Dell Workstation Owners Club

[rightbison]

Consider it confirmed.

The W3690 is basically the single CPU version of the X5690. The X-series supports dual socket, the W-series does not. I liked using the X-series chips in my old single socket 4,1 Mac Pro.

Oh thanks! That saves me from a lot of hassle, especially the mobo! Appreciate the responses guys. Also, i heard the W3690 has a unlocked multiplier and from this link here: https://www.userbenchmark.com/UserRun/3125524, it can be overclocked all the way to 4.0Ghz on the T3500. Can you confirm this please?

 

[phanbuey]

This thread might be bolstered by the massive amount of chips about to come on the market due to MDS attacks. they dont matter for consumers, so there might be a bunch of high performing systems for cheap soon that would be excellent gaming/workstation rigs.

 

[ManGupta]

I have one...


...and it is only bottlenecked in certain games and then only marginally. Should I upgrade? Maybe. For much of what I do, my X5680 is more than enough.

Th

I have one...


...and it is only bottlenecked in certain games and then only marginally. Should I upgrade? Maybe. For much of what I do, my X5680 is more than enough.

In your case do you use single Xeon system like T3500 or Dual Xeon System like T5500, T7500.

Dual Xeon may not bottleneck but what about single cpu system like T3500.

Should work fine.


Consider it confirmed.

In this thread in some post in some pages back someone had posted that single qpi cpu like w3680 w3690 won't run on T5500 MB even if using it in a single processor setup. I.e., without Raiser.

Dell Workstation Owners Club

We have a separate thread for overclocking these computers (and others). https://www.techpowerup.com/forums/threads/throttlestop-overclocking-desktop-pcs.235975/ Many of us here follow both threads. But if that's not your thing then you're in the right place. Skulltrail was an Intel 2xCPU...

www.techpowerup.com

 

[rightbison]

In this thread in some post in some pages back someone had posted that single qpi cpu like w3680 w3690 won't run on T5500 MB even if using it in a single processor setup. I.e., without Raiser.

Dell Workstation Owners Club

We have a separate thread for overclocking these computers (and others). https://www.techpowerup.com/forums/threads/throttlestop-overclocking-desktop-pcs.235975/ Many of us here follow both threads. But if that's not your thing then you're in the right place. Skulltrail was an Intel 2xCPU...

www.techpowerup.com

Oof, guess I should get the motherboard too.

Thanks for mentioning that because the last thing I want to do is spending money on a processor that isn't guaranteed to work on my T5500!

 

[Susquehannock]

Yes. As mentioned previously, the T5500 and T7500 boards are Intel 5520 chipset based and require a dual QPI processor. Both W3680 and W3690 are single QPI. Being there are no unlocked dual QPI, this means no overclocking with T7/5500. Best we can do is hex core X5690.

[edit]
Should also be mentioned that newer BIOS (A07 or later) is required for 32nm Westmere and Gulftown CPUs. Otherwise the system will not boot. In this case you need to use an older 45nm Bloomfield or Nehalem CPU, install latest BIOS, then change over to the newer 32nm CPU.

 

[lexluthermiester]

In your case do you use single Xeon system like T3500 or Dual Xeon System like T5500, T7500.

T3500 single socket.

Yes. As mentioned previously, the T5500 and T7500 boards are Intel 5520 chipset based and require a dual QPI processor. Both W3680 and W3690 are single QPI. Being there are no unlocked dual QPI, this means no overclocking with T7/5500. Best we can do is hex core X5690.

Are we sure the 5520 chipset will not still take a single QPI CPU like the W3690? IIRC, I've seen a T5500 running a single QPI i7 running in single socket mode.. Could be wrong though..

 

[Susquehannock]

T3500 single socket.

Are we sure the 5520 chipset will not still take a single QPI CPU like the W3690? IIRC, I've seen a T5500 running a single QPI i7 running in single socket mode.. Could be wrong though..

There could be anomalies. I looked into this extensively testing my T5500 boards. None of the single QPI would even boot regardless of CPU family or BIOS version. And far as I can tell looking at the Dell pages and sales brochures none of the T5500 or T7500 were ever offered with anything but dual QPI, single CPU config or with riser.

 

[lexluthermiester]

There could be anomalies. I looked into this extensively testing my T5500 boards. None of the single QPI would even boot regardless of CPU family or BIOS version. And far as I can tell looking at the Dell pages and sales brochures none of the T5500 or T7500 were ever offered with anything but dual QPI, single CPU config or with riser.

Fair enough.

 

[ManGupta]

I am getting a used T3600 for $200 with E5 1650 3.20ghz 3.80 turbo , 8 Gb RAM.

I tend to decline this Deal. What do you guys advice.

Pros:
1) Processor can be upgraded to 8C/16T

2) Quad Channel Memory Bandwidth

3) PCIE Gen 3

4) SATA 3 6 gb/s

5) USB 3

6) UEFI BIOS

7) Better Cabinet, toolless, HDDs can be inserted/ removed from outside without opening the case. Handle on top, easy to carry the case.

Cons:
1) Although Processor can be upgraded to 8C/16T, Used 2nd Gen Xeons are very very expensive as compared to used 1st Gen X5680/W3680

2) In my existing T3500 I am already getting benefit of USB 3 via PCIE Adapter, Sata3 I donot care much as I used sata SSD and planning to use M.2 NVME SSD via PCIE Adapter. I do understand however that relying on PCIE Gen2 (as compared to Gen 3 PCIE) will reduce the advantage by 50%

3) Unlike T3500, T5500, T7500, power supply cannot be upgraded by aftermarket PSU like Corsair, EVGA etc. In T3600 Power Supply is the ultimate limiting factor so I cannot upgrade GPU to GTX 1080ti/ RTX 2080 ti. T3600 comes with either Dell propriety 635 watt or 425 Watt Power supply, and in this case seller has 425 Watt PSU only.

4) mixed reports about success of overclocking of T3600 system.


UPDATE:
PSU can be upgraded by a Dell 09JX5 80 Plus Gold 1300W Power Supply from a T7610 that costs 75 to 100 USD on ebay. BUT unfortunately does not ships to India.

 

[lexluthermiester]

I do understand however that relying on PCIE Gen2 (as compared to Gen 3 PCIE) will reduce the advantage by 50%

Not really. I look at the performance of my GPU(RTX2080) with the X5680 and compare to other benchmarks and the difference is on par with most of the other systems I compare to. Not as much of a disadvantage as you might think. However, that is a damn good system for the price and even if you have to spend an extra $150 to get an 8C CPU it's still worth it if you're transplanting most of your other parts.

 

[ManGupta]

Not really. I look at the performance of my GPU(RTX2080) with the X5680 and compare to other benchmarks and the difference is on par with most of the other systems I compare to. Not as much of a disadvantage as you might think. However, that is a damn good system for the price and even if you have to spend an extra $150 to get an 8C CPU it's still worth it if you're transplanting most of your other parts.

How does the two options compare -

1) Upgrading 6C T3500 to 8C T3600 ($200+$150+$100 (Dell 09JX5 PSU from T7600) = $ 450

2) Upgrading 6C T3500 to 12C T5500 ($350+ $50 for X5680) = $400 (This comes with 48 GB RAM, a Quadro1800, 1 TB HDD, 2 * X56** Xeons , (but not X5680, so I will have to get one, as one I already have).

UPGRADING to a 8 Core is more expensive than upgrading to a 12 Core (6+6) System.

 

[Darmok N Jalad]

How does the two options compare -

1) Upgrading 6C T3500 to 8C T3600 ($200+$150+$100 (Dell 09JX5 PSU from T7600) = $ 450

2) Upgrading 6C T3500 to 12C T5500 ($350+ $50 for X5680) = $400 (This comes with 48 GB RAM, a Quadro1800, 1 TB HDD, 2 * X56** Xeons , (but not X5680, so I will have to get one, as one I already have).

UPGRADING to a 8 Core is more expensive than upgrading to a 12 Core (6+6) System.

I was deciding between Gulftown vs Sandy-Bridge-E vs Ivy-Bridge-E as well. I ended up with an Ivy Bridge-E 8C setup for cheap, but it was not a Dell, it was the HP Z420. I almost did the dual socket Gulftown, as the X56xx series are so cheap. Sure, with later models, you will get newer board specs (PCIe 3.0, SATA 3.0), but you also get better energy efficiency: The E5-2650 v2 is a 95W chip, and the Z420 only needs a 600W PSU. My Kill-A-Watt meter has the HP idling at 75W, and with 16T loaded, it hits 140W.

 

[ManGupta]

I was deciding between Gulftown vs Sandy-Bridge-E vs Ivy-Bridge-E as well. I ended up with an Ivy Bridge-E 8C setup for cheap, but it was not a Dell, it was the HP Z420. I almost did the dual socket Gulftown, as the X56xx series are so cheap. Sure, with later models, you will get with later models is newer board specs (PCIe 3.0, SATA 3.0), but you also get better energy efficiency: The E5-2650 v2 is a 95W chip, and the Z420 only needs a 600W PSU. My Kill-A-Watt meter has the HP idling at 75W, and with 16T loaded, it hits 140W.

You really got a Deal. Z420 / T3600 with 8 core E5-2650 for just $200 is a steal. In my case I am only getting 6 core E5-1650. and Used 8 Core Xeons are very expensive. Even the PSU is only 425 watts. BTW what Cinebench score you get with 8 cores?

Qualiy-wise Dell and HP are equal.

Power efficiency improves with every Generation of Processors/platforms. It also is a factor where do you live and what are electricity charges there.

Not just power efficiency wise but also feature wise each generation is improvement over the earlier .... like Pcie3, SATA3, USB3.

But X56XX series System's Cost to Performance ratio is just too good to resist. If price is not an issue I would had moved over to Ryzen System.

PSU in T3600 system is an issue to me as the unit offered to me only have 425 watts. Aftermarket PSUs like Corsair/EVGA cannot be used. This is an issue for me as I in future will upgrade to GTX 1080ti/RTX 2080ti or when AMD releases their best GPU in fag end of 2019.

PSU in T3600 can be upgraded only by an Used Dell T7600 system 1300 watt PSU available on Ebay from $75 to $100 , but does not ships to my country.

 

[lexluthermiester]

How does the two options compare -

1) Upgrading 6C T3500 to 8C T3600 ($200+$150+$100 (Dell 09JX5 PSU from T7600) = $ 450

2) Upgrading 6C T3500 to 12C T5500 ($350+ $50 for X5680) = $400 (This comes with 48 GB RAM, a Quadro1800, 1 TB HDD, 2 * X56** Xeons , (but not X5680, so I will have to get one, as one I already have).

UPGRADING to a 8 Core is more expensive than upgrading to a 12 Core (6+6) System.

This depends on your needs. If you need more GPU power(gaming) the T3600 is going to be the better option long term. If you need more CPU power, the T5500(with the extra CPU riser and X5680) will be the better option. Make sure the T5500 includes the extra CPU riser card and heatsink.

Personally, I love my set of T3500's. My main gaming rig is one and my internet system(typing on it currently) is the other. For my gaming rig, I "downgraded" from a i7-5820 and hardly felt a difference. Sure the benchmarks showed some drops in certain area's but I didn't feel that difference. Gaming performance was almost an unnoticeable change. Been happy with it since.

If you don't "need" the extra cores from the T3600 option or T5500 option, stick with your T3500 for a while and save your money for an RTX2070 or RTX2080. The RTX2080ti will be mildly bottlenecked by an X5680 so if that card is your future, then you'll need something newer.

 

[Darmok N Jalad]

You really got a Deal. Z420 / T3600 with 8 core E5-2650 for just $200 is a steal. In my case I am only getting 6 core E5-1650. and Used 8 Core Xeons are very expensive. Even the PSU is only 425 watts. BTW what Cinebench score you get with 8 cores?

Qualiy-wise Dell and HP are equal.

Power efficiency improves with every Generation of Processors/platforms. It also is a factor where do you live and what are electricity charges there.

Not just power efficiency wise but also feature wise each generation is improvement over the earlier .... like Pcie3, SATA3, USB3.

But X56XX series System's Cost to Performance ratio is just too good to resist. If price is not an issue I would had moved over to Ryzen System.

PSU in T3600 system is an issue to me as the unit offered to me only have 425 watts. Aftermarket PSUs like Corsair/EVGA cannot be used. This is an issue for me as I in future will upgrade to GTX 1080ti/RTX 2080ti or when AMD releases their best GPU in fag end of 2019.

PSU in T3600 can be upgraded only by an Used Dell T7600 system 1300 watt PSU available on Ebay from $75 to $100 , but does not ships to my country.

Oh, you can still get the same deal I got if you can do eBay. Here’s the listing. I made an offer to get it for $205 with shipping and it was auto-accepted. I’m kicking myself for not starting out lower! RAM was actually 4GB x 2, and mine has 2 6-pin PCIe cables. Condition is actually pretty good. A few scratches and a chip in the paint, but it looks great for a used machine, IMO. Seller shipped fast, too.

I’m waiting on my SSD to arrive today and I’ll get it set up with Windows and Mint. I’m still waiting on my extra RAM to arrive, so I’m currently only running dual channel. I guess I’ll find out how much 2 extra channels will help on benches, too.

Edit:
Cinebench on dual channel memory:

Spoiler

 

[sepheronx]

So my T3500 has been sitting dormant for a bit. Only because I just got my GTX 970 back from my friend and that I couldn't stand the vibration loudness of the front fans when I used throttlestop to overclock.

Was thinking of getting an AIO for it. Can be hand for about $90 CAD. What you all think?

 

[ManGupta]

If you don't "need" the extra cores from the T3600 option or T5500 option, stick with your T3500 for a while and save your money for an RTX2070 or RTX2080. The RTX2080ti will be mildly bottlenecked by an X5680 so if that card is your future, then you'll need something newer.

Maybe the whole scenario will change with the launch of new Ryzen3000 7nm in the fag end of this year. Particularly after zombieload effect all intel CPU's hyper-threading has to be disabled.

Oh, you can still get the same deal I got if you can do eBay. Here’s the listing.

Yes listing still there but for Shipping to my country shipping cost is being quoted as $925

 

[hashico]

Hello everyone, I just got a T5500 for cheap (150€+100€ for a used GTX970) with a x5687 and 24GB of RAM. The system is quite capable for my needs (CPU heavy data analysis and a little of 1080p gaming) but I'm struggling with cooling, as the system came equipped with the lower performance heatsink. I see that for my CPU it is suggested to use an "high performance one" (PN U016F) but I'm struggling finding one for cheap in my country. Does anyone here have any "non official" cooling solution (even if they require some hardware "hacking")?

 

[ManGupta]

Hello everyone, I just got a T5500 for cheap (150€+100€ for a used GTX970) with a x5687 and 24GB of RAM. The system is quite capable for my needs (CPU heavy data analysis and a little of 1080p gaming) but I'm struggling with cooling, as the system came equipped with the lower performance heatsink. I see that for my CPU it is suggested to use an "high performance one" (PN U016F) but I'm struggling finding one for cheap in my country. Does anyone here have any "non official" cooling solution (even if they require some hardware "hacking")?

Only 1 out of 2 Heatsink is weak.

The one on raiser kit is good copper heatpipe heatsink, but the other on motherboard is weak aluminium heat-sink which needs to be replaced with this one -

Dell Precision T3500 T5500 T7500 Workstation Heatsink U016F for sale online

Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for Dell Precision T3500 T5500 T7500 Workstation Heatsink U016F at the best online prices at eBay! Free shipping for many products!

www.ebay.com

Also clean and reapply the thermal paste, use a good one like Thermal greasily cryonaut .

Still problem with cooling then consider adding additional 90mm or 80 mm fans to the heatsink.

Page Not Found - Aliexpress.com

 

[hashico]

Only 1 out of 2 Heatsink is weak.

The one on raiser kit is good copper heatpipe heatsink, but the other on motherboard is weak aluminium heat-sink which needs to be replaced with this one -

Dell Precision T3500 T5500 T7500 Workstation Heatsink U016F for sale online

Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for Dell Precision T3500 T5500 T7500 Workstation Heatsink U016F at the best online prices at eBay! Free shipping for many products!

www.ebay.com

Also clean and reapply the thermal paste, use a good one like Thermal greasily cryonaut .

Still problem with cooling then consider adding additional 90mm or 80 mm fans to the heatsink.

Page Not Found - Aliexpress.com

Forgot to say I have a single CPU configuration. The heatsink you linked is what I was searching for, it's just that I can't find one for cheap in my country, might be cheaper to just buy the one you linked and get it shipped to me from the USA if I can't find any alternatives.

 

[ManGupta]

Forgot to say I have a single CPU configuration. The heatsink you linked is what I was searching for, it's just that I can't find one for cheap in my country, might be cheaper to just buy the one you linked and get it shipped to me from the USA if I can't find any alternatives.

Which country you are from?

 

[hashico]

Which country you are from?

Italy

 

[ManGupta]

Italy

How much is this heatsink costs in Italy ?

 

[hashico]

Can't find one on eBay located in Italy (at least no Buy It Now listings) and a local shop thinks he can order one for 70€.

 

[ManGupta]

Can't find one on eBay located in Italy (at least no Buy It Now listings) and a local shop thinks he can order one for 70€.

try this for 28 Euro including international shipping.

US $30.8 |U016F for Precision T3500 T5500 T7500 CPU Cooling Heatsink|Servers| - AliExpress

Smarter Shopping, Better Living! Aliexpress.com

www.aliexpress.com

Or the one on USA Ebay and pay for International shipping ....... see which comes cheaper.