Edit May 6, 2017
Still going strong. I now almost always run this in Windows eco mode, which cuts the processor speed to 1/3rd rated, and it still outperforms my previous CPU when Vivado is running, especially synthesizing. I have some seriously big designs, and it always finishes the synthesis before I expect.
No problems with FSX, single monitor and running 30 FPS. I added a utility that offloads a lot of graphics to my VGA, which helps a lot, especially with jitter.
Even so, I want to upgrade to the 8 Core SkyLake CPU, and replace my Noctua Heat Sink/Fan with a AIO liquid cooler. The liquid cooler will let me move my VGA to the slot next to the CPU, and, in the process, open up another PCIe slot (which is now hidden by the HSF).
Edit Aug 10, 2016
Still going strong. I had to rebuild my system, so I put a Seagate 1 TB HDD with internal 32 GB Cache, and a SanDisk 32 GB SSD Cache on the computer. I have yet to really push the CPU's envelope. I'm leaving it on normal mode, so it slows down when the load goes down, for less power consumption. Also, its faster than my i7-980, and uses less power, so it runs cooler. That's important when my wife and I are both working on our computers in our office, and the dog is keeping us company!
Edit May 11, 2016
I have a lot of system gadgets on my Windows 7 desktop. With them, I can tell if any application slows down because of CPU, disk access, memory access, or internet access. I'm sure I'll be fine running FSX with a single monitor, and I'll be able to tell how close I get to maxing out any of the above devices. There shouldn't be a problem with 1 single monitor for Microsoft FSX; and I'm hoping the same for 3 monitors.
Original Post
I paid the extra $ for this vs. the 5920 for a couple of reasons. One, the base frequency was 200 MHz faster than the 5920, and more importantly, it has a lot more PCI lanes. I'd heard there was a clearance problem between video cards in slot one, and large HS/F's, so I wanted the full complement of PCI lanes going to slot 2. As far as I can tell, my EVGA 780 Ti Classified with 3 GB RAM has plenty of clearance in slot one with the Noctua NH-D14 on the CPU. I just couldn't justify spending another $500 for two more cores, and having to retire my HS/F for liquid cooling to get the most out of the 5960. I was just looking for a GHz * Core product of 24, and I got it easily with my current build.
I have it mounted on an EVGA X99 Classified MB, which allows easy over clocking. I haven't tried to find its limit, but it seems stable at 4 GHz, and temps are about 116 F at that speed.
I'll be taking a couple of classes where I'll be designing with FPGAs, and the environment, Vivaldo, does some serious processing, especially when the designs are even slightly complicated. I think this, plus 32 GB SRAM, and a Seagate 7200 RPM 1 TB HDD with 8GB SSD will make the processing go faster than it did on a i7-980 running a 2.67 GHz. FSX should also work better, too.
| Processor | 3.5 GHz core_i7 |
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