I'm currently using an older HP Z420 workstation for gaming and modeling. It has an LGA2011 socket, 64GB of DDR3 RAM, and a GTX 960, but I'm planning to upgrade to an RTX 2060 in the future. I really need to upgrade my CPU since I do a lot of multitasking, and my current Intel Xeon E5-1607 (4 cores, 4 threads at 3.0GHz) isn't cutting it anymore. I'm considering two options: the E5-1660 v2 (6 cores, 12 threads at 3.7GHz) and the E5-2687W v2 (8 cores, 16 threads at 3.4GHz). Which upgrade would be better for my needs—more cores and threads with a slightly lower speed, or a higher speed with fewer cores and threads? Any suggestions for second-hand buying tips would also be appreciated since I know DDR3 RAM isn't ideal for gaming, but I'm just looking for a moderate boost to make newer titles playable until I can get a whole new system.
3 Answers
When you mention multitasking, what exactly are you running at the same time? Knowing that can really help narrow down whether you need more cores or higher clock speeds.
I get that your current CPU is really struggling to handle multiple tasks. If you're running a lot of software simultaneously—like games, modeling programs, music, and a bunch of tabs—that definitely adds up. If you're stuck with this for a while, I’d recommend going for the E5-2687W v2 to give you that extra core and thread count. It should help with your multitasking quite a bit!
Honestly, you might want to reconsider upgrading. Your current setup is already quite outdated, and playing games released after 2023 on it will likely be a challenge, especially with the limited VRAM and DDR3 memory. It might be better to save your money for a complete overhaul instead of patching up this older rig.
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