Intel Xeon for Gaming... (2025)
Posted by spartanlider@reddit | buildapc | View on Reddit | 9 comments
Hey guys, I’m writing this little article for those who are still on the fence about getting an Intel Xeon processor for gaming. Before we dive in, I just want to make one thing clear: This article is specifically for people who are considering buying a Xeon and are on a tight budget. Yes, I know, any Ryzen 7 is better than any Xeon, and I’m the first one to say that XD.
So, let’s get to it. Is it worth it? Well, the answer is... Absolutely! These processors are so cheap that for many, it’ll cost less than a cookie at the grocery store. What really costs money here are the motherboards (especially Chinese ones) and the RAM. Here are a few things I’d like to clarify based on my experience with the Xeon E5 2650v4:
I’m running Windows 11 Pro, working with Adobe Suite, Filmora, and OBS, plus, of course, gaming... I have to say, the experience is fantastic. My build is: Xeon 2650v4 (12C/24T), GTX 1060 6GB + OC, 32GB DDR4 RAM, etc... It runs great.
- DIFFERENCES: The Xeon E3s are basically like Core i7 processors, no issues there... The Xeon E5s are a special case because of their massive number of cores and threads. The "v" indicates the generation, and it’s recommended to go with v3 since most support overclocking, and v4 because it’s newer...
- I got a motherboard from MACHINIST, specifically the x99 PR9. I have to say, the quality and performance are just as good as any decent Gigabyte motherboard, so that’s a win.
- This next point is almost mandatory. Just like how playing with RAM in Dual Channel is a must on any consumer processor, running RAM in Quad Channel is essential on a Xeon.
- Hyperthreading ON vs OFF. Please, guys, maybe in 2 out of 50 tests, the OFF option might win, but let’s focus on the real data: If you’re running RAM in Quad Channel, you need to have HT ON. Plus, with HT enabled, you can do a lot more in the background without losing performance.
- Does it work for Streaming? ABSOLUTELY, YES! And this is one of the main reasons I recommend getting an Intel Xeon E5 right now. In my case, the 2650v4 has 30MB of cache, and I’ve been able to play Fortnite on High DX12 while streaming at 1080p 60fps with x264 without dropping a single frame... WOW! And for video editing, forget about it—my productivity shot up at least 50% compared to my old i7 4770.
- IMPORTANT: These processors perform much better in games with DX12, at least Fortnite runs way better on DX12 than DX11.
So, would I recommend these processors? Absolutely. If you’re on a budget, I don’t see any reason not to get one. You can build a pretty powerful system that’ll guarantee 60fps in basically any game without worrying about running background apps.
What do you guys think of these processors? Anyone tried 'em? OvO
outrightbrick@reddit
I'm using an e5 2650 v4 on a mougol x99 board from aliexpress paired with 32gb ram and a 1650 super and it performs great
Lopsided_Permit2987@reddit
I use a 2680V4 with RX7900GRE. I play on 4k TV. There's no bottleneck on 4k. It's amazing.
These xeon e5 CPUs are very resilient!
Square-Jaguar992@reddit
I'm actually about to do the same thing, it's just that in my country the Motherboard choices are limited and really really expensive. My country blocks AliExpress so that sucks, and I have to pay 3rd party services to import those stuff and it'll take approximately a month.
I've been setting my eyes on E5-2697 v3 since they have quite good core counts (important since i wanna use x264), and I want to get as high core clock as possible (it's not the highest, but it's the most bang for buck among all other E5 V3s on my country).
Another choice for me is the E5-2640 v4 since its' TDP is only 90W, and that makes me sleep better knowing those VRMs will be able to carry the weight just fine, compared to the 140W on 2697v3.
Idk man, I'm torn apart.
This system is really really great "bang-for-buck" wise, but you'll have to do extensive research to get the exact performance you want, and all the catches it have. On top of that, you'll also have to pray to god that those VRMs will last atleast a couple of years without failing.
--
I've found a great deal on Z240 HP Motherboard too locally here, only costs around $15, with the adapter $7 dollars. but the thing is it requires beefy GPU to stream, and it'll miss the whole point of the "bang-for-buck" concept.
Kilgarragh@reddit
Shit singlethreaded performance that even some 6th gen Intels can beat. If I open a local instance of freecad and start a rebuild, that core will grind to a halt and I’ll be waiting 20-30 seconds or more to see results.
Even the better lga 3647 has no lanes. You’re lucky to get more than 1 gpu and 8x m.2 raid.
Worse? Many of the second hand Xeons are “intel confidential” engineering samples which are greatly unstable, underperformant, and often illegal.
Bad as a desktop and bad as a server/workstation. Only redeeming factor is budget but takes a lot of research and planning and results in a system with no upgrade path.
SomeCanadian_eh@reddit
Wait, why are they illegal?
spartanlider@reddit (OP)
Don't pay too much attention to him; he probably has a Ryzen 9, and anything lower than that is garbage for him. He complains about the processor and has never used it for what I focused this article on: gaming and streaming.
Kilgarragh@reddit
Intel technically owns them. Engineers are lended/rented them, not given or sold them. At the end of that engineering samples cycle, they’re supposed to give it back.
When someone snags one of these processors and selling it on eBay, that’s taking it from intel. Buying one of these is knowingly purchasing/owning stolen property.
The only exception I could really think of is dumpster diving for an es processor or whole system containing said processor which was contractually permitted to being disposed of in that way(at Intels or an engineers building, with a legal dumpster to dive. E.g. public lot & unlocked). No one’s seen the contract but it’s probably not permissive of taking and selling off.
Also they’re unique cpu’s, so you need support from the bios which means only a handful of boards are guaranteed to work.
Cohibaluxe@reddit
I used plenty of v4s… Like 7 or 8 years ago when they were a good value for how performant they were. Now you can get newer used parts for the same price that beat these old Xeons.
spartanlider@reddit (OP)
It's not like that in my country. The Xeon combo cost me $120; for that amount, anyone would give me an i5 6500 with 4 GB of RAM, if I was lucky.