Intel Xeon E3 1230 v5 vs Intel i5 6600k

[SomeNerdNamedSteve]

So with a build that I keep changing up what I wanna do, I am now pretty hard on choosing Skylake.  I looked at the intel 6600k and loved the price, but wanted the hyperthreading of the i7-6700k.  This is where the E3 1230 v5 stood strong to me.  It is about 250 dollars (and even though the mobos are generally expensive, I surprisingly found one for 60 bucks) which prices it well with the 6600k, but it has hyperthreading for my video editing needs.  I would be doing software development, content creation(gaming based), and gaming at a 40/30/30 split.  Is it a good choice then to go with the Xeon e3 1230 v5 or should I stick to the i series given I would be developing and recording software like the Unity Game Engine and Visual Studio?

[Energycore]

Definitely get the Xeon. Having to wait for code to compile is the worst and pretty much all compilers can use the 8 threads.

[Droidbot]

The Xeon offers very good performance - but you will have a locked multiplier and the only OC that you can do is BCLK, which can lead to serious issues and won't net you that much with a Xeon. I'd say go for it if you don't need more performance in the future. It benches slightly below the 6700k, and higher than the 6600k. 

[SomeNerdNamedSteve]

@Droidbot I'm not thinking of overclocking.

[The Sloth]

3 minutes ago, SomeNerdNamedSteve said:

@Droidbot I'm not thinking of overclocking.

get a xeon E3 1230 v5 is going to be better for you especially for a dev environment. you can take advantage of ecc memory and 23/7 operation if you need to.  

[SomeNerdNamedSteve]

@nerdslayer1 How would this processor compare to an e3 1231 v3?  Would they perform generally the same or would it be a good idea to reconsider it because it is a bit cheaper and the motherboards are generally cheaper although it is haswell and not skylake?

[The Sloth]

1 minute ago, SomeNerdNamedSteve said:

@nerdslayer1 How would this processor compare to an e3 1231 v3?  Would they perform generally the same or would it be a good idea to reconsider it because it is a bit cheaper and the motherboards are generally cheaper although it is haswell and not skylake?

 

the main difference is power in these generation as you might know the newer one is more efficient. if you want to save money the e3 1231 v3 would be perfect.

[SomeNerdNamedSteve]

@nerdslayer1 Okay just making sure.  It may not be as efficient  Because even though I did find that one motherboard, I am not fully prepared to spend well over 100 bucks on a mobo.  Another question though is what about ddr3 memory's relevancy?  I'm planning to have this build for a little bit (at least till I am good and solid with a job in my field), and I know that DDR and DDR2 are obselete in gaming.  How long would it be until DDR3 is not acceptable anymore?

[Aereldor]

Skylake Xeons are a waste of money because the only motherboards that support them are expensive, server grade motherboards. 

 

Haswell Xeons could be used on almost any consumer motherboard- like most H81, B85, and H97 chipset motherboards. Skylake Xeons are limited to C232 and C236 chipset motherboards, which will usually run you $125 or more.

 

That being said, at the moment, there's a really cheap server board, so I'd get that and the Xeon, but this is the exception; not the norm. This motherboard is normally more than double this price.

http://pcpartpicker.com/product/62mxFT/gigabyte-motherboard-gax150mplusws

[The Sloth]

1 minute ago, SomeNerdNamedSteve said:

@nerdslayer1 Okay just making sure.  It may not be as efficient  Because even though I did find that one motherboard, I am not fully prepared to spend well over 100 bucks on a mobo.  Another question though is what about ddr3 memory's relevancy?  I'm planning to have this build for a little bit (at least till I am good and solid with a job in my field), and I know that DDR and DDR2 are obselete in gaming.  How long would it be until DDR3 is not acceptable anymore?

 

the only game that takes advantage of faster memory is doom in current gen and ddr3 is nowhere close to being obsolete. it should get you good 4 to 5 years minimum it will depending on work and game you do.

[WereCat]

The E3 1230 V5 is quite a bit better than i5 6600k and a slight improvement over E3 1231 V3.

However you will need C232 or C236 motherboards for it to work. C236 is really expensive and C232 starts at around $90 for the cheapest one. Also this Xeon doesn't come with stock cooler and is clocked lower compared to i7 6700 (non K).

While i7 6700 is more expensive you can pair it with a lot cheaper motherboard and you get cooler with it so in the end it will be cheaper while performing slightly better.

The only upside for the Xeon is ECC support.

 

Haswell Xeons made a lot more sense as they were compatible with consumer motherboards.

[BenoitWW]

heres some benchmarking for you to look at:

 

http://cpu.userbenchmark.com/Compare/Intel-Xeon-E3-1230-v5-vs-Intel-Core-i5-6600K/m72554vs3503

 

it depends on usage.. for games either CPU would be fine but ultimately the 6600K would win

for content creation (e.g. video editing) the Xeon professor would be better