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  1. #1
    Join Date
    Jun 2004
    Location
    Bay Area
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    1,320

    Most CPU power per $

    Hi,

    I'll soon be needing a new webserver, and i'm in doubt about the CPU. There are basically five CPU types that i'm able to choose from:

    - Pentium 4 3.6Ghz
    - Core2 Duo 1.86Ghz
    - Dual Xeon 2Ghz
    - AMD x2 4000+
    - AMD Opteron 246

    They all are pretty budget, so I'd like to choose the one with most power for a Webserver (Lighttpd / PHP / MySQL).

    The thing i'm unsure about is thr Core2 Duo. They are supposed to be of the same architecture as the Woodcrest Xeons, only a bit less cache. Did anybody ever compare the Woodcrest Xeon and the Core2 Duo? I wasn't able to find a review about that. The Core2 Duo is a LOT cheaper than a Woodcrest, so that might be a good option...

    The x2 AMD seems to be a good choice also, however that is most certainly not a server-CPU. Most reviews test performance in 3D games and so on, completely worthless if you want to know server performance. Anybody who actually uses those in a webserver?

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Jun 2003
    Location
    UK
    Posts
    6,616
    Its hard choice to make. I wouldn't go for the Dual Xeon 2Ghz as that will be the slowest. Is the AMD Opteron 246 a single or Dual CPU? If a single I would ignore that as well. My gut feeling is the Core2 Duo would be the best choice but none of them are bad
    Russ Foster - Industry Curmudgeon
    Freelance Sysadmin for Hire - email vaserv@gmail.com

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Jun 2002
    Location
    sydney.au
    Posts
    248
    I have a Core 2 Duo at the office, and it kicks serious butt. Even at 1.86GHz, it will mop the floor with the P4 and Dual Xeon. The AMD X2 4000+ is a pretty good chip, but the Core 2 Duo should easily outrun that as well.

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Jun 2004
    Location
    Bay Area
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    1,320
    Thanks for the replies
    I think i'll go with the Core2 Duo then...seems to be the best choice

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Apr 2004
    Posts
    1,834
    The CPU market is just amazingly crazy now with options, which makes giving a recommendation very difficult.

    Used to be only PII, PIII, P4, and Xeons that anybody ever put into a server. Now there could literally be hundreds of options.
    Ray Womack @ atOmicVPS LTD
    Linux & Windows Cloud Hosting Solutions Powered by OnApp
    Fully Managed [Shared][Reseller][Cloud VPS] [Dedicated]
    Featuring the atOmicSTACK ● Speed ● Performance ● Reliability

  6. #6
    Id take the core2 aswell

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Oct 2002
    Location
    In a house
    Posts
    949
    I'm just waiting for the Intel quad cores to be out here shortly. As far as Core 2 Duo's vs. the Woodcrest's, the Woodcrests would outperform them, and the reports I'm hearing about is that the Woodcrests are outperforming the Dual Opterons like the Opterons did to the Xeons. Of course it's only a matter of time before AMD comes back over the top and so on and so forth.

    You mentioned though your only choices are the 5 CPU types, why may I ask is that?
    Matthew McCormick
    Director of Customer Care
    www.caro.net
    mmccormick@carohosting.com

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Apr 2004
    Posts
    1,834
    Quote Originally Posted by PhMatt
    I'm just waiting for the Intel quad cores to be out here shortly.
    What? So your current inventory will be totally renedred worthless by the next latest, and greatest thing? While your next competitor has a new load of cash to spend while you are stuck paying off what you have to make ends meet?

    It's not really a rediculous point, but I think my point is nobody just cannot keep up with dual, quad, cache this, and cache that......I would like to see slower, more progressive development cycles.
    Ray Womack @ atOmicVPS LTD
    Linux & Windows Cloud Hosting Solutions Powered by OnApp
    Fully Managed [Shared][Reseller][Cloud VPS] [Dedicated]
    Featuring the atOmicSTACK ● Speed ● Performance ● Reliability

  9. #9
    Join Date
    Oct 2002
    Location
    In a house
    Posts
    949
    Quote Originally Posted by PSFServers
    What? So your current inventory will be totally renedred worthless by the next latest, and greatest thing? While your next competitor has a new load of cash to spend while you are stuck paying off what you have to make ends meet?

    It's not really a rediculous point, but I think my point is nobody just cannot keep up with dual, quad, cache this, and cache that......I would like to see slower, more progressive development cycles.
    I agree with your point, personally we try not to overstock inventory for those reasons, but the technology advances in both directions as well, and programs get more resource intense as developing countries emerge and internet access becomes faster for all. Luckily a lot of MB MFG's have begun to take things into account so some inventory still will hold for upwards of 2 years or so, but like everything else something better is always just around the corner when it comes to technology.
    Matthew McCormick
    Director of Customer Care
    www.caro.net
    mmccormick@carohosting.com

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