Hello,
I am new to this forum and looking for a little guidance/assistance. I want to build a couple of new system and am having trouble locating a motherboard with the specs I am interested in.

I am looking for dual socket LGA775 motherboards. Do they exist? If so, seem really hard to find.

Further I wanted to upgrade the type of processors I use. Currently I am using P4 3.4Ghz 650 Processors. I am really looking to start using Intel Core 2 Quad Q6600 Kentsfield 2.4GHz LGA 775 Processors.

Ultimately I want to be able to build a system with 2 x Q6600 and 4+ GB of memory. Beyond that I am flexible.

Any assistance or guidance would be appreciated.

They only make dual socket mobo's for Xeons.

Thanks. That’s what I was afraid of. I have found a number of LGA771 boards but even the cheapest LGA771 processors are much more expense than the LGA775’s (and with much lower speeds).

that's because they were designed with circuitry to run on the dual socket J boards. What are you planning to do with 8 cores? a quadcore should serve you well enough.

I dont have time to find it, but i read some time ago that they did have a modified x-38 based dual socket motherboard coming out for socket 775, maybe try googling dual socket x-38 motherboard.

If you really need a lot of speed I'd say wait for QX9650, overclock it to 4 GHz with a Thermalright Ultra-120 Extreme, get Vista 64, 8 GB of RAM, and a couple of WD7500AAKS in RAID. That should humiliate the average Q6600 system.

Thanks reconviperone1. I will do some research with those key terms.

To answer Starcraftfanatics question, I was looking to virtualize a number of older low end servers. Also I am looking ahead to a switch to Vista and Server 2007. The new OS are gluttonous resource hogs. The Core 2 Quad seem to give more bang for the buck than you get when looking at Xeon 771. (Both appear to be relative in performance but the LGA771 Xeons are drastically more expensive.) Also as technology (OS and Hardware) changes the box would likely have been migrated to a media server (either through MS Server Home Edition or the Media Center in Vista).

The new Microsoft Server is 2008 not 2007 and its actually is ment to have built in VM software which is good news

They DO make a dual 775 motherboard, but NOT for your Quad core, it ONLY supports the Xeon Version of the Quad core, which has support for ASMP. I noticed they were wired for ASMP, and started looking around myself, and tyan makes ONE. And, it's CRAZY. It's 675 dollars. And, it uses a intel chipset, with regular ole PCIe, and NO pci-X or ANY slots with BANDWIDTH! The PCIe is X-16 for Graphics only, and there are 2 X-1, and 2 PCI. What kind of CRAP is that for a Server board, I'll tell you, IT AIN"T a server board, it's for crazy people that think they will need 8 cores in the next year or 2. IF it was something that was Viable, Supermicro, and Intel would be making it also.
NO, I'm not prejudice against Tyan, I just don't like them much. Besides, A GOOD server board, is SUN SPARC IV+!!!!!!!!!!!!! If in fact you are rolling in dough.

Oh, and too Chookman, Microsoft, does NOT make server software, they make a REALLY poor attempt at low security crap, that you have to buy SCADS of aftermarket software to support, JUST to get it working RIGHT. And, don't use their Name server software, If it ain't BIND, it don't work. I got TIRED of finding a message on my 2003, that said, DNS server service has stopped. In a bubble on my screen when I wake up in the am. BUT, since it was a trial thing (for me), no big loss, It wasn't really serving anything, except a couple of pages NOBODY looked at. My SERVERS use Sun Solaris, and Digital Unix. Yep, OLD stuff. But, It works, 4.4 too ;-)

^^^^^FUD

there are no dual 775 boards, only 771, if there is a dual 775 board, the proccesors would be completely independent and buggy, or one would simply not work. I'm taking a wild guess here, but I believe intel will be releasing the 45nm proccesors for the server market soon, which is why they let the old ones go out of stock. Your 775 quad will not work on a 771 board.

BTW, they make two types of xeons. One type is basically a rebranded Core 2, and only supports single socket, while the other is the dual socket version. I believe the single socket one does work on socket 775.

If your going to be virtualizing servers, then 8 cores might help alot, I suggest getting the two quads are around 2GHZ.

A microsoft non-believer then. If Microsoft software is so sh ite than why do they control the majority of the market? Ill admit that i dont like Vista currently but it will improve. As for server 2003, ive currently got 2 servers setup with no issues (errors or system log problems). One is used as a file server, WUS and bittorrents, the only "aftermarket software " on it would be Azureous which is free. The other Runs a Domain inc. AD, DHCP, DNS, RIP, Exchange, ISS (with homepage and outlook logins, and FTP server). And the addition software is NIL. So i dont see what the big issue with it is, id think that you havent set something up correctly and didnt know how to fix it. Sure, i dont know the first thing about linux but to disregard a majority market holder seems to me like a grudge and nothing more.

holy $#!#%

Intel's "Skulltrail" discussed here:

http://www.theinquirer.net/en/inqu [...] ce-barrier

Here's one of Intel's pages re: server and workstations motherboards:

http://www.intel.com/products/serv [...] /index.htm


I seem to recall that FBDIMMs aren't really that competitive
with fast DDR2, and they consume a LOT of power too.

If you're really set on Xeon, then do investigate the
very latest 45nm CPUs just announced by Intel e.g.:

http://www.xbitlabs.com/news/cpu/d [...] _Tech.html


I'm not a server expert, by any means;
I just read a lot of industry press on the Internet.


I hope this helps.


Sincerely yours,
/s/ Paul Andrew Mitchell
Webmaster, Supreme Law Library
http://www.supremelaw.org/

The lineup of new 45nm chips looks as follows:

Intel Xeon X5482: four processing cores, 3.20GHz, 16KB (data) L1 cache, 12MB L2 cache, 1600MHz QPB, 150W TDP. Pricing in business quantities: $1279.
Intel Xeon E5472: four processing cores, 3.00GHz, 16KB (data) L1 cache, 12MB L2 cache, 1600MHz QPB, 80W TDP. Pricing in business quantities: $958.
Intel Xeon X5472: four processing cores, 3.00GHz, 16KB (data) L1 cache, 12MB L2 cache, 1600MHz QPB, 120W TDP. Pricing in business quantities: $1022.
Intel Xeon E5462: four processing cores, 2.80GHz, 16KB (data) L1 cache, 12MB L2 cache, 1600MHz QPB, 80W TDP. Pricing in business quantities: $797.
Intel Xeon X5460: four processing cores, 3.16GHz, 16KB (data) L1 cache, 12MB L2 cache, 1333MHz QPB, 120W TDP. Pricing in business quantities: $1172.
Intel Xeon X5450: four processing cores, 3.00GHz, 16KB (data) L1 cache, 12MB L2 cache, 1333MHz QPB, 120W TDP. Pricing in business quantities: $851.
Intel Xeon E5450: four processing cores, 3.00GHz, 16KB (data) L1 cache, 12MB L2 cache, 1333MHz QPB, 80W TDP. Pricing in business quantities: $915.
Intel Xeon E5440: four processing cores, 2.83GHz, 16KB (data) L1 cache, 12MB L2 cache, 1333MHz QPB, 80W TDP. Pricing in business quantities: $690.
Intel Xeon E5430: four processing cores, 2.66GHz, 16KB (data) L1 cache, 12MB L2 cache, 1333MHz QPB, 80W TDP. Pricing in business quantities: $455.
Intel Xeon E5420: four processing cores, 2.50GHz, 16KB (data) L1 cache, 12MB L2 cache, 1333MHz QPB, 80W TDP. Pricing in business quantities: $316.
Intel Xeon E5410: four processing cores, 2.33GHz, 16KB (data) L1 cache, 12MB L2 cache, 1333MHz QPB, 80W TDP. Pricing in business quantities: $256.
Intel Xeon E5405: four processing cores, 2.00GHz, 16KB (data) L1 cache, 12MB L2 cache, 1333MHz QPB, 80W TDP. Pricing in business quantities: $209.
Intel Xeon X5272: two processing cores, 3.40GHz, 16KB (data) L1 cache, 6MB L2 cache, 1600MHz QPB, 80W TDP. Pricing in business quantities: $1172.
Intel Xeon X5260: two processing cores, 3.33GHz, 16KB (data) L1 cache, 6MB L2 cache, 1333MHz QPB, 80W TDP. Pricing in business quantities: $851.
Intel Xeon E5205: two processing cores, 1.86GHz, 16KB (data) L1 cache, 6MB L2 cache, 1066MHz QPB, 65W TDP. Pricing in business quantities: $177.
Intel Core 2 Extreme QX9650: four processing cores, 3.00GHz, 16KB (data) L1 cache, 12MB L2 cache, 1333MHz QPB, 130W TDP. Pricing in business quantities: $999.


Sincerely yours,
/s/ Paul Andrew Mitchell
Webmaster, Supreme Law Library
http://www.supremelaw.org/

> Ultimately I want to be able to build a system with 2 x Q6600 and 4+ GB of memory. Beyond that I am flexible.


Why don't you start with a dual-Xeon motherboard,
but build it with only one quad-core Xeon CPU initially?

Then, later on you can opt to add the second Xeon.

Either way, start out with the latest 45nm chips:
their thermals are reported to be excellent!


Here's a DDR2 Xeon solution from Supermicro:

http://www.supermicro.com/products [...] /?typ=5100

More FB-DIMM solutions from Supermicro:

http://www.supermicro.com/products/launch/Intel/


Sincerely yours,
/s/ Paul Andrew Mitchell
Webmaster, Supreme Law Library
http://www.supremelaw.org/

http://www.xbitlabs.com/news/cpu/d [...] 11728.html

Intel plans to release special versions of Intel Core 2 Extreme processors in LGA771 form-factor to power its dual-socket enthusiast platform, confidential documents seen by X-bit labs claim. The first of such chips will be Intel Core 2 Extreme QX9775 clocked at 3.20GHz with overspeed protection disabled (unlocked multiplier), the new chip will utilize 1600MHz processor system bus and feature 12MB cache. Given that the newcomer is made using 45nm process technology, it will sport all the advantages that the new code-named Penryn family has. The new extreme chips from Intel will have thermal design power of 150W, therefore, will need very efficient and potentially noisy and/or expensive cooling systems.

[end excerpt]


Sincerely yours,
/s/ Paul Andrew Mitchell
Webmaster, Supreme Law Library
http://www.supremelaw.org/

I appreciate all of the input. I have just signed on with the IT dept at a medium level corporation and saw some things that made me re-think my current network and my boxes (numbers and hardware). My most recent focuses have become virtual servers, single image deployments (containing multiple HALS) and preping hardware for Vista and Server 2008 (as I was corrected earlier).

I wouldn’t hesitate to go with the Intel Xeon E5410 Quad if I could get it for the “Pricing in business quantities” at “$256.” The pricing I am seeing is about 150% more than a comparable 775 Quad core.

Regardless of the arguments, I have used multi-processor systems since the PIII socket PGA370s and have always seen increased liability and performance.

I also lean more toward the 775 Desktop chipset b/c what is a killer virtual server box today; winds up being a good media server box in 8 months; and in a year and a half its simply a respectable desktop.

It’s a shame there are not manufactures breaking the conformity and creating hardware like the 775 dual socket mobos. I am no hardware architect but I simple do not believe that a dual 775 is impossible. I feel that its just not profitable enough for manufactures being that it would compete with 771 server equipment. However I think that enthusiast and powers users would have a field day.