Is it possible to use xeon for games. Is it possible to install a processor from a server in a home computer? The best processors for gaming from AMD

In 2004, with the advent of new versions of Pentium 4 processors, Intel was faced with the task of making a new socket, preferably with a good margin for the future. The result was the LGA775 socket, which existed until 2008 and supported almost all Intel processors of those years, from single-core Pentium 4 to quad-core Core 2 Quad. Most users used it for mid-level Core 2 Duo processors - at that time it was a good processor for both gaming and work. However, time passed, and with the advent of the Core i line, these processors finally turned into a pumpkin. Of course, there was an option to replace Duo with Quad, but the latter were expensive, providing performance significantly worse than the same Core i7. And then many people paid attention to the LGA771 socket.

LGA771 is a server socket, that is, designed for Intel Xeon processors. However, Intel decided not to bother, and in fact, Xeons under LGA771 were regular Quads under LGA775, but with some new processor instructions and a modified memory controller. The only thing they did was rotate the processor 90 degrees (so that the ears do not coincide with the LGA775) and swapped two adjacent pads:

It is not difficult to correct this misunderstanding - you just need to carefully cut off the interfering ears in the LGA775 socket, and also stick a special adapter on the server processor, which swaps the contact pads. And that’s all, after these simple manipulations, any server Xeon under LGA771 will fit into the LGA775 socket without any problems, and moreover, it will most likely be correctly detected in the BIOS (however, here you should make sure that the latest version of the BIOS is installed, and that it was released after 2006 year, that is, after the release of Xeon; it is also possible that you will have to set the voltage and processor multiplier yourself - for each Xeon they can be found on the Internet).

However, the last question remains - price. Server processors are significantly more expensive than consumer processors, so why is it more profitable to buy a Xeon with an adapter than to buy a Quad? The whole secret is that after the release of new server processors, many companies sell the old ones, and since there are many such companies, the prices for the once top-end Xeons turn out to be very low, because in fact no one needs them, especially in such quantities. Such processors are bought by the Chinese and sold on AliExpress immediately along with an adapter for an average of $20 - that’s about 1,200 rubles:

It’s impossible to buy a Quad for that kind of money, and buying even a simple new motherboard and processor will cost 5 times more. The performance of the same Xeon E5450 when overclocked is at the level of modern Pentium G4560, which is more than enough for watching 1080p video, working on the Internet, with documents, and even undemanding games like Dota 2, CS: GO and WoT.

However, if the opportunity to install Xeon processors instead of a Pentium 4 or Core 2 Duo is rather an attempt to make a ten-year-old PC perform at least some modern tasks without brakes, then for those who want to build a really powerful home PC for relatively little money, the Chinese have gone even further - they have released motherboards ATX and even mATX boards with LGA2011 sockets.

LGA2011 (not to be confused with LGA2011v3 - they are not compatible) - a socket for server and Extreme Edition processors from Intel of the Sandy and Ivy Bridge generations (second and third generations of Intel Core i). Of course, there is no point in considering Extreme Edition processors - they are very expensive, and there is no benefit in buying them. But with server processors running LGA2011, everything is much more interesting - at the moment, such processors are outdated, and, like Xeon running LGA771, they are sold en masse at fairly low prices - for example, the E5-1660 costs about 9,000 rubles:

This Sandy Bridge generation processor has 6 cores and 12 threads with a frequency of up to 3.9 GHz, in multi-threaded performance it is comparable to the latest i7-7700K, but costs half the price. But, since this is a relatively modern server processor, it needs register memory (ECC, error correction memory) to work - it is also sold on AliExpress and costs no more than regular DDR3 (the reasons are the same - selling old servers in which it used).

To install such a processor in a regular PC, you need to buy an ATX or mATX motherboard (there is no mini-ITX) - there are two of these, the Huanan x79 and the G218a. Both processors can be overclocked, and the price fluctuates around 9,000 rubles:

That is, for a total of 18,000 rubles you can buy both a motherboard and a processor of the i7-7700K level, which itself costs more.

However, in reality, not everything is so rosy - there will definitely be no problems with the processors, they are made by Intel, have solder under the cover, and several years of work in a server will not harm them. But you need to be careful with motherboards - in the case of purchasing a Xeon under LGA771, you should understand that its heat dissipation (TDP) is on average 120 Watts, which is even more than that of Quad. Therefore, if on your budget motherboard some Core 2 Duo with a heat dissipation of 65 W worked without problems, then with a 120 W Xeon there may be drops in frequency under load, as well as excessive heating of the processor power circuits. And what you definitely have to do is change the cooler - if almost any cooler will dissipate 65 Watts, to dissipate 120 Watts a good tower cooler with several copper tubes is already desirable.

In the case of Xeon under LGA2011, everything is even sadder - Chinese motherboards are obviously worse in quality than branded ones, and besides, the BIOS is made quite clumsily. The result is a game of roulette: will your Xeon run on such a motherboard, or will you have to look for fixes for the BIOS (or even order another motherboard altogether). The same applies to video cards - on some motherboards, new video cards from AMD and Nvidia are simply not detected, not all USB ports are bootable, the built-in Ethernet controller may not work correctly, etc.

As a result, any modification not officially authorized by Intel is performed at your own peril and risk. If you are lucky and everything works (or you can fix all the problems that have arisen), you will get good hardware at a low cost. But if you are not sure that you can solve the problems that have arisen, or have never done something similar, it is better to overpay for original components.

Hello Giktimes! Popular belief says that your neighbor’s grass is always greener, and the computers that meticulous entrepreneurs purchase for their needs are more reliable and productive than retail models flavored with marketing. A whole caste of enthusiasts hunts for server components and idolizes the performance of enterprise-class hardware. Let's figure out whether large organizations are really splashing around in the “IT paradise”, or have the geeks created an idol for themselves out of thin air?

There are no barriers to enthusiasts, especially if these barriers are erected by insidious marketers who have divided all electronic devices into corporate and consumer ones! Because even in the media with advertisements about the mysterious “user experience,” software and hardware developers say, “The camera of this smartphone provides professional quality pictures!” And in other ways, the cliche about professionals who don’t use nonsense has been exploited for a long time. And if you’re looking for the notorious “professional equipment” and quality of services, then it’s better to ask for enterprise-class hardware and service methods, right?

The motives that guide restless enthusiasts lie on the surface - even though consumer technology is developing more vigorously due to the appetites of buyers, “battle-hardened” corporate-class components will clearly be more reliable, and even cheaper on the secondary market. Somehow geeks play on video cards for workstations and assemble powerful and “eternal” home PCs with server hardware! So, it makes sense to try your luck?

And, of course, there is a bit of this sense in such an undertaking, but with the acquisition of corporate “attributes” for home conditions, you can “get stuck” and, at best, overpay for unclaimed functionality, and at worst, go into the red in comparison with the options available to retail buyers. Let's figure out what the catch is in using hardware designed for corporations.

The server one is also a gaming one. Intel Xeon in home PCs

The first thing technology enthusiasts like to use from the enterprise segment is server processors. Not exotic ones, but the most “understandable” ones, that is, based on the x86 architecture. This pleasure is not cheap, so “Zeonovods”, relatively speaking, include two camps with slightly different guidelines in PC construction:

Xeon - initially not for games and “racing” in benchmarks, but sometimes they are useful

Enthusiasts focused on High-End components. This is a level where large-scale versions of Intel Core i7 are no longer enough, and when looking at the LGA-2011 platform (of any generation), thoughts come to mind that “supercharged” Core i7s offer “the same eggs,” only in smaller quantities and without acceleration.

Because, since we’re talking about price, there have been times in history when eight-core Xeons turned out to be a third cheaper and significantly “cooler” than 6-core Core i7 Extreme Editions. For example, this was the case after the debut of Intel Haswell-E chips in 2014 - firstly, the price difference between the six-core Core i7-5960X and the “civilian” quad-core i7-4790K was a measly 15%. And secondly, the junior eight-core server Xeon E5-2609 v4 cost about 30% less than the candidate from the Haswell-E camp. At the same time, unlike the “just” Core i7, the Xeon has a lower TDP level and does not have graphics integrated into the processor that are useless for enthusiasts.

At the same time, there is tons of L3 cache in all three models, and the frequency, although lower in the Xeon, does not allow the belief that “there is no such thing as a superfluous core” and “very soon games will be optimized so that they run quickly on 8 or more cores.” thrifty lovers of resting speed, after which hot guys send junior versions of Xeon to the Intel X99 chipset and... do not admit to anyone how things are in games.

Therefore, four cores, diluted with the help of Hyper-Threading, are almost always more effective in games than eight low-frequency “pots” in the Xeon, which cannot even be overclocked (locked multiplier, near-zero overclocking on the bus).

"Kulibins" who wanted to modernize the old platform at minimal cost. For example, to replace the old Core 2 Duo processor, buy not the old Quad, but a much cooler and high-frequency quad-core Xeon X5460, which, using a simple adapter, can be installed not in a server motherboard with Socket 771, but in a “civilian” one for Socket 775.

The main thing in this scenario is to take care of high-quality cooling (server “stones” sport a TDP of about 120 W instead of 95 W for standard quad-core processors), but in the end this option of upgrading from a very old platform to a “tolerably old” one justifies itself, especially since on some On motherboards the processor can be overclocked up to 4 GHz.

And after all, “Zions” have advantages with which they compensate for their multi-core sluggishness in games! For example, the ability to support multiprocessor configurations, with which video/music/photo encoding and CAD modeling are much faster than in the top-end Core i7 Extreme. Support for register memory with ECC, for example, allows you to correct errors on the fly, and this comes in handy when uptime is high (it’s a server!). Support for huge amounts of RAM and a huge number of cores will also come in handy when the server needs to process incoming connections as quickly as possible. But all this is almost useless on a home PC.

And it is useful for it - many cores at high frequencies. If these conditions are met, the processor itself is compatible with the LGA 2011 or LGA 2011-3 platforms and is cheaper than “just” Core i7 - there is a point in purchasing it. Otherwise, it is better to either get by with mass-produced quad-core processors with eight threads, or design a workstation for specific use cases (rendering, encoding).

High-frequency Intel Xeons (if they are cheaper than mainstream CPUs) can be a good help not only in work, but also in games (source: ferra.ru)

Mow down frags on a workstation with hacked NVIDIA drivers

If using a server processor can be played in spite of, rather than because of, the installed hardware, then graphics, which should be used for video modeling or design, have historically been cool in gaming disciplines. In the confrontation between AMD and NVIDIA, even the scenarios for “misuse” of video accelerators have always been different: “red” gaming video cards were in great demand among miners until recently, and NVIDIA Quadro, historically, was persuaded to retrain as a gaming video card.

Professional NVIDIA Quadro video cards are significantly more productive than their gaming counterparts

Moreover, Quadro is quite suitable for these purposes - the fact is that gaming GeForce is most often a professional video card with partially disabled GPU pipelines (from marketing reasons to chip rejection) at a more affordable price. For example, the new professional video card Quadro P6000 contains the most “complete” version of the GP102 graphics chip and for this reason outperforms the cool gaming GeForce 1080 in performance by almost 20%, and the mighty Titan X based on the same Pascal architecture invariably leaves behind.

In general, among fans of NVIDIA video cards, a proprietary sport has long been formed - using hardware modifications to bring the GeForce closer to the Quadro (for example, the GTX 680 is similar to the Quadro K5000 in terms of performance), while game lovers, on the contrary, cross a hedgehog with a snake, “picking” drivers and make professional video cards work faster in post-shooting games/ride-alongs/adventure games. Such activity does not allow one to “play as intended,” but one can only envy the persistence of the enthusiasts.

In mobile workstations, almost every NVIDIA Quadro video card has a funny pattern: every mobile NVIDIA Quadro video accelerator is equal to a gaming GeForce of a lower class in gaming tasks and a couple of levels cooler to a gaming GeForce in CAD disciplines.

Performance of mobile NVIDIA Quadro in comparison with GeForce analogues (source: msi.com)

For example, the Quadro M2000M performs at the level of the GeForce GTX 960M in games, but as soon as it comes to simulation, it “jumps” in results to the GeForce GTX 980M. Roughly the same ratio holds true for other Quad models: the M5000M competes with the GTX 980M in games, and the M1000M competes with the 950M in games.

NVIDIA Quadro M6000 compared to the fastest gaming graphics cards
(source: techgage.com

Ice cream for the kids, flowers for the lady: priorities in corporate memory and storage

Server RAM is not compatible with motherboards in home PCs, not because someone decided so “to spite” end customers. It’s just that server RAM is designed a little differently - it contains a register between the chips and the system memory controller in order to reduce the electrical load on the controller and be able to install more modules in one memory channel.

In other words, additional chips and the ability to automatically recognize and correct errors greatly increases the fault tolerance of this type of memory, but also increases its cost. In a word, don’t be surprised if you find that even low-frequency (by the standards of the DDR4 standard) modules will be 50% or more more expensive than their “household” counterparts - the inhuman requirements for endurance in systems that are turned on 24/7 have noticeably modified server RAM. In everyday use, it will be neither faster nor more efficient than its “civilian” counterparts, so for high performance you should turn to gaming kits - for example, HyperX Savage, if you need easy-to-overclock memory for gamers, and HyperX Predator, if you want to get the most out of the subsystem RAM maximum. For standard frequencies, the budget Kingston ValueRAM is great - reliable, install it once and forget it.

A server processor in a home PC can be useful, but instead of register memory it is better to purchase a standard DDR3/DDR4 kit

Enterprise-class SSDs have also undergone “tuning” towards reliability - they, for example, have the ability to flexibly manage the reserve volume to suit the needs of the controller. The larger the volume, the lower the wear of the cells and the higher the durability of the drive. And a huge number of algorithms that are effective in difficult operating conditions, especially in terms of data safety in case the drive turns off in emergency mode. The firmware has been reconfigured for minimal latency in multi-user access mode and strives for stable performance even with an abnormally large volume of write and read operations. A home computer does not survive such a load, even if you “torture” the SSD with torrents. On the other hand, industrial SSDs are also not record holders in typical operations - typical SATA drives will quickly become obsolete “morally” in terms of memory capacity, rather than completely exhaust the number of rewrite cycles available for the cells - verified by a long-term comparative test involving HyperX models. And speed records with the same level of reliability have long been passed to drives based on the NVMe interface, which are implemented in one of the newfangled form factors “on top” of PCI-Express. In the Kingston/HyperX model line, the “king of the hill” was and remains the Predator SSD PCI-E.

The longevity benefit of purchasing an enterprise-class SSD does not compare to the performance benefits of a PCI-e gaming drive.

If you can’t, but really want to, then you can

Enterprise-class hardware is not so different from its “civilian” counterparts that it is considered unsuitable for use as a home PC, you just always need to proceed from whether the game is worth the candle. Because the situation is as follows:

Buying a platform that uses error correcting error correction (ECC) register memory for your home is a bad idea. Excessive durability does not compensate for expensive components and the average (in comparison with gaming analogues) level of performance will not please, especially since the prices for server memory are noticeably higher than for the average DDR3/DDR4 module.

Enterprise-class drives in a home computer are needed if you are paranoid, extremely worried about the safety of data in the event of power outages, and are worried about the reliability of modern SSDs in general. Organization-oriented drives will allow you to “maximize” reliability indicators so that your soul can be at peace.

A server processor for games... an interesting and quite effective idea, but only when we are talking about a cheaper (compared to mainstream analogues) and, most importantly, high-frequency model. Or about upgrading an old computer to a server CPU at “little cost,” that is, for almost nothing. And yes, ideally the platform should be borrowed from the “regular” Extreme series of mass-produced processors.

Professional video cards do an excellent job not only with modeling, but also with games. But it should be remembered that in mobile workstations (with a “stifled” TDP) a professional middle-class video accelerator will be able to compete in gaming disciplines only with budget-class gaming video cards. And desktop professional video cards, in turn, although fast in all work scenarios, are exorbitantly expensive, and are certainly not suitable as an economical option for “work and play.”

Be that as it may, you cannot skimp on high-quality and fast RAM... But today you can! We remind you that from February 2 to February 20, all memory kits

It is no secret that computer components are not actually produced in our country and what is produced does not inspire any trust. For example, Elbrus processors will surprise you not only with the technological processes used and operating frequencies, but also with their prices. Therefore, most computers in the country run on Intel or AMD processors. Many people want to speed up their existing computer without significant financial costs - without buying a new system unit. Often you have a server processor at hand and the question arises: can it be installed in a regular home computer?

Servers are quite expensive solutions and you can find out their cost directly from LINKAS http://linkas.ru/, a supplier of Dell, HP, Fujitsu, Lenovo, Huawei servers. As you can see, servers are several times more expensive than regular computers. At the same time, they are faster and become outdated, which is why large companies such as Google and Microsoft change them every 2-3 years of use - along with the advent of new technological solutions. As a result, on the same Aliexpress you can buy a Xeon server processor or receive it as a gift at work. Let's say right away that most of these processors are ready to work in motherboards for home computers.

Let's look at a clear example. A new motherboard on the old LGA 1155 socket can be bought for $50, on the secondary market it is half the price, and if you already have one, then it is generally free for you. Most of these motherboards, even those based on the Intel H77 chipset, support Xeon server processors. For example, the ASUS P8H77-I motherboard supports Xeon processors - from Intel Xeon E3-1230 to Intel Xeon E3-1245 v2. The latter operates at a frequency of 3.4 GHz, has 4 cores, a built-in graphics core and supports virtualization technology, that is, work with 8 threads. Essentially, this processor is a server analogue of the Intel Core i7 3770, only more productive. At the same time, on Aliexpress it costs less than the version for a home computer. At the time of writing, the Intel Xeon E3-1245 v2 is sold for 7,691 rubles, and the Intel Core i7 3770 solution for 9,046 rubles. That is, you have a chance to buy a cheaper server processor, which will also be more productive.

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Processors have been sold for more than 15 years, but users still have questions regarding their area of ​​application. Many believe that expensive multi-core server chips can speed up home tasks and increase gaming performance, while businesspeople hope to use the processors in workstations. How do Xeons differ from their “home” counterparts?

ECC support

The oldest feature of Xeon is memory support. Protection against single-bit errors is critical for systems that operate around the clock. Some mainstream processors also support on-the-fly correction, but it is guaranteed to only work on server hardware.

Using multiple processors

Multiprocessing is a benefit of Xeon, which is able to coordinate load distribution across multiple CPUs. Regular Cores are not capable of this. The ability to work in conjunction is indicated in the first digit of the name: E3 1246 V3 (1 – does not work in pairs), E5 4627 V2 (4 – up to 4 processors). Each Xeon has its own PCI-Express controller that supports a certain number of lanes, so pairing them increases the efficiency of using PCIe coprocessors like Nvidia Tesla or in certain configurations.

Multi-core

Some server processors have a large number of physical cores, up to 18. The other side of the coin is the relatively low frequency of each individual core. Efficiency depends on the software's ability to "parallelize".

Virtualization

Support is also one of the strongest aspects of server hardware, but modern components make it possible to get it on a home system, after spending some time searching for compatible components.

Conclusion

A multi-core Xeon will not improve the performance of your home system. Modern games are designed for regular processors with 2-4 cores at high operating frequencies, so 14 out of 18 server cores, each of which is slower than their Core counterparts, will be idle and will not bring any benefit.

Overclocking is also not applicable. The Xeon multiplier is locked, and server motherboards do not provide the necessary options. When designing such components, the primary concern is their reliability and durability, and an abnormal increase in frequency increases the risk of failure.

Server components are good for multi-threaded data processing and for ensuring reliability. Xeon processors are powerful, but don't offer the performance benefits of a home computer and cost much more.

Is it worth spending money on buying a new gaming computer if you own a computer that runs on a motherboard with an obsolete 775 socket? Of course, in any case, a new computer is better than an old one. And, nevertheless, it is possible to breathe a second life into an old man - even in 2017. Thanks to the purchase of a server processor, the old computer will be able to handle the latest shooters. The Intel Xenon E5450 can operate very stably at 3600 MHz. Together with good RAM and a normal video card, such a computer can compete with its contemporaries.

All the necessary hardware was purchased from our “narrow-eyed friends” on the Internet site https://ru.aliexpress.com at “ridiculous” prices (). Also used THIS CASHBACK SERVICE , which allowed additional savings of up to 15%.

If you plan to buy in domestic stores, then pay attention to CASHBACK SERVICE LETISHOPS . It is not so profitable for Aliexpress, but there are many stores there, returns from 1 to 30% from every purchase

CPU

Many will ask why E5450 and not X5450. In terms of characteristics, these processors are identical, only the E5450 has less heat dissipation. In practice, this will mean that the X-Series will generate a lot more heat, which requires a serious cooling system, which costs a lot of money. In addition, lovers of silence will clearly not be happy with the noise of the cooler. Today, the Intel XEON E5450 processor can be ordered in Chinese stores for quite modest money. There are both new and used processors, and it's up to you to decide which is better. All these processors are sold modified by skillful Chinese hands and easily fit on motherboards based on Socket 775. It is noted that all processors, new and old, are tested before shipping.

Selection of components

Motherboard and RAM

If you decide to independently assemble a gaming computer based on the Intel Xenon E5450 processor, then the first thing you should decide on is the motherboard. In this case, to get the most out of it, the motherboard must support DDR3 RAM. A good option is the GigaByte GA-EP45-Extreme. If you search hard, you can find a new motherboard of this model. Although, it is possible that the old one will suit you. Another advantage of the GigaByte GA-EP45-Extreme is that you can install up to 16 GB of RAM on it, which is more than enough for modern games. So, on this motherboard you can install four RAM sticks of 4 gigabytes each.

Video card

Choosing a video card is one of the most important tasks when building a gaming computer. You can save on the processor, on RAM, but not on video! A good, and perhaps even the best option for this configuration is the NVIDIA GeForce GTS 250 video card with 2 gigabytes of RAM. NVIDIA GeForce GTS 250 supports resolutions up to 2560 by 1600 pixels, has support for multiple monitors and is equipped with an HDMI connector.
As for the hard drive for a gaming computer, it probably all depends on personal preference. For some users, 250 gigabytes is enough, while for others, even a terabyte may not be enough. However, one point is worth emphasizing. Many users mistakenly believe that SSD drives speed up games. This is not true, except that the loading time of a new level will be reduced, but no more. However, if you have extra money, you can safely buy such a hard drive.

Case and power supply

Case and power supply. Since we are assembling a gaming computer, the case must allow the installation of additional cooling; of course, the Mini Tower option is not acceptable. You will have to choose between Mid and Big Tower. As for the power supply, when it comes to a gaming computer, the more powerful the better! A good option is Thermaltake Toughpower 850W.

Cooling system

Let's return to the central processor. To get the most out of the Intel Xenon E5450, we need a reliable cooling system. In this case, you can opt for Ice Hammer IH-THOR or Zalman CNPS 9900A.

Price

And now the most exciting question: how much will all this cost? If you search very hard, ordering all the components from Chinese online stores, then you can assemble such a computer for up to 20 thousand rubles. Agree that this is not much for a gaming computer! It’s difficult to say how long such hardware will be relevant; no one knows what revolution may happen tomorrow in the video game industry. However, if we take into account the trend of the last decade, then in the next two years the issue of upgrade will not worry you.