Differences between Xeon W3680 and i7 980x

[hajime]

Hello. As most of you know, Apple offers the Xeon W3680 as an upgrade option for the new Mac Pro. It seems that both W3680 and i7 980x are running at 3.33 GHz (3.6 GHz in the case of Turbo Boost), has 12MB Level 3 cache and perhaps operate at memory speed 1333 MHz. Besides these two points, what advantages can we get in choosing the Xeon? I don't compare the X5650 and X5670 with the i7 980x because their clock speeds are slower. I understand that the Xeon requires ECC memory and branded as more reliable for critical applications. If I do not need ECC memory nor run critical applications, is there a point in getting a Xeon system? Is it possible to build a dual i7 980x Hackintosh?

 

[Cindori]

only xeons can be run in dual cpu setup

in single cpu setup, does xeon have much advantage over desktop? no. but they are equally priced anyway.

 

[Hellhammer]

only xeons can be run in dual cpu setup

in single cpu setup, does xeon have much advantage over desktop? no. but they are equally priced anyway.

Only 5xxx Xeons can be used to run dual CPU setup. The 3xxx series cannot (only one QPI). Xeons support ECC memory which is important for some people.

Yes, you can build 980X hackintosh if you want

 

[Bubba Satori]

Performance differences between Xeons and i7s.

http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/xeon-x5680-5600-series-westmere-ep,2692.html