X79 and/or rampage IV OC'ing thread for those of us still left....

[repman244]

I received the CPU today, didn't do much tweaking yet.

 

[dalekdukesboy]

I am really enjoying reading new folks and bobbybluz and older posters etc still tinkering or outright starting new builds etc. I don't have the time or remember to always check in as much as I'd like but just saying I've really enjoyed this thread and am amazed at it's longevity and how many people have read and/or posted in it!

 

[bobbybluz]

I am really enjoying reading new folks and bobbybluz and older posters etc still tinkering or outright starting new builds etc. I don't have the time or remember to always check in as much as I'd like but just saying I've really enjoyed this thread and am amazed at it's longevity and how many people have read and/or posted in it!

X79 refuses to die. When you consider the longevity of the platform, quad channel memory and the fact Xeon CPU's that were stupid expensive 8-10 years ago are now literally dirt cheap the value for the dollar can't be beat. For those of us who already had top-tier X79 systems for years the E5 1680 V2 suddenly becoming available at bargain prices changed the game. I sold my binned 4960X on Ebay for roughly the same price I paid for two 1680 V2's. In my case the fact I only paid $50 for that 4960X was icing on the cake.

Consider all of the Intel and AMD platforms that have came and went since X79 was introduced. Other than X99 no others have the cult following X79 does. X58 has its loyalists as well but not the performance of X79 or X99. Of course without cheap Xeons added to the mix I seriously doubt the hardcore enthusiast interest would be there today like it is. Also, many of us already had/have large inventories of components on hand so building or upgrading existing rigs didn't involve spending large amounts of money on new hardware. We're like the hot-rodders of the 1950's & 60's. We have the ability and knowledge to be able to take older discarded parts nobody else wants and combine them into performance monsters that punch far above their weight class. That's what separates us from the average consumer. 10 years ago nobody would have ever dreamed the Chinese would be recycling X79 parts to make new X79 mobos a decade later. I think that speaks for itself.

 

[johnspack]

Well, just got my 2697 v2 today. So far just staring at it. Not quite sure what to do with it yet... I've never done blck ocing before, where do I start?
Pic in the Xeon owners club.

 

[lexluthermiester]

I've never done blck ocing before, where do I start?

Just keep in mind you will have limited success with bclk OC's on X79.

 

[johnspack]

Yeah I know... 115 is probably max, may be not even that high on my board. As long as I can set all core turbo to like 3.4, with single core turbo going higher, it will
probably do. I'll be able to run several 6 thread vms, or 2 8 thread, or throw 16 threads in one to do some serious compiling. Even though I'd still like more speed,
more cores is more useful!

 

[lexluthermiester]

115 is probably max, may be not even that high on my board.

I think you'll be very lucky to get that high.

 

[johnspack]

I know... but I can afford to burn it out. My 1680 will be waiting to go back in. If I don't burn it out.. I'll get a 2nd one, put them in a server board.
1680 will go back in this board. Fun with 8 year old tech!

 

[dylxxn]

Heya! I'm brand new the X79 scene (going to be picking up a Rampage IV Extreme here soon). I'm having trouble deciding on what chip to get for it. I've done some reading through posts here and elsewhere, and I've found generally these chips are the most popular/I am considering:
- E5-1650v1 (~$35)
- E5-1660v1 (~$50)
- E5-1680v2 (~$125)
- 3960X (~$75)
- 3970X (~$100)
I'm definitely interested in overclocking (but I don't have a ton of experience with it - only really on Z97), so I'm leaning towards the 1650 as it's really cheap for the performance that can be squeezed out... but any opinions are welcome! (I don't think I'll be going with a 2xxx Xeon though, since my main rig already is a 12/24 3900X )

I look forward to joining you all!

 

[lexluthermiester]

Heya! I'm brand new the X79 scene (going to be picking up a Rampage IV Extreme here soon). I'm having trouble deciding on what chip to get for it. I've done some reading through posts here and elsewhere, and I've found generally these chips are the most popular/I am considering:
- E5-1650v1 (~$35)
- E5-1660v1 (~$50)
- E5-1680v2 (~$125)
- 3960X (~$75)
- 3970X (~$100)
I'm definitely interested in overclocking (but I don't have a ton of experience with it - only really on Z97), so I'm leaning towards the 1650 as it's really cheap for the performance that can be squeezed out... but any opinions are welcome! (I don't think I'll be going with a 2xxx Xeon though, since my main rig already is a 12/24 3900X )

I look forward to joining you all!

First welcome to TPU!

The 1680V2 is a solid choice, but you should not discount the 2xxx Ceons as the 2667v2 has 8cores as well but has dual QPI links instead of the 1 the 1680V2 has and both of the QPI links on the 2667v2 run at 8GT per second instead of the 5GT per second for the 1680v2. The 3970X is almost the same as 1660v2 and as such has few cores(6c/12t). I personally choice the 2667v2 for my Xeon build because of it better features.

The better specs mentioned above make a difference in performance, it's worth looking at.

 

[dylxxn]

First welcome to TPU!

The 1680V2 is a solid choice, but you should not discount the 2xxx Ceons as the 2667v2 has 8cores as well but has dual QPI links instead of the 1 the 1680V2 has and both of the QPI links on the 2667v2 run at 8GT per second instead of the 5GT per second for the 1680v2. The 3970X is almost the same as 1660v2 and as such has few cores(6c/12t). I personally choice the 2667v2 for my Xeon build because of it better features.

The better specs mentioned above make a difference in performance, it's worth looking at.

Thank you!

I took a look and it seems like a nice chip for sure (the 2667v2), but I was hoping to get an actual unlocked chip so I could have some more practice with straight-up overclocking. Skimming through other users' experiences it seems like the hard cap for BCLK OC is 115 (and that's just a maybe) and I feel like I'd have more fun with something like a 1680v2 or 1650v1. I also am trying to not spend a super ton on this, so seeing chips for 30-50 dollars that can still scale with overclocking is... enticing. lol

What is overclocking even like on the 2667v2 though? I'm sure you know better than I can guess if you have one yourself haha. I'm not sure I'm really building this for raw performance but just kind of having fun with it, y'know? Although I did see Bryan's (TYC) video on YT versing a 4.6GHz 1680v2 against a 3950X and 10900K and the results were very impressive (besides the power draw )

 

[Ashley98]

I should have posted sooner here. But I recently got a Rampage IV Extreme practically brand new for 90 bucks to replace my P6X58D-E + X5675 4.5Ghz. Im running it with a 1650v2 right now at 4.5ghz 1.36v with 32gh memory @2333mhz 125mhz Strap CL11-13-13-31-2T (2x8gb Corsair Hynix AFR 4 Gigabit + 2x Crucial Ballistix Micron 4 Gigabit.

Was able to secure a 1680v2 for £90 should be arriving tomorrow hoping I can get at least 4.4-4.6ghz out of it with 1.375v or less.

Was planning to get a another Ryzen 3600 for myself since we have 2 pcs here and have a build with that CPU but I require 32gb of ram and the cost of the rampage + E5 1650v2 and 32gb ddr3 cost less than a single 32GB Ram kit. So what's the point?

I love this platform so much I got another Rampage IV with a missing pin and bent pins in the socket super cheap and have been used that board with a 4820K @4.8ghz 1.34v 2400mhz OEM Hynix 2 Giagbit CFR to benchmark video cards

 

[lexluthermiester]

but I was hoping to get an actual unlocked chip so I could have some more practice with straight-up overclocking.

Ah gotcha. To be fair the Asus board you're going to get can do bclk OCing so you would still get some fun in with the 2667v2, but if you want an unlocked multi then the 1680v2 is the undisputed King of OC for X79 and worth the money you'd pay. Just gotta weigh your options.

 

[dylxxn]

Ah gotcha. To be fair the Asus board you're going to get can does bclk OCing so you would still get some fun in with the 2667v2, but if you want an unlocked multi then the 1680v2 is the undisputed King of OC for X79 and worth the money you'd pay. Just gotta weigh your options.

I'll put some thought into it for sure. Will update when I get the board!

 

[drizzler]

First welcome to TPU!

The 1680V2 is a solid choice, but you should not discount the 2xxx Ceons as the 2667v2 has 8cores as well but has dual QPI links instead of the 1 the 1680V2 has and both of the QPI links on the 2667v2 run at 8GT per second instead of the 5GT per second for the 1680v2. The 3970X is almost the same as 1660v2 and as such has few cores(6c/12t). I personally choice the 2667v2 for my Xeon build because of it better features.

The better specs mentioned above make a difference in performance, it's worth looking at.

I am sorry to say but there are some mistakes in this post :

1. The 3960x an dthe 3970x are Sandy-Bridge-E architecure while the v2 Xeons are Ivy-Bridge-Architecture, so their counterpart is the 4960x.

2. The QPI-Link is totally pointless with single socket systems since X79 /Sandybridge as it is only connecting the CPUs in multi socket systems. We have DMI2 with x79 to connect the cpu to the x79 chipset and thats limited to 20GT/s (4links with 5GT each) no matter what CPU you are using.

3. The QPI Links are running with 8GT/s and that is what the datasheet of the 2667v2 for example is pointing out. You see a 0 GT/s speed within the busspeed section in the data sheet of the e5 16xx series since they are lacking the qpi link.

 

[lexluthermiester]

1. The 3960x an dthe 3970x are Sandy-Bridge-E architecure while the v2 Xeons are Ivy-Bridge-Architecture, so their counterpart is the 4960x.

While true, dylxxn did not mention the 4960X, he mentioned the 3970X. IvyBridge was a very minor refresh of SandyBridge and as such the differences are minor and not worth fussing over.

2. The QPI-Link is totally pointless with single socket systems since X79 /Sandybridge as it is only connecting the CPUs in multi socket systems. We have DMI2 with x79 to connect the cpu to the x79 chipset and thats limited to 20GT/s (4links with 5GT each) no matter what CPU you are using.

3. The QPI Links are running with 8GT/s and that is what the datasheet of the 2667v2 for example is pointing out. You see a 0 GT/s speed within the busspeed section in the data sheet of the e5 16xx series since they are lacking the qpi link.

I'm not going into the nitty-gritty of these points because it is very complicated. Such a discussion would take a very long time and does not belong in this thread.

On the merits of base specs, the 2667v2 is the better CPU. The QPI Link matters as well as the faster transfer rates. It has a higher stock clock speed and a higher turbo boost. The 1680v2's only advantage is the unlocked multi. That's it.

 

[Ashley98]

just got the 1680v2 in today does 4.5ghz 1.23v LLC Very High

More Benches

 

[drizzler]

While true, dylxxn did not mention the 4960X, he mentioned the 3970X. IvyBridge was a very minor refresh of SandyBridge and as such the differences are minor and not worth fussing over.



I'm not going into the nitty-gritty of these points because it is very complicated. Such a discussion would take a very long time and does not belong in this thread.

On the merits of base specs, the 2667v2 is the better CPU. The QPI Link matters as well as the faster transfer rates. It has a higher stock clock speed and a higher turbo boost. The 1680v2's only advantage is the unlocked multi. That's it.

What is complicated about this. According to specs and datasheets it is just wrong what you were writing. So if you are not going to bring something up to proof your statement about QPI/DMI (and i have no problem about someone is proofing i got something wrong) it is just a fact. See :

https://www.intel.com/content/dam/www/public/us/en/documents/datasheets/xeon-e5-v2-datasheet-vol-1.pdf

https://www.intel.com/content/dam/www/public/us/en/documents/specification-updates/xeon-e5-v2-spec-update.pdf

 

[lexluthermiester]

Ok, let's compare to a set of 1366 CPUs..

Product Specifications

quick reference guide including specifications, features, pricing, compatibility, design documentation, ordering codes, spec codes and more.

ark.intel.com

Product Specifications

quick reference guide including specifications, features, pricing, compatibility, design documentation, ordering codes, spec codes and more.

ark.intel.com

Intel® Core™ i7-970 Processor (12M Cache, 3.20 GHz, 4.80 GT/s Intel® QPI) - Product Specifications | Intel

Intel® Core™ i7-970 Processor (12M Cache, 3.20 GHz, 4.80 GT/s Intel® QPI) quick reference with specifications, features, and technologies.

ark.intel.com

Product Specifications

quick reference guide including specifications, features, pricing, compatibility, design documentation, ordering codes, spec codes and more.

ark.intel.com

Hmm... CPU's that can not be run in a dual setup that have QPI Link features?

Nothing about the QPI link design changed dramatically from socket 1366 to 2011. Why would a set of CPUs that can not be used in a dual configuration have a QPI link if it can not ever be used? Moving forward to socket 2011(both X79 and X99), why would QPI link settings exist on motherboards with a single CPU socket? If it only has one CPU and the QPI link is used only for inter-CPU data transfers, then why would such need to exist? Maybe it's because Intel did not disclose the full technical features at the time of release of those documents and has not updated those documents you cited with more accurate information since?

For example, my own motherboard running the above mentioned 2667v2;

My board is a single CPU X79 board. So why does it have a QPI settings menu?

So if you are not going to bring something up to proof your statement about QPI/DMI

You were saying?

The QPI link interface is used for a number of functions within the CPU structure, not only interCPU data transfers.

 

[drizzler]

You are using an OEM/Workstation mainboard that comes with an genuine uefi that the manufactures are using with single, dual or quadsocket mainboards. That an option is existing within a uefi is not a proof or saying that is does anything.

X58 : QPI is used to link the CPU with the Chipset , that is the reason why singlesocket cpus have 1 QPI Link. And the Xeons X56xx for example have 2 QPI links because they need the extra one to be linked together. You can find this within any X58 sceme.

X79 : we have DMI2.0 to link the CPU to the chipset and we have QPI to link cpus together.

And with any following intel chipset we have some iterations from DMI 2.0 up to DMI 4.0 with the latest release to link the CPU with the chipset and we have QPI to link cpus until is was replaced by faster UPI.

 

[dalekdukesboy]

Appreciate the info, whoever is right and/or wrong, just keep it civil gentlemen, all I ask. So far mostly good little saltiness is OK just doing my job because I've had a few moderator's coming in here ready to bust heads....

 

[lexluthermiester]

Appreciate the info, whoever is right and/or wrong, just keep it civil gentlemen, all I ask. So far mostly good little saltiness is OK just doing my job because I've had a few moderator's coming in here ready to bust heads....

Yeah, I'm done anyway. It's not a point worth arguing...

 

[dalekdukesboy]

Hi guys! I have major announcement...well at least for me the geek gamer...I got a new video card!!!

Don't give it away, but review on here was best OC 6900 xt there is, and it is on par with 3080 ti and 3090 once you tweak it a bit and it was still less money for any of those I could find, particularly the 3090 which is still near 3k...the 3080 ti you can get near 1900 at lowest for less desirably models this was 200 bucks cheaper than that!

 

[dalekdukesboy]

Hi guys! I have major announcement...well at least for me the geek gamer...I got a new video card!!!

Don't give it away, but review on here was best OC 6900 xt there is, and it is on par with 3080 ti and 3090 once you tweak it a bit and it was still less money for any of those I could find, particularly the 3090 which is still near 3k...the 3080 ti you can get near 1900 at lowest for less desirably models this was 200 bucks cheaper than that!
View attachment 219229

Don't usually reply to myself but card is huge and I have a huge case, still was bit of a squeeze getting around my cables which aren't routed well due partially to cases large size ironically! However so far so good seems to be working well had some driver/OC issues at first but appears it's fine. Also I have a 1000 watt Corsair PSU...and minimum this thing asks for is a 1000 Watt PSU so I may have some issues being on the edge particularly with wattage spikes that these cards do have. Still tinkering...more to come.

 

[dylxxn]

Got a huge haul yesterday!

Left: Rampage V Extreme & Xeon E5-1660V3
Right: Rampage IV Extreme & i7-3970X

Very excited to build with both of them! Will be posting updates, but it might be a little while before I get to the R4E.