The processor market lately has been turbulent across all price points. In a search for value, many builders turn to the used market. Among the most discussed options are Xeon processors. The question arises: Are Xeon processors good for gaming? Are they suitable for content creation? And with incredibly low prices seen online, are they the ultimate budget CPU?
Debunking Xeon Misconceptions: Why Are Used Xeons So Cheap?
The general opinion about Xeon processors is that they are cheap by nature. Truthfully, Xeon processors have been one of the most expensive processors in the world when new; only fitted for extreme enterprises and server use. Present models are sold for several thousand dollars.
You find used Xeons at extremely low prices for one reason: their original purpose. These are processors built for servers and corporate use. Here, core count, memory capacity, and PCIe lanes are more important than raw single-core speed for typical desktop applications. Companies constantly upgrade their server infrastructure. That means massive amounts of perfectly functional but older-generation Xeons flood the used market.
Because these processors were never destined for the average consumer PC, demand in the used market is lower than for mainstream desktop CPUs. This imbalance of supply and demand naturally pushes prices down, sometimes giving the appearance of being "cheaper than radishes."
Hands-on with a Budget Xeon: The E5 2683 v3
In order to see just how real budget Xeon performance is, we picked up a Xeon E5 2683 v3 for a mere $25. Having been released in 2014, the E5 2683 v3 is based on the Haswell architecture, Intel's 4th generation. It's fabbed on a 22nm process. A little architecturally old, but with some spectacular specifications for the price:
- 14 Cores and 28 Threads
- Base Clock: 2.0 GHz
- Boost Clock: 3.0 GHz
- 35MB L3 Cache
The core and thread count at this price is undoubtedly tantalizing. This makes many consider Xeons for budget builds. But paper specifications do not always translate into real-world performance. So let's dive into some benchmark results.
Gaming Performance Benchmarks: Can a Budget Xeon Keep Up?
We fire up the Xeon E5 2683 v3 for a series of gaming benchmarks in order to compare it with today's titles. Here are our findings:
- Counter-Strike 2 (CS2): The Xeon gave around 100 FPS. Even though CS2 is more challenging compared to CS:GO, especially in respect to single-core performance, Xeon delivered relatively playable frame rates.
- Cyberpunk 2077: Averaged approximately 55 FPS. Performance is average, and nothing spectacular is to be noticed.
- Elden Ring: More than 60 FPS; good performance on this title.
- Dota 2: Average frames were all well and good, but experienced noticeable frame drops that made for a less smooth experience.
- God of War: Smooth, playable experience, sitting around the average 60s, with no significant drops.
- Grand Theft Auto V (GTA 5): Performance was surprising. The average FPS wasn't record-breaking, but this DX11-based game ran well enough to prove that games not necessarily based on large core counts can indeed work just fine.
- Horizon Zero Dawn: Great performance at about 70 FPS even in combat. This is a game with less dependence on multi-core processing.
- Marvel's Spider-Man: Excellent experience with smooth gameplay even while flying around the open world. Spider-Man is well-known to utilize multi-core processors effectively.
- Resident Evil 4 Remake: Average frames were fine, but there were noticeable and disruptive frame drops.
- Red Dead Redemption 2: Really good, running around 80 FPS, totally smooth without drops.
- Rise of the Tomb Raider: About 70 FPS, was a good experience, but not outstanding compared to the modern quad-core processors.
- Devil May Cry 5: It was one of the worst running titles in my opinion. Averaging in the 30s during the most demanding scenes, like Atlantis.
Application Benchmarks: Content Creation Potential?
Away from gaming, we fired up some application tests to see how well the processors can handle content creation duties:
- Cinebench R23: A score of around 10,000 points (Multi-Core). Very strong multi-core performance considering the price.
- CPU-Z Benchmark: About 4,900 points (Multi-Core), which is comparable to a Ryzen 7 2700X. Single-core score of 313 points, weaker single-core performance, but that's what you'd expect from a more server-oriented processor.
The Hidden Cost: Motherboard Mayhem
While the processor itself can seem like a steal, the real challenge and potential pitfall lies with the motherboard. The Xeon E5 2683 v3 uses the LGA 2011-3 platform paired with the X99 chipset. Original high-quality X99 motherboards were expensive when new and are now scarce and pricey on the used market, often $300-$400.
That's where AliExpress and Chinese manufacturers step in, offering ostensibly affordable new X99 boards. Unfortunately, those boards are often remanufactured or "Frankenboards." They're built using second-hand chipsets-like H81-flashed with X99 BIOS, which could lead to a plethora of compatibility issues and general instability. If this all sounds familiar, that's because there was a flood of counterfeit graphics cards a few years ago.
Our experience with one of the highly-rated AliExpress X99 boards turned out to be a disaster. Even with a seemingly robust VRM, warts kept on piling:
- Black Screen & No Boot Issues: Frequent black screen and no boot issues.
- RAM Compatibility Nightmare: Severe RAM compatibility issues. From the many kits that were tried, only one single stick of 16GB would post and then only in one particular slot. Single-channel operation only, despite the processor supporting quad-channel.
- Power Delivery Issues: For whatever reason, the board throttled a 120W TDP processor down to just 30W. This had a devastating effect on performance. Changing the BIOS power settings had no impact.
The "best-rated" $140 board purchasing resulted in largely unusable machines. That underscores the very big risks of a cheap, unproven X99 motherboard purchase.
The Verdict: Xeon Value - Misleading and Often Not Worth It
The cheap Xeon processor has a certain allure to it, but our experience shows that a cheap processor does not make for a cheap or good value PC build. The Xeon E5 2683 v3 processor itself is capable for what it costs, offering decent gaming and application performance considering the limited RAM and motherboards issues with power delivery.
All this, however, is negated by the probable headaches and instability caused by lousy motherboards. For what you'd be paying for both the Xeon processor and an iffy motherboard ($155, in our particular case), you can find considerably better and much more reliable alternatives on the used market-like a Ryzen 5 3600 with a B450 motherboard. The Ryzen platform offers:
- Better Gaming Performance: Generally higher single-core performance, which in most games will equate to higher, and more stable frame rates.
- Strong Application Performance: Pervasive performance in content creation workloads.
- Modern Platform & Features: Newer architecture, newer features, newer upgrade paths.
- Readily Available & Reliable Components: Easy availability of motherboards, RAM, and coolers from known, reliable brands.
- Much Less Headache: Fewer compatibility nightmares and instability to deal with.
For that reason, even though Xeon processors may look so good because of their low prices, we generally do not recommend building a budget PC around a used Xeon processor and an AliExpress X99 motherboard. The frustration, instability, and hidden costs likely outweigh the initial savings.
There are a few bounded exceptions: If you can get a Xeon processor bundled with a known good and reliable motherboard at a very attractive price, or if you are considering a pre-built system from a reputable brand like Lenovo or Dell that uses Xeon processors, then it may be worth considering. For DIY builds, though, the risks and hassles often outweigh the benefits.
Finally, note that Xeon platforms may have limited cooler compatibility. Standard budget air coolers may not fit LGA 2011-3, potentially requiring additional expense for compatible cooling solutions.
Avoid the Xeon Budget Trap
In summary, though used Xeon processors promise an inexpensive way to get into multi-core processing, the practical reality of building a robust and well-performing system around them is usually riddled with issues. All things considered, the state of affairs with motherboards, potential compatibility issues, and the age of the platform in general make it a less interesting solution compared to modern or even somewhat older mainstream desktop platforms like Ryzen. Barring getting an exceptional deal on a complete and reliable Xeon system, it is generally best to look elsewhere and investigate more conventional routes for building budget PCs.
