Xeon 16 Core 2.1GHz (10.4GT/s UPI) for Grand Strategy & Wargaming?

[dosayat199]

Hi everyone,

I'm looking at a used workstation for my wargaming and grand strategy habit, specifically one with a dual-CPU setup featuring Xeon E5-26xx v3/v4 processors (16 core, 2.1GHz, 10.4GT/s UPI).

My understanding is that games like Command: Modern Operations, Hearts of Iron IV, Gary Grigsby's War in the East 2, and other complex simulations are often heavily dependent on single-thread CPU performance for their core logic, but can also leverage multiple cores for AI, logistics, and simultaneous calculations.

With that in mind, would a high-core-count, lower-clock-speed Xeon setup like this be a benefit or a hindrance? The sheer number of cores (32 threads total in a dual setup) is tempting for running the game while having browsers, spreadsheets, and tools open, but I'm concerned the 2.1GHz base clock might be a bottleneck for the main game thread.

Has anyone here built or used a similar Xeon-based system for this specific genre? What was your experience with performance in late-game scenarios with massive unit counts?

Any insights would be greatly appreciated

[Redwolf]

That's just the base clock. Turbo mode will be higher, especially single-core turbo.

Which CPU is it, exactly?

[W8taminute]

I might be wrong, but to me we've reached a plateau in computer gaming technology.  Is it really necessary these days to have the absolute latest CPU or GPU to play most of the type of games we like?

I just recently upgraded my 9 year old rig from a GTX 970 to an RTX 3050.  The improvement in performance to me is nothing short of astounding.  All of my games, including Warhammer TW 3 run silky smooth now.  I'm glad I didn't drop 2.5K on a new gaming rig.  My modest needs have been more than met with the upgrade to the RTX 3050.

[Jarhead0331]

I might be wrong, but to me we've reached a plateau in computer gaming technology.  Is it really necessary these days to have the absolute latest CPU or GPU to play most of the type of games we like?

I just recently upgraded my 9 year old rig from a GTX 970 to an RTX 3050.  The improvement in performance to me is nothing short of astounding.  All of my games, including Warhammer TW 3 run silky smooth now.  I'm glad I didn't drop 2.5K on a new gaming rig.  My modest needs have been more than met with the upgrade to the RTX 3050.

It depends on what you're running. For instance, my high end VR simulations always benefit from either a more powerful CPU or GPU. There is always a benefit there and the enhancements in hardware permit the software envelope to be pushed even further too. So I would say that generally, if you want to be on the cutting edge of simulation and gaming, regular updates have value. On the other hand, if you're still primarily running last generation or even older games, then there probably is no need to get the latest and greatest tech.

[solops]

I might be wrong, but to me we've reached a plateau in computer gaming technology.  Is it really necessary these days to have the absolute latest CPU or GPU to play most of the type of games we like?

I just recently upgraded my 9 year old rig from a GTX 970 to an RTX 3050.  The improvement in performance to me is nothing short of astounding.  All of my games, including Warhammer TW 3 run silky smooth now.  I'm glad I didn't drop 2.5K on a new gaming rig.  My modest needs have been more than met with the upgrade to the RTX 3050.

+1  Had the same experience with a video card upgrade. Also, in spite of being told that a RAM increase would not help, I went from 16gb to 32 gb and had a noticeable improvement in many of my games.

I have noticed that my laptop's i7-10750H does seem to outperform my desktop i7-4770 in the latter period of an extended game of Shadow Empire, but not much else. The laptop also handles Warhammer III a little bit smoother, but other than that most of my games run about the same. I suspect I will have to make a Great Leap Foreward to see any more differences. So far component upgrades have done me well.

[W8taminute]

I might be wrong, but to me we've reached a plateau in computer gaming technology.  Is it really necessary these days to have the absolute latest CPU or GPU to play most of the type of games we like?

I just recently upgraded my 9 year old rig from a GTX 970 to an RTX 3050.  The improvement in performance to me is nothing short of astounding.  All of my games, including Warhammer TW 3 run silky smooth now.  I'm glad I didn't drop 2.5K on a new gaming rig.  My modest needs have been more than met with the upgrade to the RTX 3050.

It depends on what you're running. For instance, my high end VR simulations always benefit from either a more powerful CPU or GPU. There is always a benefit there and the enhancements in hardware permit the software envelope to be pushed even further too. So I would say that generally, if you want to be on the cutting edge of simulation and gaming, regular updates have value. On the other hand, if you're still primarily running last generation or even older games, then there probably is no need to get the latest and greatest tech.

Precisely.  Yes indeed I run a lot of older games but also some games from recent time as well.  If/when some of the Hooded Horse space games get released I may have to consider upgrading to a better rig.  For now I'm definitely happy with my recent upgrade.

+1  Had the same experience with a video card upgrade. Also, in spite of being told that a RAM increase would not help, I went from 16gb to 32 gb and had a noticeable improvement in many of my games.

Nice to hear and yes doubling your RAM helps a lot too.