Mobo for Server, P4 vs Xeon

[b4u]

Hi,

I'm looking into some hardware specs to create a small server computer.

I've found the Asus P5WDG2 WS Professional mobo, that was pointed out to me that could receive a Intel XEON 3070 2.66GHz processor, but given the specs at the site:

Intel® Quad-core CPU Ready
LGA775 socket for Intel® Pentium Processor Extreme Edition / Pentium D / Pentium 4 / Celeron CPU
Support Intel 65nm, Core?2 Extreme / Core?2 Duo
Compatible with Intel 06B, 05B/ 05A and 04B/04A processors
Intel EM64T and Hyper-Threading Technology ready
* Please update the latest BIOS to support Intel Quad-core CPU


I have some (basic) questions:

1# Is the Xeon processor considered as a Core2 Duo? So is the Pentium4 Dual Core the specified Pentium D?

2# What would I benefict from going to a Xeon instead of a P4 Dual Core? Aren't the Xeons Pentium 4 Dual with more cache or something like that?


Thanks

 

[willtriv]

Xeons are more efficient with heat and can support ecc ram. P4-D doesnt handle either of those well. Both require a lot of power. Asus server boards are teh suck, I have one. I don't know about all models but from the 2 I've experienced and horror stories of their rma and lack of updates for server mobos. If you need super awesome reliability go with supermicro or tyan. If you can manage on a p4, get an intel made board with solid state caps or even any really solid brand with solid state caps.

 

[b4u]

* bump for more opinions *

Thanks

 

[TerryMathews]

Originally posted by: willtriv
Xeons are more efficient with heat and can support ecc ram. P4-D doesnt handle either of those well. Both require a lot of power. Asus server boards are teh suck, I have one. I don't know about all models but from the 2 I've experienced and horror stories of their rma and lack of updates for server mobos. If you need super awesome reliability go with supermicro or tyan. If you can manage on a p4, get an intel made board with solid state caps or even any really solid brand with solid state caps.

Denied. Xeons are P4s or Core 2s, Intel just segregates the product lines to raise the price on Xeons artificially.

Xeons typically come out of the better parts of the silicon wafer, just like the AMD Opterons, so they do run a little cooler, but it's not noticable unless you start overclocking.

Now I will grant you that the chipsets typically used with Xeons support more RAM and support ECC, but that's a function of the chipset and not the processor. Case in point is the Xeon 3070 and the board the OP is looking at. It's a Xeon 'designed' (read packaged) to work in a LGA775 socket. It's going to have the same memory limitations that a Pentium D would in the same board.

To the OP: Is there a reason you're building with server-grade hardware? There's nothing keeping you from running regular consumer-grade hardware for your mini-server.

 

[b4u]

Originally posted by: TerryMathews
To the OP: Is there a reason you're building with server-grade hardware? There's nothing keeping you from running regular consumer-grade hardware for your mini-server.

There is no reason to run a specific hardware to this server, but to get a more robust system. I mean, originally I don't think that would be needed, since in this day I have a regular P3 with 256Mb Ram computer running a Win2000 Server system, and is running fine, no complains ... 3 years running 24/7.

But that was a regular desktop system I used for the job, it was not purchased for that job, although it ran quite happily.

Now I'm looking to buy a new server, so I'm looking to best-spend my budget on it, and I'm only thinking Xeon because I was always told that it would be best for the job ...

So should I just check out for regular P4 Dual Core systems?

I'm bought 4 P4 1Gb systems for the office, now I'm looking for a server ... so a P4 2Gb Ram with 2 disks for RAID1 or 4 disks for RAID10 would be a best choice?

 

[DaveSimmons]

A P4 will work, but a Core 2 will run much cooler and much faster.

A good desktop board will work fine. Unless you need > 4 GB RAM, ECC or PCI-X (not just PCI-E) there isn't much reason to buy server parts instead of desktop.

 

[TerryMathews]

Originally posted by: b4u
I'm bought 4 P4 1Gb systems for the office, now I'm looking for a server ... so a P4 2Gb Ram with 2 disks for RAID1 or 4 disks for RAID10 would be a best choice?

Depends. Is someone going to use the server, or is it just going to sit there 'serving'? If it's only a server and not a server/workstation, I think you're wayyy overbuying on CPU power.

If it were me looking at that task, I'd be looking at the Core Solo-based Celerons. A file server just doesn't need much in the way of CPU power. You could probably even buy yourself into a CPU slow enough to get by on a passive heatsink and greatly increase the machine's MTBF.