IMHO the driving force behind all this multi-core CPU development has been nothing to do with desktop\workstation performance or applications. Illusrated by the lack of multi-core aware applications for desktop computing. It is about virtualisation.
How about shoving some of these bad boys in an ESX server and doing some VM benchmarking as i suspect that is the area Intel will be shipping most of these (initially at least)?
I was excited to see The Register have these amazing new CPUs in for real world testing. But anyone with at least £4000 spare to buy a complete system would not be buying it to play games. Most buyers will want to do grown-up business things like run databases or virtual machines.
Please run your tests again to show transaction I/O/sec and other useful benchmarks that reflect what the vast majority of people will be using the new Xeon 55xx CPUs for. Pretty please? Thanks.
We already know what these processors can do with desktop apps and games. The info in this article is irrelevant to just about everyone. Only a small small number of people will use dual nehalem systems for the desktop.
How about a test using real enterprise or professional software? Things like RDMS's, HPC apps, web apps, java middleware, professional rendering apps and engineering/CAD/CAM apps!
Two things I noticed, the 3D Professor review reports a main memory latency of only 65ns for 12GB RAM. And that the 3D Studio Underwater benchmark normaly takes 75 minutes, their review PC did it in ~35 minutes. Sounds fast to me!
I hope El Reg doesn't object but Anandtech have published a very thorough review of this new CPU when used in a real business environment. For example, running MS SQL it will be 7x faster than a 3 year old Xeon server that you might be wanting to replace.
An estimated 50% of the new server market is for running VMs. A server with dual X5570 CPUs runs neck and neck on a VMWare benchmark to a server with *quad* CPUs from last generation's Xeons. It's performance as a workhorse is breathtaking. Link: http://it.anandtech.com/IT/showdoc.aspx?i=3536
Intel Core i7 I7-920 Quad Core Processor (2.66GHz, 4x256kB, 4.8GT/s QPI, LGA 1336 Socket B)
AMD Phenom II X4 965 Black Edition Quad Core Processor (3.4GHz, 6MB L3 Cache, 4x512KB L2 Cache, 2000 MHz Bus, Socket AM3)
Asus P7P55D Motherboard (Intel Socket H LGA1156, P55 Express, ATX, 16GB DDR3)
Intel Core i5 750 Qaud Core Processor (2.66GHz, 8MB L3 Cache, 2.5 GT/s Bus, Socket H LGA1156)
Asus M4A785TD-V EVO AMD 785G/SB710 Socket AM3 ATX Motherboard
Intel 'Nehalem' Xeon 5500 series
Rik Hemsley
These are server processors #
Posted Wednesday 1st April 2009 12:36 GMT
Why are you reviewing server processors using desktop apps?
david
V #
Posted Wednesday 1st April 2009 13:13 GMT
IMHO the driving force behind all this multi-core CPU development has been nothing to do with desktop\workstation performance or applications. Illusrated by the lack of multi-core aware applications for desktop computing. It is about virtualisation.
How about shoving some of these bad boys in an ESX server and doing some VM benchmarking as i suspect that is the area Intel will be shipping most of these (initially at least)?
Paris - because she likes her bad boys....
Hombre sin nombre
HD 4890 eh? #
Posted Wednesday 1st April 2009 13:13 GMT
Not so unannounced anymore.
Gary F
Please run business tests, not children's tests #
Posted Wednesday 1st April 2009 14:01 GMT
I was excited to see The Register have these amazing new CPUs in for real world testing. But anyone with at least £4000 spare to buy a complete system would not be buying it to play games. Most buyers will want to do grown-up business things like run databases or virtual machines.
Please run your tests again to show transaction I/O/sec and other useful benchmarks that reflect what the vast majority of people will be using the new Xeon 55xx CPUs for. Pretty please? Thanks.
RichardB
+1 for the bandwagon #
Posted Wednesday 1st April 2009 15:39 GMT
Server apps please!
SQL Server for a start - but any other RDBMS would be a good place to begin.
E
Adding my voice. #
Posted Wednesday 1st April 2009 21:56 GMT
We already know what these processors can do with desktop apps and games. The info in this article is irrelevant to just about everyone. Only a small small number of people will use dual nehalem systems for the desktop.
How about a test using real enterprise or professional software? Things like RDMS's, HPC apps, web apps, java middleware, professional rendering apps and engineering/CAD/CAM apps!
Pad
Another review... #
Posted Wednesday 1st April 2009 22:10 GMT
Hello,
3D Professor has a workstation review of these Xeons that people may find interesting.
http://www.3dprofessor.org/Reviews%20Folder%20Pages/EP/EP0.htm
Two things I noticed, the 3D Professor review reports a main memory latency of only 65ns for 12GB RAM. And that the 3D Studio Underwater benchmark normaly takes 75 minutes, their review PC did it in ~35 minutes. Sounds fast to me!
Gary F
Found some real server benchmarks #
Posted Wednesday 1st April 2009 22:10 GMT
I hope El Reg doesn't object but Anandtech have published a very thorough review of this new CPU when used in a real business environment. For example, running MS SQL it will be 7x faster than a 3 year old Xeon server that you might be wanting to replace.
An estimated 50% of the new server market is for running VMs. A server with dual X5570 CPUs runs neck and neck on a VMWare benchmark to a server with *quad* CPUs from last generation's Xeons. It's performance as a workhorse is breathtaking. Link: http://it.anandtech.com/IT/showdoc.aspx?i=3536
Goat Jam
Ummm FAIL #
Posted Thursday 2nd April 2009 09:15 GMT
So, you run a bunch of tests that
1) Can't actually test the performance of the kit
2) Is not actually relevant to the intended uses of the kit
3) Despite points 1 and 2, declare the performance as breathtaking.
If you MUST do video compression testing on multi-core CPU's, then at least endeavour to use software that, you know, can utilise multiple cores.
DVDRIP on linux springs to mind.
edward wright
Pounds, dollars #
Posted Thursday 2nd April 2009 19:16 GMT
Is the X5550 really £958 and not $958? :)
Steve because he shipped them 1st.
Anonymous Coward
Impressive test results #
Posted Thursday 2nd April 2009 19:16 GMT
http://www.finextra.com/fullstory.asp?id=19858
Anonymous Coward
@ "Not desktop" #
Posted Thursday 2nd April 2009 23:01 GMT
Odd. The MacPro, containing a pair of these mofos, looks a lot like a desktop to me.
All we need to do is get shot of that 'orrible OSX...
Anonymous Coward
benchmarks #
Posted Tuesday 7th April 2009 20:02 GMT
how about php/webserver tasks and database tasks vs a similar spec xeon 5400.