Xeons designed for two workstations (ThinkStation D30)
Xeons designed for two workstations (ThinkStation D30)
Hey everyone, my Dell Precision T7600 stopped working properly, and now only three memory channels remain. I’ve got a 16x8Gb DDR3-12800R setup plus some E5-2667s, drives, and cards I salvaged. I’m building a new machine with a Thinkstation D30 at a very budget price. I’m considering upgrading to an E5-2680 v2 since it’s cheaper—around 25ukp each—and has solid passmark numbers (12631, 1794 threads, 20691 for two). The E5-269x v2 would be better but cost more than 100ukp. I’m also looking into the E5-4650 v2, which is even cheaper at about 20ukp each with 10 cores. I’m not sure about benchmarks, but I want to make sure these chips will work together. Also, any thoughts on compatibility if I use a 46XX v2 in the D30?
It makes sense to consider upgrading older processors. A modern consumer chip will outperform a 10-year-old one in all aspects. Technology inevitably becomes outdated, unfortunately.
Dual E5-2680 v2s offer solid value for your budget if your tasks benefit from multiple cores. Otherwise, dual E5-2667 v2s might be better since they run faster on a single core. If your existing E5-2667 units meet your needs, it’s wise to retain them and delay upgrading until a more advanced system becomes available soon.
I initially picked the E5-2667s because of its faster lcock speed, but for these specific jobs more RAM and storage matter more than raw CPU power. I also own a Dell T7810 with an E5-2873v3, which serves as my Windows daily driver machine. This dual configuration will let me run Linux while handling a lot of image processing tasks for photos and videos. I plan to upgrade when DDR4 ECC prices drop, likely when data centers and server farms switch from it. They’ll probably add more modern Xeons to the used market soon.
I created a simple chart to better understand the available CPU choices and their costs.
This information came from various sources. Lenovo's spec sheet indicated the D30 doesn't support it. Online discussions suggested it was rarely supported except for older models like the E5 4610 and E5 4620, which were sometimes found on unsupported systems due to their configuration. These chips are generally more costly than alternatives such as the E5 2650 series. It might be worth checking out the E5 2695, which offers 12 cores at a lower price point compared to the E5 2697v2. I also noticed listings on eBay for around $40-60, focusing on budget-friendly options with at least 3 GHz and a base 8-core CPU. Consider opting for cheaper V2 models with 8 cores instead.