Affordable and premium X79 Xeons available.
Affordable and premium X79 Xeons available.
Hi. For the X79 motherboard, you're right it's a bit pricier than X58. I recommend starting with a budget CPU like an Intel Core i3 or AMD Ryzen 3 for around £10-15. Once you're satisfied, you can upgrade to a better CPU such as an Intel Core i5 or AMD Ryzen 5 for about £50.
I’d prefer to opt for the £50 CPU instead of settling for something lower if feasible. The decision hinges on your specific needs, so I’m weighing the balance between cores and clock speeds. For options under £15 on eBay, I noticed the E5-1607 with four cores at 3.0 GHz. At around £15, the E5-2640 offers six cores at 2.5 GHz base with a 3.0 turbo boost. Up to £50, the E5-2670 provides eight cores at 2.6 GHz base with a 3.3 turbo. I chose the E5-2667 (£40) for a budget build, featuring six cores at 2.9 GHz base and 3.5 turbo. If you need more clock speed, the E5-1620v2 is an alternative with four cores at 3.7 GHz base and 3.9 turbo.