The first thing most people think about when they hear Intel is the Core lineup.
In those cases, you go Xeon.
But what is Intel Xeon exactly?
And should you care about it?
What Is Intel Xeon?
Xeon is the branding for Intel’s workstation and server chips.
Xeon processors are ubiquitous in supercomputers worldwide and can even be found in workstations like the Mac Pro.
Why Are Intel Xeon Chips Different?
Nothing stops you from setting up a server using a normal PC.
They focus on core counts and multi-core performance rather than single-core performance.
In that regard, Xeon chips are similar toAMD’s Threadripperor Epyc lineups.
This also means that Xeon chips aren’t great for gaming.
When you play games, single-core performance is very important to actual performance.
Few games benefit from having that many cores.
Multi-threaded tasks, however, are common in the business space.
Xeon Phi takes the core principle to the extreme, adding several smaller cores and more memory bandwidth.
They’re also way more expensive than desktop chips.
And we’re not talking about a small difference.
If you’ve ever wonderedwhy the Mac Pro is so expensive, that’s one of the reasons.
Should You Buy a Xeon Chip?
For 99% of people reading this post, the answer is no.
Xeon CPUs can be amazing for the right kind of users.
Like other chips in the same range, they’re made to crush multi-threaded tasks.
Not really the best deal.
But it’s not a chip for you, after all.
It’ll be a great addition to your setup or your rack.
And that’s not entirely true.
As always, do your own research and see what works for you.
