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What's a server CPU?

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srynznfyra   07-19-2009 at 12:47:43 PM

Simple really: what's the difference between a server and a desktop CPU?

Do they support different kinds of memory, such as FB-DIMM? Or something else? My single core Athlon is doing a good job in my Ubuntu server ;)

TIA

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randomizer   07-19-2009 at 12:50:17 PM
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Better silicon and usually a different socket. Often uses FB-DIMMs ( :fou: ). Some server chips are made for desktop sockets and normal RAM as well.

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Message edited by randomizer on 07-19-2009 at 12:50:38 PM
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srynznfyra   07-19-2009 at 12:54:06 PM
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randomizer wrote :

Better silicon and usually a different socket. Often uses FB-DIMMs ( :fou: ). Some server chips are made for desktop sockets and normal RAM as well.



So they use the best silicon for best reliability, right? Doesn't the new nehalem xeon use the LGA1366 just like the desktop i7s? I know that the opterons use socket F which is opteron-only.

So basically there's no point in using a server chip, seeing as you can get desktop chips that use FB-DIMM (can't you?) if you really need that.

Server chips sound like the FireGL/Quadro of the CPU market. Not much point in spending the cash on them.

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srynznfyra   07-19-2009 at 12:56:02 PM
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Also, I can't wait till they start using diamond instead of silicon. Apparently they'll be able to get much higher clocks with it. Either that or they'll actually start to write programs that properly and efficiently make use of numerous cores.

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DeeTee_uk   07-19-2009 at 01:29:06 PM
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I really don't want to be paying the prices that diamond processors would cost :(

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Daggs   07-19-2009 at 01:35:48 PM
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srynznfyra wrote :

Also, I can't wait till they start using diamond instead of silicon. Apparently they'll be able to get much higher clocks with it. Either that or they'll actually start to write programs that properly and efficiently make use of numerous cores.


ok, then, care to sponsor me one when the first server diamond cpu will go to the market? I'll pay for the mb and memory...

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loneninja   07-19-2009 at 03:43:23 PM
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Server cpus are also set up to run multiple cpu's on a single board, currently they also offer more cores on the server front than desktop as well.

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Bronze CPUs badge sminlal   07-19-2009 at 10:04:33 PM
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And most server motherboards and CPUs support ECC memory. With the cheap price of memory these days it really surprises me that you can't get ECC memory in more standard desktop configurations. Among all of the stuff inside a desktop computer, memory is pretty much the only component which isn't checked for errors. Everything else, including the buses, includes quite robust error detection.

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