Looking to invest in a WS. If I build one, starting w/ this barebones system below.
Supermicro SuperWorkstation 7048GR-TR Barebone System - 4U Tower - Intel C612 Express Chipset - Socket LGA 2011-v3 - 2 x Processor Support - $1800
I’ve seen E5-2699 on Ebay for < $1000?
So, is it necessary to have an OEM Processor?
A < $5K Corona Benchmark :33 Render time ?
“ES” - Engineering Sample, no warranty
higher risk = lower price 
OEM E5-2599v4 max turbo is 3.6GHz
The CPU you’re looking at on Ebay is a ES version with max turbo 2.6GHz
And incompatible bios issues…‘Intel confidential’. Oh well, I wouldn’t have known what to do with all my free time.
As mentioned, those ES xeons have much lower turbo, so while they would still be great as a render node, for a workstation I’d suggest a minimum of 3GHz Turbo.
Also, such early ES cpus might have problems with compatibility. So be sure to message the seller for information.
And due to throttling issues with V4 xeons, I’d stick to V3 for now. Namely, the 2683V3 are currently some of the best price/performance cpus, and they are much later revisions, so should work on most boards (still be sure to check with seller).
I would also suggest 2686V3, but they appear in limited quantities and are usually sold out fast.
Thanks for info, everyone.
E5 2683 v3 does look like a good value, C. benchmark <1 min.
If you’re looking for something not for the render nodes but for workstation: OEM E5-2696v3 is the best bet. 18 cores, 3.6GHz turbo, compatible with any motherboards including dell/hp, and usually goes for $1200-1300 on eBay.
Yes, a WS that can run C Benchmark < 1:00. My i7 5960x is struggling w/ 4K 32" monitors for IR
Looks like 2 options are the (2x)E5-2683 or an E5-2696 both C Benchmark at about 1:00
If you decide to go with OEM 2696V3 look for SR1XK stepping: http://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_from=R40&_trksid=m570.l1313&_nkw=SR1XK&_sacat=0