Nehalem - Core i7 vs Xeon

[spacemonkey]

Regarding the specs table on this page:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nehalem_(microarchitecture)

Could someone please explain the difference between the Xeon W3570 and the Core i7 Extreme 965? The specs seem to be identical.

 

[BRiT]

Support for ECC memory and locked multiplier.

 

[ShaidarHaran]

Qualified for servers/workstation platforms etc...

 

[spacemonkey]

Thank you, thank you.

One more question: in the Core i7's QPI section - does "Unlocked to 6.4 GT/s since release" mean it was unlocked by Intel or by users/overclockers?

 

[Davros]

Qualified for servers/workstation platforms etc...

what exactly does that mean ?

 

[ShaidarHaran]

what exactly does that mean ?

Goes through more rigorous testing, designed to operate in different thermal conditions (often times different TDP).

 

[ShaidarHaran]

Thank you, thank you.

One more question: in the Core i7's QPI section - does "Unlocked to 6.4 GT/s since release" mean it was unlocked by Intel or by users/overclockers?

Intel did it.

 

[bowman]

All the Xeon models are a newer stepping, D0 or something. The first i7s were C0s.

Also as someone already said the Xeons get binned better for lower TDP and power consumption.

 

[BRiT]

The Xeons usually do, but in this case the TDPs are identical and the newer i7s also are stepping D0.

 

[Thorburn]

I BELIEVE the W5580 can hit its top Turbo Mode frequency (3.46GHz) with two cores under load, i7-965 is only for 1 core under load, 3.33GHz with more - thats apparently the case with the X5570 vs. i7-940 anyway.

That and Xeon 5500 parts are dual socket chip, i7's are single socket.

 

[embargiel]

Anybody knows if dual non-server Nehalem system has been announced?

 

[rpg.314]

Mac Pro?

 

[Thorburn]

Intel's S5520SC board is a 'workstation' board, dual processor, 6 memory slots per channel, 2 x PEG slots.

 

[embargiel]

I think Mac Pro is using Xeon Nehalem, which is a server class processor. There is an equivalent of Mac Pro in PC world as well (Xeon 5500 series). I was just wondering if a dual core desktop Nehalem system (Core i7) has been announced.

 

[rpg.314]

To my knowledge, no.

Fudo reported a while ago though that Intel had dropped plans for a nehalem skulltrail.

 

[Thorburn]

Nothing to stop you making your own however, as I said the S5520SC has everything you need for a desktop system and supports CrossFire, but not SLI.

 

[embargiel]

Nothing to stop you making your own however, as I said the S5520SC has everything you need for a desktop system and supports CrossFire, but not SLI.

Yeah, but surely you have to use the 5500 series instead of Core i7 with that motherboard?

 

[Thorburn]

Yeah, but surely you have to use the 5500 series instead of Core i7 with that motherboard?

Yes, but then SkullTrail didn't take LGA775 Core 2 chips either.

 

[Davros]

Nothing to stop you making your own however, as I said the S5520SC has everything you need for a desktop system and supports CrossFire, but not SLI.

I thought nv had now stopped all that nonsense on i7 and later boards?

 

[Thorburn]

On X58 boards you have to pay a fee per board I believe for an 'SLI key' which is inserted in to the BIOS, don't pay and SLI won't work.

I think perhaps Quadro cards don't have this limitation, but desktop cards do.