Server Part Selection

[issaid]

The below systems are to be used for an Apache/MySQL server that gets about 250,000 hits/day. I was originally looking at the Opty 165 and posted earlier today, however, I am now leaning on 2 single core CPU's. I'm not looknig for flaming just what will be better in my situation as I am really getting a headache going over this stuff.
Trying to see what are the advantages of either system. I've seen several Opty vs Xeon benchmarks with AMD killing, but they were with the older 512KB L2 Cache Xeon's. From 2 years ago. How do the new Xeon's step up against the Opteron 244's? In my situation which of the systems is better, they cost about the same amount of money.

And lastly are there any recommendations for a good case for cooling this server?

Heat is a slight concern but not a deciding factor.

WD Raptor 74GB

2x Into Xeon 2.8Ghz(Irwindale)
2GB (2x1GB) PC2-5300 Non-ECC
INT-SE7230NH1 Motherboard

2x Opteron 244
2GB (2x1GB) PC-3200 Non-ECC
TYAN S2875ANRF Motherboard


Thanks,
Ish

 

[Vegito]

I'm a heavy xeon user... newer xeon are still sharing bus... intel are developing their own "hypertransport" like bus.. till then, intel will still be behind...

http://www.infoworld.com/article/04/08/27/35FEamdoptnoc_1.html

As with all Xeons, Nocona?s shared bus is the Achilles? heel of Intel?s architecture. That only gets worse with SMP systems in which multiple CPUs must funnel their data, I/O, addresses, memory access, and interprocessor communication through a single bus and compete for access to a single pool of memory.