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I built a workstation using 2 E5-2670s about a month ago. I'm pretty happy with it so far. I did need to repin to get the second EPS connector on my power sup

by jyxent 11y ago

I built a workstation using 2 E5-2670s about a month ago. I'm pretty happy with it so far. I did need to repin to get the second EPS connector on my power supply, but my power supply wattage was overkill otherwise. One nice thing is that DDR3 ECC RAM is extremely cheap. I bought 32GB of RAM for $60, and have since seen 64GB for $85. Also, it will boost to 3GHz on all cores at once, as long as it stays cool enough.

illumin8 11y ago
If you truly run multi-threaded applications all the time, it's an amazing value right now - ~$70 for an 8-core CPU with a huge chunk of cache.
coreyoconnor 11y ago
I did a similar build. I had no clue other people were thinking the same. The entire build I was super nervous. I kept worry I was buying components for a system that wouldn't be worth it. "How can this be so cheap?" I kept wondering. Admittedly, I went for used E5-2687Ws from ebay. Which increased the risk IMO. My experience mirrors the article and your experience. Fantastic value for a really great workstation! I happily run several VMs for dev work, the usual IDEs and switch between games with zero issues. I picked Noctua coolers, same as the article, and the noise level is also excellent.
- jyxent 11y ago
  My motherboard, RAM, and processors were all used. I wasn't concerned too much about the RAM or processors, but I've seen a lot of posts about people getting bent CPU pins on used motherboards. Luckily, everything was working for me when I got it. I was initially considering a new Xeon E3 system, because I wanted to have ECC memory, but the price on these used components had a significantly better price/performance ratio. Whenever I decide to update to a new system, I'll be looking at something like this again before I consider something new.
dalanmiller 11y ago
Which motherboard did you go with?
- jyxent 11y ago
  Ended up getting a used Supermicro X9DAi from eBay. Edit: Should mention that Supermicro has proprietary ATX/E-ATX motherboards. I went for them because I thought it would just work with an E-ATX case, but I ended up drilling 5 or 6 holes in my case for the standoffs.

by jyxent 11y ago

illumin8 11y ago

If you truly run multi-threaded applications all the time, it's an amazing value right now - ~$70 for an 8-core CPU with a huge chunk of cache.

coreyoconnor 11y ago

I did a similar build. I had no clue other people were thinking the same. The entire build I was super nervous. I kept worry I was buying components for a system that wouldn't be worth it. "How can this be so cheap?" I kept wondering. Admittedly, I went for used E5-2687Ws from ebay. Which increased the risk IMO. My experience mirrors the article and your experience. Fantastic value for a really great workstation! I happily run several VMs for dev work, the usual IDEs and switch between games with zero issues. I picked Noctua coolers, same as the article, and the noise level is also excellent.

jyxent 11y ago
My motherboard, RAM, and processors were all used. I wasn't concerned too much about the RAM or processors, but I've seen a lot of posts about people getting bent CPU pins on used motherboards. Luckily, everything was working for me when I got it. I was initially considering a new Xeon E3 system, because I wanted to have ECC memory, but the price on these used components had a significantly better price/performance ratio. Whenever I decide to update to a new system, I'll be looking at something like this again before I consider something new.

dalanmiller 11y ago

Which motherboard did you go with?

jyxent 11y ago
Ended up getting a used Supermicro X9DAi from eBay. Edit: Should mention that Supermicro has proprietary ATX/E-ATX motherboards. I went for them because I thought it would just work with an E-ATX case, but I ended up drilling 5 or 6 holes in my case for the standoffs.