Please help me decide between Core i7 and Xeon E3

[Dethroy]

One can only overclock the BCLK so much ... (since Sandy Bridge got introduced, Westmere was known for its oc-abilities)
Would be nice if one could adjust the multiplier. But nobody with a sane mind would buy K-processors then.

 

[n-ster]

Guys guys

I don't have the time or know-how to build my own system, even though that would give me more options and would probably be cheaper. So I am stuck with the processor options that Lenovo is offering me

Does this statement make you think he will be overclocking? and personally I would not be overclocking without an aftermarket cooler, which he doesn't seem interested in installing anyways.

This is not your target audience for overclocking, no matter how great it has been for you

That said I'd still suggest an i7 4790K to him for the 4Ghz to 4.4Ghz base clock speeds

 

[Caring1]

Please help me decide between Core i7 and Xeon.

I am stuck with the processor options that Lenovo is offering me (listed here). Lenovo is offering several Xeon E3 processors, whereas i7-4790 is the only Core i7 they are offering with this particular system.

@n-ster You conveniently missed this part that makes your suggestion irrelevant too.
The base Xeon is the one to choose as they are all basically the same, so it comes down to which is cheapest.

 

[n-ster]

I already mentioned that out of those 3 the cheapest Xeon was obviously the best value . However even better would be to have it built by NCIX or even a local shop like MicroCenter. The i7 4790k would give a good performance boost and everything will be customizable to get quality and performance needed, for the same price as this or better

 

[newtekie1]

@n-ster You conveniently missed this part that makes your suggestion irrelevant too.
The base Xeon is the one to choose as they are all basically the same, so it comes down to which is cheapest.

Actually, I'd still go with the i7. As I mentioned, thanks to the higher TDP of the i7, it has a slightly different boost algorithm than the Xeon. So while it is only 100MHz faster when 1 and 4 cores are loaded, when 2 cores are loaded it is actually 300MHz faster and when 3 cores are loaded it is 200MHz faster. IMO, $70 is not all that much more, and if you never plan on upgrading the CPU, you might as well go with the best you can afford.

I already mentioned that out of those 3 the cheapest Xeon was obviously the best value . However even better would be to have it built by NCIX or even a local shop like MicroCenter. The i7 4790k would give a good performance boost and everything will be customizable to get quality and performance needed, for the same price as this or better

I've already suggested this in all 3 of his threads, he totally ignores it. I've told him the Lenovo is a bad deal. He could get an NCIX system with more memory, the same processor, and an actually decent graphics card(GTX960) for pretty close to the same price he plans to pay for the Lenovo.

The Lenovo he's looking to buy with a 4790, and a K420 he says he needs for CUDA is $1,160. And it only has a proprietary 250w power supply, 500GB Hard Drive, and 4GB of single-channel RAM.

The NCIX Impact R2 Tier 3 with a 4790, a GTX960, a 500w power supply, a 1TB Hard Drive, and 8GB of dual-channel RAM. It comes out to $1,130. It is $30 cheaper, and every spec except the processor is better, the processor is the same as the lenovo.

Both systems were with Windows 8.1 Pro x64 too.

 

[n-ster]

Yea I saw that, I figure if I keep asking he'll at least acknowledge it, even if it is to say that he doesn't want to do that. So far I can't even tell if he understands what we mean or anything

 

[Caring1]

Actually, I'd still go with the i7. As I mentioned, thanks to the higher TDP of the i7, it has a slightly different boost algorithm than the Xeon. So while it is only 100MHz faster when 1 and 4 cores are loaded, when 2 cores are loaded it is actually 300MHz faster and when 3 cores are loaded it is 200MHz faster. IMO, $70 is not all that much more, and if you never plan on upgrading the CPU, you might as well go with the best you can afford

True, and if he is doing a lot of calculations, crunching etc then a XEON Processor is the way to go, regardless of who builds the system.
With the right Motherboard he can take advantage of the increased cache and Ram capabilities as well as use ECC Memory.
For compute purposes the small increase in Mhz speed won't make much difference.
In the OP's original post he mentions using it for scientific research, although he states he does not need ECC ram.

 

[newtekie1]

True, and if he is doing a lot of calculations, crunching etc then a XEON Processor is the way to go, regardless of who builds the system.

Why? The Xeon offers no performance improvement.

With the right Motherboard he can take advantage of the increased cache and Ram capabilities as well as use ECC Memory.

The Xeon has the same amount of Cache and supports the same amount of RAM as the i7.

 

[classic35mm]

Hi everyone, thanks for all your time and help. It's much appreciated!

The main reason I am hesitant to have a rig built by NCIX is that it only comes with a 1 year limited warranty, whereas Lenovo has a 3-5 year warranty with onsite service. Yes, I know that many of the components in an NCIX would have their own manufacturer warranty for longer than 1 year, but I'd rather have the whole system warrantied so that I don't have to prove that a particular component is broken. (You know, in the world of computer warranties, there is a lot of finger pointing. ) And, yes, I know that a Lenovo warranty may have several downsides, and I wish they gave me more options in terms of parts, but for right now it seems like the best option for me. I don't have my own IT department, unfortunately.

Thanks again for all your help!

 

[n-ster]

Hi everyone, thanks for all your time and help. It's much appreciated!

The main reason I am hesitant to have a rig built by NCIX is that it only comes with a 1 year limited warranty, whereas Lenovo has a 3-5 year warranty with onsite service. Yes, I know that many of the components in an NCIX would have their own manufacturer warranty for longer than 1 year, but I'd rather have the whole system warrantied so that I don't have to prove that a particular component is broken. (You know, in the world of computer warranties, there is a lot of finger pointing. ) And, yes, I know that a Lenovo warranty may have several downsides, and I wish they gave me more options in terms of parts, but for right now it seems like the best option for me. I don't have my own IT department, unfortunately.

Thanks again for all your help!

Thank you for that explanation! I'll just see if there are other options, let me know what you think of them:

http://www.ncix.com/article/Entra-PC-Pro-S-Series.htm#start

Does come with 3 years Next Business Day on-site warranty, though the value isn't great, I'll see if I can find something else. FYI, I've had more problems warranty-wise with whole system warranties than individual component warranties, and by a very big margin, YMMV

CyberPowerPC https://www.cyberpowerpc.com/system/Mega_Special_II

PSU is 550W Enermax 80+ Gold
Win 7 Pro (Which was 100 something)
5 Year service 3 year parts warranty (which was 350$)