Hp workstation z620 2665 to dual CPU upgrade

[VojtouNerCZ]

 

Hello. Currently I have hp z620 with xeon e5 2665 cpu. I am using it for plex server but its performance is not enough for 1080p HW video with subtitles transcoding. Thinking about upgrade to dual cpu. Which one will be best? I have 2011 boot block date, so 2690 V1? Also i found some cpu risers for z620 online, are they the same or is there any compatibility list?
I am also getting "incorrect microcode detected, contact HP" when booting up, but it will boot normally.
Thanks in advance. 

[SDH]

My recommendation is to move up. Yes, that is a Z620 v1. The v2 has a 2013 boot block date. You could consider upgrading to a v2 motherboard, and how to recognize one of those on eBay has been posted about here in the past. The "riser" addition to the motherboard if you want to run two processors is the same regardless of whether the Z620 is a v1 or a v2. That riser is different from the one used in a Z640 dual processor workstation despite looking very similar.

I wonder if you upgraded your motherboard to a v2 if you could get by with just one of the best v2 processors that new used motherboard can run (including matched higher speed memory)? Same question for a souped-up single v4 processor Z440 as your best budget candidate...

However, a better higher budget solution would be to upgrade to a Z640 that already has two processors (and thus would have the Z640 riser already included) with all the right fans and internal hardware included). Prices for the ZX40 fastest memory and v4 processors have come way down. Many sellers don't want to hassle with parting things out so getting a recycled eBay dual processor Z640 can be a real bargain rather than buying a bunch of Z620 parts off eBay and pulling them all together correctly. A big plus is that there is no Z440/Z640 v1 vs v2 issue. All of those can run the HP approved Xeon v3 or v4 processors. Plus, you get a lot of newer technology in hardware and BIOS, and use of faster memory/processors. For example, I can use the same fastest DDR4 memory used in my Z4 G4 also in my Z440 builds... so that is what I get for both. The same memory also works in the Z640 and Z6 G4.

My souped up Z440 builds can compete head-to-head with my personal Z4 G4 next generation build... but are currently much less expensive. The Z4 G4 certainly has higher headroom for the future but the processor costs for the highest end remain quite high. Same concept for the Z6 versions of those two families.

Get the Z640 QuickSpecs, latest version you can find via "Z640 QuickSpecs pdf" search and use that to see the v4 processors and then check out the processor ratings on cpubenchmark.net... you can see each as a single processor or put "dual" in front and see that too. v28 is attached below...

[DGroves]

TRANSCODING A VIDEO FILE IS EXTREMELY CPU INTENSIVE and performance is dependant on the encoder used.

earlier cpus lack the microcode that later cpus have which allow faster video transcoding

due to this a lower end newer 5th gen cpu may be better suited than a older series highend cpu

as i recall the plex docs do cover this, ah! this link might be of use to you

https://support.plex.tv/articles/115002178853-using-hardware-accelerated-streaming/#:~:text=Plex%20M...).

[VojtouNerCZ]

I am aware of plex HW requirements. I bought this PC with e5 1660v2 listed but received 2665 v1 instead. Basically they sent me wrong PC. 

Before I was using my personal PC with i5 13400f and it ran fine. With this CPU i am getting random buffering lags (nothing drastic, like 1 times per 5 videos, but it is uncomfortable) 

Buying whole new pc like z640 etc and shipping it to my country is very expensive, so i was thinking about second cpu and better gpu (currently firepro v4900 which is thrash) for  GPU transcode (it will cost me like half a price of z640, even with gpu like gtx 1060 or Intel arc a380 for QSV)

Is my theory correct? 2 cpu means double the performance? 2665 have like 8.3k points on cpu passmark, 2690 9.7, 2x 2690 will be 19.4k?

Or another sollution, hardsub all of my subs into video. Without transcoding everything runs smooth. 

[DGroves]

installing a sec cpu merely gives you the "POTENTIAL" of faster processing

since most programs available today are not really coded to use more than 4-6 cpu cores adding a sec cpu most likely would not be worthwhile

i would check the plex documentation and see if it's able to make use of more cpu cores if not then a single faster cpu to replace the existing one may be worthwhile, again read the plex documentation to determine which path makes more sense

SDH is spot on about upgrading from a z620 to a z640 (or even a z440) as the cost of a z620 riser board will exceed the cost of a z440 or possibly even a z640 system