Using a cheaper LGA 2011 motherboard with a used xeon? (bad idea?)

Hardware Hub Motherboards
1

I was looking to buy a Xeon E5-26xx 8 core used and pair it with a motherboard.

If I had the cash I could get the Asus board, but I have no need for 4 16x and 8x slots.

 

would something such as an EVGA x79 board be okay http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813188129

or even one of the ASRock Extreme3/4/6?

 

you know...without exploding?

 

2

After looking at the spec sheet from EVGA's website I don't believe the Xeon processors are supported on that motherboard. It only mentions the Extreme edition i7 and LGA 2011 i7.

http://www.evga.com/products/pdf/151-SE-E777.pdf

3

i don't believe vendors are allowed to limit their boards (i was going to say it's impossible, but you could do it by making a limited bios) i don't believe intel allows it, probably just marketing to a different audience that doesn't know about the server chips

4

So your saying that any cpu technically should work, however, the manufacturer can simply make it unsupported in the bios?

That seems a tiny bit odd...

I didn't know that manufacturers made support lists...and from the looks of it the ASRock boards all sopport about the same models of xeons

http://www.asrock.com/mb/Intel/X79%20Extreme3/?cat=CPU

http://www.asrock.com/mb/Intel/X79%20Extreme4/?cat=CPU

http://www.asrock.com/mb/Intel/X79%20Extreme6/?cat=CPU

 

5

I will be going with an ASRock Motherboard I think, as Xeons are listed as Supported