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mwhities

macrumors 6502a
Original poster
Jul 13, 2011
899
0
Mississippi
I have a few options (as all of you know I'm sure) to update my CPUs in my 2006 MP. In my last thread, a few people recommended doing it as it's a good bump from Dual core to Quad core. From looking at the suggestions and and reading up on them (research/etc), I've decided to update them.

Now, here is the question. Which one should I go with?

My options:

Intel Xeon 2.33Ghz X5345
Intel Xeon 2.66Ghz X5355
Intel Xeon 3.0Ghz X5365

I know the 2.33Ghz will be faster than what I have as it's Quad core but, I figure I might as well go bigger. The 2.66Ghz is my current Ghz but, Quad core again, a lot faster. Then the 3.0Ghz, sounds amazingly fast already and adding the Quad core, even faster!

The trade off, I didn't even look at the 2.33Ghz prices. So that leaves the 2.66Ghz and the 3.0Ghz. The 2.66Ghz on Ebay is about 60.00 plus for a matching set. The 3.0Ghz is about 150.00 plus (questionable at that price?) up to 400+.

Is the extra .34Ghz worth the money to get the 3.0Ghz? I doubt I'll do anything big that would actually utilize all it will do. I might edit small eating challenge videos (http://www.youtube.com/onearmstrength), edit pictures (touch ups), and be a powerful email/youtube/webpage/email home computer/server. (It will do TimeMachine backups too and file storage). Only game I'll most likely play will be Diablo III and it already runs it wonderfully.

What say you (any and all of you).

Edit: I'm only running 5Gs ram right now. Should I wait until I can get at least 8gs or 16Gs?
 
Last edited:

TheEasterBunny

macrumors 6502
Jan 22, 2013
251
0
Delaware
I have a few options (as all of you know I'm sure) to update my CPUs in my 2006 MP. In my last thread, a few people recommended doing it as it's a good bump from Dual core to Quad core. From looking at the suggestions and and reading up on them (research/etc), I've decided to update them.

Now, here is the question. Which one should I go with?

My options:



I know the 2.33Ghz will be faster than what I have as it's Quad core but, I figure I might as well go bigger. The 2.66Ghz is my current Ghz but, Quad core again, a lot faster. Then the 3.0Ghz, sounds amazingly fast already and adding the Quad core, even faster!

The trade off, I didn't even look at the 2.33Ghz prices. So that leaves the 2.66Ghz and the 3.0Ghz. The 2.66Ghz on Ebay is about 60.00 plus for a matching set. The 3.0Ghz is about 150.00 plus (questionable at that price?) up to 400+.

Is the extra .34Ghz worth the money to get the 3.0Ghz? I doubt I'll do anything big that would actually utilize all it will do. I might edit small eating challenge videos (http://www.youtube.com/onearmstrength), edit pictures (touch ups), and be a powerful email/youtube/webpage/email home computer/server. (It will do TimeMachine backups too and file storage). Only game I'll most likely play will be Diablo III and it already runs it wonderfully.

What say you (any and all of you).

Edit: I'm only running 5Gs ram right now. Should I wait until I can get at least 8gs or 16Gs?

The additional clock speed will help all processes, the additional cores will only help those processes that are multi-threaded or multi-core aware, like handbrake, or even multitasking.
I seen a single X5365 on eBay today too!
 

mwhities

macrumors 6502a
Original poster
Jul 13, 2011
899
0
Mississippi
The additional clock speed will help all processes, the additional cores will only help those processes that are multi-threaded or multi-core aware, like handbrake, or even multitasking.
I seen a single X5365 on eBay today too!

I plan to use Handbrake but, it won't be all that often. I may just got with the 2.66s for now and in a few months or so, see if the prices drop on the 3s.

Thank you.
 

Lil Chillbil

macrumors 65816
Jan 30, 2012
1,322
99
California
I plan to use Handbrake but, it won't be all that often. I may just got with the 2.66s for now and in a few months or so, see if the prices drop on the 3s.

Thank you.

I highly recomend 3.0ghz it will still feel like the same machine most of the time with the 2.66ghz but with the extra mhz you get per core it will be absolutely insane
 

TheEasterBunny

macrumors 6502
Jan 22, 2013
251
0
Delaware
I plan to use Handbrake but, it won't be all that often. I may just got with the 2.66s for now and in a few months or so, see if the prices drop on the 3s.

Thank you.
That one was a new posting for like .99. I'm sure it will get bid on, but thats how I got my good deal on them, watching those auctions.
 

mwhities

macrumors 6502a
Original poster
Jul 13, 2011
899
0
Mississippi
I highly recomend 3.0ghz it will still feel like the same machine most of the time with the 2.66ghz but with the extra mhz you get per core it will be absolutely insane

I guess times 4, it'd be essentially an extra 1Ghz cpu. :)

That one was a new posting for like .99. I'm sure it will get bid on, but thats how I got my good deal on them, watching those auctions.

I thought "matched" pair would be best? Mind you, I'd love to get a few like this under 100 per but, I don't want the system to run bad because it's not "matched".

Thanks for the posts.
 

TheEasterBunny

macrumors 6502
Jan 22, 2013
251
0
Delaware
I guess times 4, it'd be essentially an extra 1Ghz cpu. :)



I thought "matched" pair would be best? Mind you, I'd love to get a few like this under 100 per but, I don't want the system to run bad because it's not "matched".

Thanks for the posts.

Matched pair just means same CPU model, same speed steppings (like SLAEG), same speed like 2.66Ghz or 3.0Ghz. If all those are the same, then it is a matched pair!
 

noodle654

macrumors 68020
Jun 2, 2005
2,070
22
Never Ender
When I did my upgrade I went with the E5345 just because of price. At the time (back in January), I spent $30 for a matching pair, I think the 5355 and 5365 were well over $200...way too much for my budget (I bought my Mac Pro for $400). I guess it just comes down to how much your really want to spend on a 7 year old computer. Also, I believe the 5365 uses quite a bit more power.
 
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