Looking good! Always happy to see another 2600 series xeon member around here.
Speaking of non overclocked 2697 v2 processors, there is something to note. And while the 2697 v2 is theoretically Intel's highest ranked and the flagship processor for the 2600 series line, for heavy work loads or sustained all core turbo stuff, the 2696 v2 is the better option, believe it or not. Why? They both have a single core turbo of 3.5GHz, but for all core turbo the 2696 v2 has 100Mhz over the 2697 (3.1 v 3.0)... thus, if you have a lot of stuff going on that really loads up the cores, the 2696 v2 is the way to go, in my opinion. And despite having a higher all core turbo than the 2697, it actually has a lower TDP (120w vs 130w)
But of course, this doesn't apply to your overclocked Xeon. That would definitely take down a 2696 v2
Edit: Intel's OEM processors (which the 2696 v2 is) in the 2600 series are definitely more desirable than their retail counterparts. This is a good example, as well as the 2673 v2, at 110w matching the 2667 v2 which has a staggering 130w TDP. Also performs on par with the 2687w, same boost clocks and everything, but much lower TDP.
