Affordable X79 parts for boosting performance
Affordable X79 parts for boosting performance
The affordable x79 boards from China can handle overclocking, though results may vary. For better performance, consider a p9x79 or a Rampage motherboard if you're serious about boosting speeds. These options might be worth the investment for your gaming workstation goal. Any tips from experienced users would be appreciated!
Those boards are the worst for overclocking and have the bare minimum VRMs required for stock speeds, Some cheap boards may have questionable VRMs. Either way overclocking on these boards isn't recommended and won't get you far. There is also the risk of frying the board or fire hazard due to the cheapness of the board and in case of questionable circuitry.
@Zando Bob this is more about the experience of working with older hardware. I’ve very new to the pc building scene maybe 4 years ago is when I built my first rig Ive built 4 in total a 2nd one for me recently and 2 for my friends. This project is seeing how fast I can get only tech to go and see if I can make a decent photo/video editing rig for 300-400 usd. My first question regarding the motherboard has been answered... my next question is about the cpu for a decent photo editing and gaming rig what Xeon would be good for me I am personally thinking about: e5 1650, or if I change to a x58 probably muck cheaper a w3670. Or even moving into the x99 range. What cpus would you guys recommend. (Bear this in mind I’m not doing this to get a really good pc it’s for me to build and my friend will be buying it from me if I get it all to work. All suggestions welcome.
On the market? Yes, they offered lower base clocks. Still, a 5820K OCed will surpass the 2600, just like how my 5960X outperforms the 2700X I owned earlier. A 4790K can also beat those on single-core with a solid OC. The same applies to X79 hardware—Tech Yes City has posted videos comparing an OCed Xeon 1680v2 against a 2700X and 9900K, placing it between them and consistently winning over the 2700X, though not quite catching the 9900K except in input lag situations. The challenge lies in Zen+ reaching high speeds across all cores; while X chips with PBO can shine in gaming thanks to higher clocks on some cores, Intel still edges out due to ringbus benefits. Even with current Intel versus Zen 2, which offers better IPC and strong single-core performance at times, the ringbus advantage keeps Intel ahead in games. The Intel chips remain faster in gaming because of ringbus, and they can match or exceed Zen/Zen+ in certain benchmarks.
Somewhat overrated, though—Zen and Zen+ are decent but lag behind newer X79 and X99 offerings. Pricing was outrageous, which helped their popularity. In raw stats, they must compete with older Intel chips, especially when overclocked. Ryzen CPUs are fun up to 4-4.2GHz, then performance drops sharply; PBO chips are even worse for gaming due to manual core limitations. Unless you enjoy deep RAM tweaking and PBO tricks, expect disappointment.
I started in tech around early 2018 or late 2017. Thanks to a good job and poor spending choices, I’ve tested many hardware options. X58 is great for hands-on work; I used it but eventually found it too messy. My main rig was unstable because of constant tweaking. I still have some of that gear, and I might use it again soon.
X79’s experience is mostly second-hand. I skipped its generation because I got a good deal on my X99 motherboard. It’s essentially X58 with simpler overclocking (not BLCK-based), plus some helpful mods. Performance-wise, it’s much better than older Zen/Zen+ chips, even if a stock R5 1600 can beat it in single-core. The X79 chipset is faster overall, and with a well-tuned board, hexacores easily handle Zen/Zen+ setups.
X99 is solid too—especially with OCable 8c Xeons available for under $200 (1660v3). On X79, the 1680v2 is the main OC option, while OCable 8c Xeons and i7s work well across both platforms. X58 CPUs are budget-friendly and tough to damage beyond a few voltage spikes; they’ll last long in bench tests.
X79’s big processor is the 1680v2, but OCable 8c Xeons and i7s are versatile for both. X58 chips are inexpensive and can handle heavy stress, though they don’t offer the same flexibility as modern OCables.
On X99, Haswell-E chips usually clock around 4.2–4.5GHz, while 5960Xs often hit higher averages (my results aren’t perfect, but they’re solid). Broadwell chips are generally poor for overclocking, though the newer generation is still decent. If you have the budget, the 6950X is a powerful 10-core/20-thread chip.
There’s a lot of demand for these parts, so you can find great deals. DDR4 prices have dropped significantly—now you can buy a 3200MHz CL16 kit for around $130, whereas it was double that back then (about $260). You won’t need to pay a steep premium switching from X79 to X99. Later boards on X99 also offer better NVMe support if you use the right drives.
Overall, each platform has its strengths and quirks. If you’re serious about performance, X79 or X99 are solid choices for main systems. With current pricing, upgrading is more accessible than ever.
I’m not sure about becoming an addict, but things might change depending on your perspective. For the X78 1680, finding the right CPU can be tricky—there are options available, but it’s hard to pick without more details. You might want to explore mid-range processors that balance performance and value for your needs.
For X79 the 1680v3 is considered a top choice. It's an efficient 8c/16t OCable chip. If you're not using it in a dedicated rig, you'll need a multicore processor or be okay with a hexa-core setup. The 3930K tends to run smoothly and is often affordable, making it a good starting point. Because of its low cost, damaging it won't hurt your budget much. Depending on the model, you might find some X79 hexacores capable of stable 5GHz performance and solid daily speeds.