Best way to go??

[steelodon]

I wanted to try virtualization with some hardware I have. I have a 775 setup with 4GB of ram.I was going to use a 771 Xeon dual core that appears to be compatible with the motherboard. I have also found Xeon X3220s for a good price on ebay. I recently got a great deal on an AM3/AM3+ motherboard that could be used in the same manner (maybe). Any suggestions?

 

[dave_the_nerd]

You motherboard will probably prevent you from using certain virtualization features. This will probably get in the way of your learning.

For a cheap test hypervisor, an AMD setup is probably the way to go. Just make sure everything you get supports Vt-d, Vt-x, and the rest of the acronym alphabet.

A used server with a Nehalem-era Xeon or something would probably be ideal, if you're trying to find something cheap and noise isn't an issue.

 

[ArisVer]

I have a 775 setup with 4GB of ram.I was going to use a 771 Xeon dual core that appears to be compatible with the motherboard.

Sockets 775 and 771 are not compatible. You can use a 771 chip in a 775 socket with a modification (the chips are very similar, though they have a 90 degree difference). Check this thread for details if you feel like doing that.

http://forums.anandtech.com/showthread.php?t=2408974&highlight=lga+775+771+mod