What CPU to choose?
Dear lazyweb,
for my soon-to-be ex-job I need a single core CPU for some mathematical optimization software that is licensed per core. We have a single core license and therefore a single core or a dual core would be sufficient. The CPU should have as much power as possible with as mach L2 cache as possible and it should be 64bit. 19" rack equipment (1 RU) would be nice.
Any suggestions for the hardware?
Thank you for your answer.
IBMs Power series already came to my mind as well. The application in question (namely Cplex, see http://www.ilog.com/products/cplex/product/platforms.cfm for supported archs/OS) would support this. And it would mean another OS to maintenance here. Nearly everything else is based on Debian in the company.
So I guess it'll be some x86_64 based CPU (Xeon) with >3 GHz and as fast RAM speed as possible (FSB 1333 or 1600 MHz) and as much L2 Cache as possible (6 MB).
It would be nice if someone could clarify whether a less expensive vendor like Dell is competitive in regards of performance to other vendors like IBM or HP?
Is the inference that only an x86 arch part will do, that seems to have been generally taken, one that you intended people to take? If not, I'd have a look at IBM's power series, allthough I suspect their power:price ratio is quite a bit off the level achieved by commodity x86 devices. I would guess that the instructions per clock would be noticeably better, though.
Assuming that you want x86, I think I'd prefer Intel over AMD at this point. Well, unless power consumption is a big factor, then I might be prepared to reconsider.
With Intel, their new range of Nehalem parts is due out soon, but I suspect you want to do something more 'now' than waiting for a Nehalem part would imply. And, suspect, in this kind of app (where multiple cores are not fighting for bandwidth out to memory) Nehalem will only be ~5% better in instructions per clock than exeisting parts (if that wasn't the case, it might just get closer to ~15%, based on the few bechmarks available at this point). And a 5% ipc wouldn't make up for the cost, if that's a factor.
Sorry, yes, I'm looking for a complete server (19", 1 RU). Something like PowerEdge R200, but that one seems to be available with "just" a Dual Core Xeon E3110, 3.00GHz, 6MB Cache, 1333MHz FSB only.
I don't know whether the E3110 is significantly slower than the E8x00 which are recommended in other comments.
E8x00 family CPUs seem only be available for desktop machine from the Dell website...
An Intel Core2 DUO E8600 3,33Ghz 6MB cache (If price matters a lot you could go for a E8400/E8500).
On the AMD side you can get an AMD Athlon64 X2 3,2 Ghz 2MB cache for roughly the price of an E8400 - but you'll probably be better off with Intel at the moment.
Your question isn't entirely clear - do you want only a CPU, or an entire server?
Single-core chips are pretty much dead now as far as new servers go - Dell's absolute cheapest server is dual core, for example.
Intel chips are much faster for floating point maths, and their current chips are also more cache-heavy. Gnerally speaking, Dell's cheapest machine is the closes to a server with the cpu you want you're likely to find easily.
The intel Core 2 duo E8500 is the way to go then. Its the fastest X86_64 dual core to date.
Assuming Intel has still the fastest (and most expensive) CPUs I'd choose one of this ;-)
Cheaper vendors will be no slower
And right now, Intel stomps on AMD for floating point performance.