F5F Stay Refreshed Hardware Desktop Review of HP Z600 CPU and Memory Upgrade Choices

Review of HP Z600 CPU and Memory Upgrade Choices

Review of HP Z600 CPU and Memory Upgrade Choices

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oHits
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02-25-2016, 10:53 AM
#1
Hello everyone, I recently purchased an HP Z600 to dive into the world of computer building and CPU exploration. I found it exciting to experiment with unusual components. I noticed that refurbished RAM and Xeon CPUs are quite affordable on eBay. I’ve been using this site as a reference for my upgrade plans: https://www.greenpcgamers.com/technology...-upgrades/.

When I bought it, the package included two Xeon 5506 chips at 2.13GHz each, six 2GB RAM sticks at 1333MHz (8 ECC and 4 regular), a Quadro 4800 motherboard. I’ve already swapped the graphics card to a GTX 970 and run the system on an SSD. I see some Xeon options available for $20–$40 each, with top models costing over $100 per chip. On eBay.ca, 16GB sticks are possible up to 96GB.

Currently, I’m editing and rendering in HD without major problems, though there’s a bit of lag. I’m curious if there’s a particular RAM or CPU upgrade path that would make it suitable for a 4K editor like Davinci, or if something more average would work. I was considering starting with two 16GB ECC RAM sticks or four 8GB ECC sticks (choosing the cheaper but potentially faster option). My current setup runs at 1333MHz with an Intel Xeon W3690 at 3.47GHz, which scored high in benchmarks but is priced around $36 on eBay—placing it in the lower third of the market. Other choices include Xeons X5677, X5660, X5680, X5670, or W3680. What are your thoughts?
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O
oHits
02-25-2016, 10:53 AM #1

Hello everyone, I recently purchased an HP Z600 to dive into the world of computer building and CPU exploration. I found it exciting to experiment with unusual components. I noticed that refurbished RAM and Xeon CPUs are quite affordable on eBay. I’ve been using this site as a reference for my upgrade plans: https://www.greenpcgamers.com/technology...-upgrades/.

When I bought it, the package included two Xeon 5506 chips at 2.13GHz each, six 2GB RAM sticks at 1333MHz (8 ECC and 4 regular), a Quadro 4800 motherboard. I’ve already swapped the graphics card to a GTX 970 and run the system on an SSD. I see some Xeon options available for $20–$40 each, with top models costing over $100 per chip. On eBay.ca, 16GB sticks are possible up to 96GB.

Currently, I’m editing and rendering in HD without major problems, though there’s a bit of lag. I’m curious if there’s a particular RAM or CPU upgrade path that would make it suitable for a 4K editor like Davinci, or if something more average would work. I was considering starting with two 16GB ECC RAM sticks or four 8GB ECC sticks (choosing the cheaper but potentially faster option). My current setup runs at 1333MHz with an Intel Xeon W3690 at 3.47GHz, which scored high in benchmarks but is priced around $36 on eBay—placing it in the lower third of the market. Other choices include Xeons X5677, X5660, X5680, X5670, or W3680. What are your thoughts?

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JR_GAMER07
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02-28-2016, 05:46 AM
#2
Choose a CPU model featuring an 'X' in its name to combine them effectively. The W3690 works alone, so consider pairing it with Xeon models ranging from X5650 to X5670. Using two of these together is ideal. Aim for 3GB of RAM per CPU, or ideally 8GB if possible. Triple channel offers a slight benefit on these older systems. Pairing 2x and 4x will reduce bandwidth efficiency.
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J
JR_GAMER07
02-28-2016, 05:46 AM #2

Choose a CPU model featuring an 'X' in its name to combine them effectively. The W3690 works alone, so consider pairing it with Xeon models ranging from X5650 to X5670. Using two of these together is ideal. Aim for 3GB of RAM per CPU, or ideally 8GB if possible. Triple channel offers a slight benefit on these older systems. Pairing 2x and 4x will reduce bandwidth efficiency.

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