Intel Xeon and AMD Opteron Battle Head to Head

Systems

We arranged to get two 1U server systems from the UK-based OEM and channel provider Boston Ltd, which specialized on Linux clusters, servers, workstations and storage solutions.

One of the server systems is based on the Intel Bensley platform supporting two Xeon 5000/5100 series processors (Dempsey/Woodcrest) of the same type, and the other is an AMD system supporting two Opteron 200 series processors. Both systems are built for data centers and can be expanded with Remote Management Cards.

Due to their 1U form factor and limited height, these systems make do with small fans. To compensate for their smaller size, these fans must have a higher rotational speed. With a speed of over 10,000 RPM, the noise of multiple fans is extremely loud - and if necessary, they can reach speeds of up to 15,000 RPM! The AMD system also has optional redundant power supplies.

The systems we chose are as follows:

1. Intel System:

SuperServer 6015B-T

2. AMD System

A+ Server AS1020P-T

We configured the Intel system with two different setups. The first configuration used a pair of Woodcrest Xeon 5160 processors, while the second used a pair of Dempsey Xeon 5080 processors. The reason for these two configurations is so that we can compare the new Woodcrest with the older Dempsey Xeon.