E5640 vs 2x E5504

[Guest]

Hi there,

I'm looking for advice between two processor configurations. My options are Intel Xeon E5640 or two Intel Xeon E5504's.

On first thought I assumed the dual processor configuration would be far superior but the E5640 has more cache and a faster clock speed I thought it might be worth investigating further.

I already have both processors in my possession so cost isn't an issue just processor speed/performance.

Does the hyper-threading on the E5640 make any tangible difference to performance versus the combines 8 cores of the E5504?

Many Thanks.

 

[GhislainG]

It all depends on what the system will be used for. If you can really use 8 threads, then two Intel Xeon E5504 should be faster.

 

[Guest]

The web server for about 200+ users and I doubt if will ever be maxed.

Would the dual configuration be more reliable since there is two processors with redundancy?

The applications we are using are more memory intensive so would the 12mb cache on the E5640 make much of a difference?

 

[GhislainG]

What will the web server do? Process complex SQL queries, only retrieve documents, create PDF documents? In other words, are you running web applications that can take advantage of 8 physical cores when 200 users access it? If not, then go for the faster E5640 as it will process single threads faster. Having 2 CPUs won't make the server more reliable. Using RAID, dual Ethernet ports and a UPS is more important. I've never seen a CPU fail in a server; therefore that's the least of my worries.