noobie question

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Hi

Quick question - I'm upgrading my Mac Pro's dual CPUs, and I'm shopping for Intel X56XX series hex cores.

Does anyone know whether its a bad idea to go for ES (engineering samples) or not? I see some for cheaper prices, how reliable to they tend to be?

Thanks
 
i would guess that at the very least you would get no warranty
 
Generally speaking, most ES CPUs are not company-sanctioned to sell. So there's that risk. That being said, ES are just that--produced for engineering demonstration prior to full-scale production. Since they weren't meant for consumer use, ES CPU's can have minor-to-major operational issues, sometimes not even operational. They can also be pristine, virtually indistinguishable from manufacturing CPUs. Reliability is a crapshoot. They are cheaper because they cannot be guaranteed to operate as a manufacturing-scale retail unit would.

If it were for some hobby build, I would say why not. But for a computer you rely on to accomplish real work, I'd just get the proper full retail version.
 
teh_chem said:
Generally speaking, most ES CPUs are not company-sanctioned to sell. So there's that risk. That being said, ES are just that--produced for engineering demonstration prior to full-scale production. Since they weren't meant for consumer use, ES CPU's can have minor-to-major operational issues, sometimes not even operational. They can also be pristine, virtually indistinguishable from manufacturing CPUs. Reliability is a crapshoot. They are cheaper because they cannot be guaranteed to operate as a manufacturing-scale retail unit would.

If it were for some hobby build, I would say why not. But for a computer you rely on to accomplish real work, I'd just get the proper full retail version.
Click to expand...

Not only that, they have to be recognized by the motherboard's bios. Op mentioned he was using a Mac Pro. Mac's tend to be locked down tighter than a Nun wearing a chastity belt. Chances are very high they may not work at all.
 
Thanks for everyone's two cents. Appreciate it.

The price break is tempting, and yes it is for a Mac Pro build. But, I'll probably look for lower clock server pulls. At some point, these old Xeons should be coming down in price, no?
 
I don't completely agree with the people above.

Intel cpus come with an s-spec number. The S-Spec number can be search on http://www.cpu-world.com to find out what core stepping it has. Even ES cpus have s-spec numbers that are listed on that site and the associated stepping.

Intel makes engineering samples for internal testing and to give to media / motherboard makers before the product is released to test with. Often intel is successful on first try to make a good cpu and continues to use that stepping in the final revision. Sometimes the cpu is bad and intel will make a new stepping. Steppings are often tweaked throughout a products life with as many as 4 steppings for a single mode often used. After intel makes the engineering samples they are given out to media then often must be returned to intel. Intel then often resells these working cpus to OEM's , and you can often find them in OEM systems. Intel only does this if they are confident in the stepping being safe to sell. Sometimes review units are also stolen and sold before the processor is released (so may not be using a final stepping that intel approved.

Motherboard compatibility is usually determined by whether the motherboard supports the specific stepping of the cpu. Often the bios has to be updated if intel releases a new stepping later. mac's are picky / locked down though, so I would definitely not try it unless you knew the stepping was the same as later production cpu's used in that mac, and even then I cant say for sure if the mac would allow it.

Ive bought many ES cpu's in the past and never had any issues because I always made sure the stepping was one used in parts sold officially.
 
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