I Bought a CPU That Was 99% Off!
In this video, I take a chance on an unbelievably cheap E5 2696v4 that was listed at a massive discount. When I saw the price, I couldn't believe it. Could this E5 2696v4 really be the incredible bargain it seemed to be, or was there a catch?
The E5 2696v4 was once a powerful server processor designed for demanding workloads, but today it can be found for a fraction of its original price. That raises an important question: is the E5 2696v4 still worth buying in 2026? To find out, I paired the E5 2696v4 with modern graphics cards and put it through a series of gaming and productivity tests.
We'll examine how the E5 2696v4 performs in modern AAA games, compare it to newer CPUs, and see whether this heavily discounted processor can still handle everyday tasks, content creation, and multitasking. With its high core count and surprisingly low cost, the E5 2696v4 has become a popular choice among budget PC builders looking for maximum performance per dollar.
But does the E5 2696v4 still have enough power to compete with modern hardware? Can a CPU that was originally designed for servers become the heart of a capable gaming PC? And most importantly, was buying this E5 2696v4 at 99% off one of the best deals I've ever found?
Watch until the end to see the benchmarks, gaming results, temperatures, and whether the E5 2696v4 is still a hidden gem for budget PC enthusiasts.