Sun begins high-end phase of x86 servers

TalkBack 8 of 20:

Next »

« Previous

• Thread View
• Flat View

These articles mention that the Woodcrest is boring and underwhelmed

[http://www.tomshardware.com/2006/06/26/xeon_woodcrest_preys_on_opteron/]


``... AMD Opteron:

* It has been the faster processor, especially for floating point operations

* HyperTransport interconnects processors and core logic. This point-to-point interconnect scales much better than bus interfaces.

* Power consumption is acceptable even when under load

* Socket 940 is the basis for all Opteron models that have been released. Usually you can upgrade to one of the dual core models.

* Each processor has its own memory controller.

* No FB-DIMM memory is required. Registered DDR400 memory is enough.

* Quad core Opterons will require a Socket F platform.

Intel Xeon:

* The Front Side Bus is the interface and a potential bottleneck between the processor(s) and the chipset northbridge. The 5000 chipset widens this bottleneck by implementing seperate Front Side Busser per processor (DIB).

* Dual core Xeon Paxville DP has high to very
high power requirements.

* Dual Core Xeon Dempsey 5000 has high power requirements.

* Less flexible platform design: A Xeon Nocona or Irwindale (socket 604) can only be upgraded with a dual core Xeon Paxville DP. If you want a Xeon 5000 (Dempsey) or Xeon 5100 (Woodcrest) you need the 5000 chipset platform for socket 771 (Bensley).

* Quad channel DDR2 memory controller offers more bandwidth, but requires FB-DIM modules

* Intel's chipset and FB-DIMM components require more energy than the Opteron equivalents

* Quad core Xeons are technically feasible for socket 771.

...''

`` .... However, we do not see Woodcrest knocking out AMD, since the HyperTransport architecture remains the best choice for 4P solutions thanks to its point-to-point layout and dedicated memory controller per processor. Also, socket F will accelerate HyperTransport links to make sure that multi-core processors don't suddenly saturate the interface.

Finally, Intel might have to convince SMB customers of the benefits of fully buffered memory, because a 2P Opteron system does still provide a very good value - especially if you can live with 4 - 8 GB of memory. FB-DIMMs will only have a serious benefit if multiple modules are deployed.''

Posted by: michael_t   Posted on: 07/11/06 You are currently: a Guest | Members login | Terms of Use

Alert moderator to an offensive message

Subscribe to this discussion via Email or RSS

SponsoredWhite Papers, Webcasts, and Downloads

• VMware Infrastructure: A Guide to Bottom-Line Benefits VMware Frustrated by the costs of maintain ever larger data centers?or building ... Download Now
• INNOV8 2.0: A Business Process Management Simulator IBM Innovate your business' process model, play against the market, compete ... Download Now
• Migrate Your Oracle Databases with Near-Zero Downtime Quest Software In today's economy, IT departments are asked to do more with less and stay ... Download Now