Question about the Xeon family processors. 1. At http://newsroom.intel.com/docs/DOC-1963 Intel say that Xeon processors are for Entry-level workstations. At http://ark.intel.com/ they say they are server processors. So which is true: Is it a workstation or a server processor? Can it be used for a good desktop computer? 2. I plan to build a custom desktop. For my job I need Photoshop CS5, Adobe Acrobat X and its OCR functions, latest MS Office, some movie and audio editing, lots of dictionaries and websites working simultaneously and I don't want to wait long for tasks to finish. I also often have to copy gigabytes from one drive to another, which takes time on USB 2.0. I am considering buying a Xeon 1260L (http://ark.intel.com/products/52275?wapkw=xeon 1260L), because its TDP is only 45W, it employs Intel® HD Graphics 2000 (so I don't need to buy a graphics card) and it has ECC. a) Is there a better option for my needs in terms of low power consumption, graphics capabilities and speed? b) Which mainboard is suitable for Xeon 1260L and what PSU? c) Do I need a dedicated graphics card? d) Can I use a workstation as a server and vice versa?
Personally I'd say your better of just going with a sandy bridge build on a Z68 board, but I'm sure other's on here would be more clued up on such matters than me, and through in a few SSD's since HDD prices are so high and you want quick transfer rates.
I agree with thetrashcanman, you'd be better off with a Sandy Bridge i7 2600k. Better on IGP and a faster clock speed (3.4GHz compared to 2.4 of the Xeon). And the TDP is only 95W, it's hardly going to make a difference to power consumption. Edit: Oh and from what I can Google, they seem to be a very similar price. And you won't have to splash out on ECC memory.
Xeon is only needed if you absolutely need ecc ram for some reason, or are planning on running a multi cpu set up (which not all of them support), or in heavy virtualized environments. It does not appear you need any of those features. I agree just get an i7k and z68, 16gb ram, ssd. I don't think you particularly need a dedicated gpu as I don't see any mention of task like 3D rendering.
