New workstation built, i7 vs xeon e3

[Aslund]

1) What will you be doing with this PC? Gaming? Photoshop? Web browsing? etc
Multithreaded programming using C++ and Qt4, LaTex, Pointcloud processing (Microsoft Kinect).
2) What's your budget? Are tax and shipping included?
Around 1000-1300.
3) Which country do you live in? If the U.S, please tell us the state and city if possible.
Denmark, Odense.
4) What exact parts do you need for that budget? CPU, RAM, case, etc. The word "Everything" is not a valid answer. Please list out all the parts you'll need.
CPU+Cooler, RAM, Motherboard, Graphic card, SSD, Keyboard+Mouse, Headphones.
5) If reusing any parts, what parts will you be reusing? Please be especially specific about the power supply. List make and model.
Case: CoolerMaster Stacker.
PSU: Seasonic M12II 520W.
6) Will you be overclocking?
Maybe, depending on the increased compiling speed and stability of the system.
7) 7) What is the max resolution of your monitor? What size is it?
Properly 2*19" 1280x1024.
8) When do you plan on building/buying the PC?
Within a week or two.
9) What features do you need in a motherboard? RAID? Firewire? Crossfire or SLI support? USB 3.0? SATA 6Gb/s? eSATA? Onboard video (as a backup or main GPU)? etc.
Primarily stability and reliability, secondary is flexibility and future use.
10) Do you already have a legit and reusable/transferable OS key/license? If so, what OS? Is it 32bit or 64bit?
Will be running Ubuntu 64-bit with Gnome3.


After some research I have found some components, but when it comes to the CPU and Motherboard then I am a bit uncertain. I tilt towards an i7, but I am also a bit interested in Xeon E3. Seems to be more efficient and run cooler, it might not be able to overclock, but maybe it is okay for increased reliability? Another downside is an increased pricing regarding motherboard and RAM.
I also try my best to find a reason to select Bulldozer instead, sadly I can't find many besides a bit cheaper CPU and motherboard. Since many of my calculations uses floating point, then Bulldozer might suffer a great deal in performance. While it performs better on Linux it have not impressed me greatly, especially with its high power consumption.

So I have found the following components (using american shops for linking):

---------- i7 configuration ----------

CPU: Intel i7-2600K
Motherboard: ASUS P8Z68-V/GEN3
RAM: Kingston HyperX LoVo 8GB Kit 1600MHz

---------- Xeon configuration ----------

CPU: Xeon E3-1270
Motherboard: ASUS P8B WS
RAM: 2xKingston ValueRAM 8GB DDR3 1333MHz

---------- The rest ----------

Cooler: Thermalright Macho
Graphic card: ASUS ENGTX560 DCII
SSD: Crucial M4 128GB
Keyboard+Mouse: Logitech MK520
Headphones: Sennheiser HD380 Pro

So any thoughts about my thought and my selection of components?

Regards

Sebastian Aslund

 

[Dangman]

Well there is one key problem with the Xeon build: Wrong RAM. The Xeon E3 series only supports unbuffered ECC RAM. That RAM you chose is actually registered ECC RAM as shown on Kingston's website. As such, it will not work with that motherboard or CPU. Amazon incorrectly put that RAM as unbuffered.

In addition, unbuffered single stick 8GB RAM are fairly expensive at the moment, sometimes 2-3 times more than the registered RAM you chose. And that's here in the U.S. I shudder to think how bad the Euros are getting screwed on the price. In any case, if you want to go for the Xeon build, get unbuffered ECC RAM. Something like this:
$70 - Kingston 2 x 4GB KVR1333D3E9SK2/8G ECC Unbuffered DDR3 1333 RAM

In addition, even here in the U.S the E3-1275 isn't worth the extra cash since the cheaper E3-1240 and E3-1245 is only 100MHz slower. You won't notice a difference between the E3-1270 and E3-1240/E3-1245. So if you can find the E3-1245 or E3-1240 for less, get one of those CPUs instead. By the way, the difference between the 1245 and 1240 is that the 1245 has an onboard video chip. Since the mobo you chose does not have onboard video outputs, you should be fine with the E3-1240.

As for what setup to go for, generally if you want a higher chance of stability and reliability, then yes the Xeon is your best bet.