Dual Core Intel® Pentium® D 940 3.2 vs Single Intel® Xeon? 3.2

[cablestrife]

Greetings,

Dual Core Intel® Pentium® D 940, 3.2GHz, 2X2MB Cache, 800MHz FSB
vs
Single Intel® Xeon? processor, 3.2GHz, 2MB Cache, 800MHz FSB

We are looking to purchase a computer that would execute batch processing tasks. Stuff that normally is not very processor intensive - but when you have 15 or 20 of these processes running at the same time on a single box the processor tacks out yet things are still moving along pretty smoothly. Most likely to be on a 32-bit Windows OS...

Which one wins in processing power for this type of task? I have heard that a slightly downgrade dual core processor would beat a single chip of slightly higher quality. Is this the case here?

So my thoughts (which I reserve the right to be 100% wrong) is that the dual core would provide more power to execute so many tasks at the same time vs a single xeon chip of the same specs - am I correct?

Thanks!

 

[zsdersw]

The dual core processor should be faster, yes.. although the processor itself isn't the only thing to be concerned about. The motherboard and chipset make a significant difference too.. not to mention what kind of HDD's you're using.

 

[cablestrife]

Understood - the main reason I singled out the processor as with this new computer purchase from Dell - the other computer parts involved all line up in the same ballpark.

If anyone else can provide their answer with more detailed info it would be appreciated as well!

Thanks!

 

[cablestrife]

Bump - can anyone provide some more detailed insight?

 

[theteamaqua]

pentium D 930 can easily do say ... 4.3, 4.4GHz ... 940 can only be better

 

[dguy6789]

You are comparing a single core Xeon with a dual core Pentium D of the same clock. In single task application, both should perform identically. However, the more applications you run in parallel, the more the Pentium D will pull ahead. I do not know how well the processors would do on your applications specifically, but I can tell you that the difference between dual core and single core is like night and day if you are doing some serious multitasking.

To say it simply, if you can afford a dual core, you have no reason to ever buy a single core.

 

[Cheex]

It would be better to go Dual Core....simply.

 

[cablestrife]

Greetings,

Thanks guys for the info - exactly what I was looking for to re-enforce my initial thoughts! I am doing some serious multitasking so that is the avenue I plan to take.

I have read the Pentium 930 D chips can be easily overclocked with stock fans/equipment - I have never overclocked a processor before. Is this one of those things deemed "risky" but everyone and their mom does it and never really has a problem? Would it be silly not to overclock the chip 1Ghz since I read so many reports saying this is easily obtainable? What are the repercussions? I have always heard the answer "welll you are doing something with the chip it was not designed for - so problems may loom" - this is too ambiguous for me to determine if that means I am guaranteed a chip burning up in 6 months or it means in year 4 of the computer's life I -might- have a real problem due to overclocking.

Just curious - again thanks for your info!!

 

[dguy6789]

Overclocking the Pentium D is up for much debate. I will provide some help with you on the subject. Yes, you can overclock the Pentium Ds on the stock cooler, but full 1Ghz overclocks are not as easy as some will say. You would probably need a new cpu cooler to get a 1Ghz overclock.(As well as an absolutely awesome mainboard) Also, be sure you have a decent power supply, as those Pentium Ds can have a serious power draw. There is a certain risk factor involved, but nowadays, it is very rare to kill your processor from overclocking. However, overclocking will likely shorten the life of your processor, but not by a significant margin.

If you want to play on the safe side, try overclocking without changing any voltages. This should allow you to have some fun while having next to no risk in damage. Simply up the FSB a bit, save the setting in the bios, and reboot. If it posts, great, time to do some stability testing. If it does not post, simply turn your pc off, unplug the power cord, and switch the clear cmos jumper on and off.

I would suggest that since you have never overclocked a processor before, that you run it at stock for the time being. Stay on these forums, read, and ask questions. You will learn all you need to learn. Keep reading until you feel confident in your overall knowledge.

Do not fear ridicule from asking questions. The only stupid question is the one not asked. Ask any question you may have.