Today's tech test

[Airbozo]

Not too hard...


What is the difference between a XEON processor and a CORE2DUO?


Besides the fact one is for servers and one is for desktops, what is the _real_ difference?

[NightrainSrt4]

This is kind of an unfair question, because there are so many xeons, and many are completely different. But I will be the first to take my hand at it anyway.

If you are referring to the "3000" series XEONS, there was absolutely no difference between the xeons and the core 2 duos. They were simply rebranded. They were only for socket 775 (unlike other xeons that took socket 771), only ran in single cpu configurations (just like the core 2's) and ran at the same FSB as the corresponding Core 2's. In this series there literally wasn't any difference.

But other series were different, so it really depends on which series XEON you are trying to have us compare.

[Cannibal23]

isnt there an onboard sram cache size diffrence?

[NightrainSrt4]

I'm not extremely familiar with the other series, but the 3000 series has the same cache size for each xeon as its respective core 2.

[Airbozo]

This is kind of an unfair question, because there are so many xeons, and many are completely different. But I will be the first to take my hand at it anyway.

If you are referring to the "3000" series XEONS, there was absolutely no difference between the xeons and the core 2 duos. They were simply rebranded. They were only for socket 775 (unlike other xeons that took socket 771), only ran in single cpu configurations (just like the core 2's) and ran at the same FSB as the corresponding Core 2's. In this series there literally wasn't any difference.

But other series were different, so it really depends on which series XEON you are trying to have us compare.

This is _most_ of the info I was looking for.

Now given the above, what do you think the difference is for the other Xeon chips. Only the new ones, not the older generations...

Explain the difference between the newer Core2Duo/Quad vs the Xeon's (all series). I am not talking the minutia here, just the main differences.

[calumc]

I bet you were asked and didn't know so now your offloading the job on us......

And I dont have a clue BTW :p

[Airbozo]

I was asked several weeks ago, and went digging for the info.

When I asked our Intel Rep what the difference was, his response (mostly correct, but the tech info is missing) was: "...despite the pin layout (771 vs 775), the only real difference is the logic on the xeon that allows you to run multiple CPU's on one Motherboard."

So basically a Core2Duo/Quad is basically the same chip in a different pin package made on the same line as the xeons. You are limited to ONE core2duo in a system and 4 xeons on one motherboard. (the MPU logic must be present on the motherboard as well) He alluded to the fact that even the Core2.... _can_ run in MPU mode if you know which pin to short. I cannot confirm this yet, plus you would need a modified socket 775 mpu board and the chipset (the xeon chipset would work).

[NightrainSrt4]

Honestly I don't know too much about the brand new ones. Only knew a bit about the 3000 series because I was doing research for a buddy a while ago.

It seems that a lot more XEONs get released compared to Core 2 Duo's, or atleast models that would correspond come out earlier in a XEON form. For example, there are 1.6Ghz and 1.8Ghz quad Xeons that have been out for a while, yet we have yet to see on in the core2quad lineup. There are also a bunch of quad models for xeon, whereas I can count the number of quad core2's on one hand.

Intel was supposed to release 1600Mhz FSB quad xeons this quarter. Not sure if they did or not, but that is way ahead of what is being released in the Core2 lineup.


Looking at the Q6600 and its corresponding XEON i can't find any differences atleast with the information given. Prices are almost identical as well. But then again these aren't brand new either. These are still the 3000 series, just the quads. I'll have to do research on the newer ones. I know they have 1333mhz fsb quad xeons as well, just don't know much about them.

Q6600 (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819115017)

2.4Ghz Kentsfield Xeon (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819117127)

[NightrainSrt4]

Ohh you beat me. Does what you said apply to the 3000 series or just the brand new ones. Because I was under the understanding that those (socket 775 xeons) could only be run by themselves. That you could only run one 3000 series xeon, not 2-4.

I know you can on the new xeons, because they are doing it in the Mac Pro.

[Airbozo]

Ohh you beat me. Does what you said apply to the 3000 series or just the brand new ones. Because I was under the understanding that those (socket 775 xeons) could only be run by themselves. That you could only run one 3000 series xeon, not 2-4.

I know you can on the new xeons, because they are doing it in the Mac Pro.

I believe you are right. The 3000 series are just rebranded core2's. The 775 socket is not able to run in MPU mode. (it is not the socket itself, rather the "official" spec for socket 775) The 771

There is also a low power xeon processor, that sucks half the juice of a regular xeon, but I think it is just an underclocked cpu with throttling.

[noopypoop]

the price?

[NightrainSrt4]

Cool. I thought that was right about the 3000 series. You should do this everyday, or often, or somebody. I like testing what I know, or if I don't know something, then testing my ability to research and learn new things.