Dual-cpu Xeon build for gaming?

[GaiusMaxwell]

I haven't looked at every 30" monitor there is...but mine has bezels that are about 1" thick all around. I'd want nothing to do with three monitor gaming like that personally. Just one 30" is already sexy.

 

I have 2 30" monitors right now, their bezel isn't too thick.

 

I don't think I really plan on using 3x30" all the time, but with this build going the way it is and me being only 1 monitor short of the surroundvision experience, I thought I would atleast try it out (I might like it, stranger things have happened), If I don't end up liking it, I'll just use the spare 30" for a PS3 screen or something (Or just sell it).

[red1776]

Well this is right up my alley as I have built 4 quad GPU machines as my personal gaming+Video rendering/processing machines over the last two years, and countless ,multi GPU machines for customers.

Below are a couple of reviews that dovetail with my own 'hands on' building experience. The readers digest version of what you are heading for with your admitted "fanboy choice' is this;

Nvidia is limited to the AFR (alternate frame rendering ) method in rendering frames. what this means is that each GPU is limited to access of the memory assigned to it. This becomes a problem at resolutions of 2560 to 5760 and things slow down or just come to a flying halt. AMD has the ability to change to a 'supertiling' method of rendering at high resolutions. what this means is that

the GPU's have access to all of the memory in the GPU sub system. (a memory 'pool' if you will)

So this happens at resolutions far below your stated intentions, so I will let you do the math of what happens when you introduce an additional 2 million pixels that are are needed to be 'shaded and textured'

After I observed this happening , my natural curiosity cost me a half day getting a top tier AMD tech on the phone, who confirmed all of this. I always ask potential customers weather they are interested in a 'bench box', or one that is focused on actual in game performance...they are two different machines.

This probably a moot point as you have already stated that you are more concerned with what looks cool, and your fanboyism, but I thought I would attempt to impart my rather extensive experiences with multi GPU+High resolution configurations.

Below are the articles I referenced.

 

I just read your post about not considering AMD GPU's as you have had bad experiences in past years. You are doing yourself a big disservice with this. The products/tech from both companies move and change very fast. The products they offered a couple years ago do not even resemble the offerings of today. This is especially important as you are dropping $5000 to build a super rig.

in automotive terms, it would be like writing off a Ford product of today, because the Edsel didn't work out so well.

 

Good luck with the build!

 

http://www.hardocp.com/article/2011/05/19/quadgpu_performance_review_nvidia_vs_amd/8

 

From Toms Hardware GTX 590/580 vs 6970/6990 Review

at 5760x1080. However, my postulations about available graphics memory seem to be coming true here. Even more so than at 2560x1600, 1.5 GB per card is just not enough to facilitate this resolution at aggressive settings, resulting in a veritable slide show from Nvidia’s newest card.

From the dual GTX 590 vs HD 6990 Review

The one concern we have is that each GPU only has 1.5GB of RAM to work with. The memory is not shared in SLI using Alternate Frame Rendering (AFR), and therefore each GPU needs its own framebuffer space, and each only has access to 1.5GB. This has the potential to severely limit the performance of GTX 590 SLI, but we will see.

Edited September 30, 2011 by red1776

[El_Capitan]

Do not go with dual XEON CPU's for gaming, absurdly overkill, and overclocking is a limiting factor. Even people with the EVGA SR2, they couldn't overclock as much as their enthusiast counterparts, and most of those overclocks didn't last very long (at least from what I read). I was tempted once to get an EVGA SR2 since I have two XEON CPU's, so I did some research in the past.

[GaiusMaxwell]

I don't know where you got the idea that I'm hung up on looks > functionality, I dropped the xeon idea pretty quick (Which was a half looks thing).

 

I've already mentioned that I probably won't be gaming at that high a resolution all the time, I did want to try it out though and the link you gave me didn't change my feelings about ATI cards, All I could gather from reading the whole thing was that the ATI setup could handle a little more AA and/or AF, scale back 1 of those options on the nvidia setup (which is probably of minor consequence to appearance) and it runs fine.

 

And anyway, quad SLI 590 was just a passing mention a few posts back, I would more likely be looking at 580's in tri-sli and long-term gaming on 1 30" at 2560x1600.

 

I'm not just a mindless fanboy by the way, I haven't tried to run-around some BS about nvidia being better with clear evidence to the contrary, but there is a reason that I prefer intel and nvidia and it's the same reason that I don't buy AMD anymore, I have had too many bad experiences and although the things that happened in the past probably don't apply to their products today, I just simply don't want to take the chance.

 

Again, I am absolutely, 100% fine spending more money on an Nvidia based build, even if its slightly worse than, equal to or better than an ATI build.

Edited September 30, 2011 by Whatislove

[GaiusMaxwell]

Anyway, this thread is probably just about moot now since it answered my question about a xeon build and I will be waiting for sb-e before I start putting a build together.

 

Thankyou to everyone who chipped in with their knowledge though

[krazypoloc]

You will likely see much worse performance from a dual CPU configuration because of the latency. A [email protected] or higher would be much more beneficial that 2 CPU's.

[red1776]

Well i got that idea from reading your post:

 

 

"I had a build similiar to that in mind, except no ATI/AMD cards, I won't use AMD products, call it fanboyism (It sort of is) "

 

"I really was just thinking about how awesome it would look with 2 CPU blocks in a WC loop"

 

"EDIT: Forgot to mention I'll likely be gaming with 3x30" monitors."

 

2) There is more to the Nvidia memory issue if you are using that high res setup.

 

3) I was not attempting to pass judgment on building something because it "looks cool". If thats a priority for you, more power to you.

 

I saw your high end build with intentions to run 3 x 30" monitors, and thought I would try to help you avoid an outcome you may not have known about.

 

Good luck with the build.

[VaporX]

Guys it is cool if he does not do AMD, nothing wrong with that. We all have products that have left a sour taste in our mouths and we do not use them personally any more. I am the same way with G.Skill RAM. The ONLy reason I would say AMD over nVidia is the multimonitor support seems to be better but the nVidia cards should deliver what he is wanting and he is mor comfortable with the purchase, I say more power to him.

[red1776]

Yeah,,thats kinda why I said in post above you...

 

3) I was not attempting to pass judgment on building something because it "looks cool". If thats a priority for you, more power to you.

[DanTheGamer11]

I've had bad experiences with them in the past and I've been an intel/nvidia fanboy for a couple of years now, I am fine with spending a little more to get equal or better performance with nvidia over AMD.

 

I can't explain it much more than that, I just simply don't like AMD products

 

Can't wait for 7000 series and then lets see how much you'll pay extra at least till Keplar is released...

[OrangeJuice]

Honestly if I had that budget I'd get a Asus MARS 2 Just because it's limited edition. Not that you should but that's just me lol.

 

For real though just go quad gpu with a 590 or 6990 with a water cooling loop. Dual CPUs are cool but like everyone else said there are virtually no consumer level programs that will actually use all of those cores, a lot of modern games still only use 2 cores..

[ir_cow]

1366 dual socket is old and a waste of money at this point and 1155 is not built for dual cpu. a 1155 i7-2600 is do just as good in games or better than any dual socket can. of course if you are doing intense rendering or number crunching you can't get more power in a single rig with dual W3680s at simi affordable costs. I suggest you dump your money into video cards and a ton of ram.

 

if you are set on buying a computer now than your best option is for Tri-580s for Nvidia or Quad 6990 for AMD, drop in the max 1155 can handle (16gb 4x4gb) with a i7-2600k and off you go.

 

next best option is to wait for the new socket based on Sandy-E which supports dual socket and 6-8 core cpus. get whatever the next GPUs are in a few months and or max out your ram. $5000 is a extremely high budget for a system (unless counting 3x monitors for 3d vision). you can get away with $2000 and a few upgrades over the next 2-3 years and still have a computer maxing out most games.

 

Try avoid duing this 11k Render Machine and spend 11k on a computer that doesn't turn on.

Edited September 30, 2011 by hornybluecow