would be appreciated.

 

[BrightCandle]

The 3930k will be quite a bit faster, not least because its got 6 cores instead of 4.

 

[dominicr]

i figuerd the 3930 would be faster...the salespeople from the computer store are trying to sell our purchasing department on the fact that the xeon is more stable and blah blah blah....i can find no information anywhere taht states a xeon processor is better than an i7 3930

 

[IntelEnthusiast]

Both the Intel® Core™ i7-3930K and the Intel Xeon® E5-2643 will share a common micro-architecture so if everything else was equal and they were both running at the same speed and running a single threaded application you would see no difference between them. However the Intel Core i7-3930K does run faster, have more cores, and more cache so it really wouldnt be much of a contest.

 

[crazymonkeyzero]

The 3930k would be better for what you want to do due to the hyper threading and 6 cores. In my opinion, Xeons should be chosen over a i7 ONLY if you need error correcting memory (ecc), which is something regular desktop processors typically do not support; in every day applications, ecc memory is pointless, however it is useful for mission critical tasks such as scientific computing and servers where the systems run 24/7 for months to years at a time, and a computer crash is not acceptable. Based on your intended use, the i7 is the best way to go.

 

[Makaveli]

I vote 3930k also for the above reasons posted.

Unless this is a mission critical server or you need ECC support!

 

[dominicr]

Thanks for the input....these are not servers...these are desktop machines that go at our engineering department desks.

 

[Cerb]

The 3930k would be better for what you want to do due to the hyper threading and 6 cores. In my opinion, Xeons should be chosen over a i7 ONLY if you need error correcting memory (ecc), which is something regular desktop processors typically do not support; in every day applications, ecc memory is pointless, however it is useful for mission critical tasks such as scientific computing and servers where the systems run 24/7 for months to years at a time, and a computer crash is not acceptable. Based on your intended use, the i7 is the best way to go.

Or if a little unknown silent data corruption is not acceptable.

It comes to down much an unexpected bit flip, usually from a voltage glitch or failing DRAM, is a Bad Thing(tm). Of course it's always a bad thing, but would it cost you more than it costs to go with all registered ECC, including the more expensive CPUs that support them? On a shared data server, if you have the money, you'd be stupid not to. On desktops and workstations, it's more of an open question.

 

[silveryhat]

I gave this little piece of info on the other topic, I hope you don't mind it being reposted here



The 2011 Families
2011-socket cpus belong to the high-end business class category. They are designed for crazy enthusiasts or professional workstation use.

In the LGA-2011 you will find two different families : the regular "mainstream" extreme Core i7 processors (3960x, 3930k, 3820,etc..) and server-class Xeon processors.

All processors in this bracket are less prone to common issues found in the typical 1155-socket cpus such as random app crashes or BSOD. They also give you the luxury of quad-channel memory which is almost more than double what 1155 has to offer.

Now what makes Xeon processors superior to the typical LGA-2011 Core i7 is the ability to run ECC memory for a more stable environment. They are also known as the premium chipset that perform a lot better under stress conditions, they have larger L3 cache, consumes less power and generates less heat. This is very ideal for a 24/7 continuous usage scenario.

The Xeon Children
When it comes to just 2011-socket, you will meet two type of Xeon processors: the i5 Sandy Bridge-E (i5 E-16xx) and Sandy Bridge-EP (i5 E-24xx and i5 E-4xxx). The main difference between these two girls are the amount and type of sticks (memory!) they can handle, as well as the ability to hold a duo or quad instead of a single cpu party.

 

[Cerb]

All processors in this bracket are less prone to common issues found in the typical 1155-socket cpus such as random app crashes or BSOD.

FUDdy FUD FUD. First, they're almost non-existent, today--the 80s and 90s are over with. Second, no source of crash or BSOD will be any different on an LGA2011 i7 than on any other socket. If you're lucky enough that whatever is at fault shows itself as single-bit memory errors, you might get some warning with a Xeon, but that will require the right chipset, the right bad components failing the right way, and to get that, you'll need good luck.

x86 CPUs and chipsets today are quite reliable across-the-board. No stability issues are commonly found on any platform, without bad drivers or bad components. If you encounter any, troubleshoot them. There are good reasons to pay for RAS features in the likes of Xeons and Opterons, but the idea that a PC won't happily go about years of operation without crashes or other problems is a severe misconception, whose days of truth are now long gone. I have fond memories of those days, but our hardware was total crap, and our OSes were, too.