1 CPU vs 2 CPU: Energy Consumption

[supersophie]

Hello World

I am retiring my home hyper v server due to maximum memory limitations (Supermicro X7SBE only supports 8GB max). I have a Hyper V 2012 R2 environment that hosts 1 Domain Controller, 1 Domain Controller slash File Print Server, 1 SQL Server 2008R2 Data Warehouses for my trade data, 1 SQL Server 2008R2 slash ETL slash SSRS slash Application Server I wrote for weather forecasting. Due to my limit on memory everything ran slow when all 4 VM guest were running. I have a 5th VM guest that is a Windows XP machine for my t0rr3ntz, I always had to shut down another VM guest to run this one because of memory usage.

I am debating over upgrading to one Intel Xeon E5-2630 CPU or two Intel Xeon E5-2630 CPUs. The CPU's max TDP is 95 Watts. This is a stupid question but just to make sure my edumacated guess is correct, if I have two then that means my server will consume 190 Watts the majority of time CPU wise?

If I get 2x CPU then my mother board will be Supermicro X10DRL-i if its any helpful
leopardtron pcb

 

[terroralpha]

where i work we also have an SQL server, several domain controllers, exchange servers, terminal servers, etc. they are all single CPU Dell R710 and R720 servers. but we don't do virtualization.

the CPUs rarely go beyond 20% utilization on any server except the terminal servers. the only way to get a CPU to hit it's TDP limit is to have it running 100%. personally, i've never seen a modern Xeon CPU with a load greater than 50%. when it isn't doing that, it clocks down to save power. during heavy operation an E5-26XX CPU will pull around 50 watts. getting it to pull the full 90 watts it actually VERY hard. you'd have to run 32 threads of prime 95.

 

[Karsten75]

Previous answer is correct. CPU power is proportional to load. Under light load conditions the CPU won't draw near it's indicated 95W.

My thought is you're better off with a single processor system, though. Just get a 6+core Xeon E5, slap a hefty chunk of RAM on it and you should be good to go.