Processing power and number of cores are distinct factors in a CPU's performance.
Processing power and number of cores are distinct factors in a CPU's performance.
2689 wasn't ever made available to the general public; it appears only used in AliExpress. The E5 2689 model can be located there. E5 1650 is unlocked but not overclockable.
The e5 1650 offers better performance for gaming, though neither model excels. The decision largely hinges on budget since high-end Ryzen systems are now affordable. Also, the boards sold on AliExpress restrict overclocking because they use a C602 chipset instead of the X79 standard that supports it. Many claim these are labeled as X79, but in reality they're just repurposed C602 chips with extra features.
Let's see 16 cores at 2GHz = bad to terrible if it's a game optimized for 1 or 2 cores... (no clue if any AAA game will do fine with this maybe in the future) Umm 8 cores at 3 GHz = will be fine in most AAA games less good than below for some games... 4 cores at 4GHz = good but less good for AAA titles than above. 2 cores at 5GHz = perfect for older games, may not even start AAA ones tough games made for 4 cores is playable often... TLDR there is a sweet spot.