At 05:17 AM 4/1/2000, G. P. Miller wrote:
>I intend to build a dual-processor workstation. It will be
>a dual OS machine running Both Linux and NT or Linux and BE
>as well as Adobe Photoshop and other more esoteric graphics
>programs that will effectively utilize the dual-processor
>architecture. I notice that the new Xeons are manufactured
>with a 256K L2 cache instead of the 512k cache that was
>standard on the older Xeons. This, of course, has cut their
>price in half. Bearing this in mind, is there still a
>significant performance advantage in purchasing a pair of
>Xeons instead of comparably paced Coppermines? In other words,
>are their other features of the GX chipset which engender
>greater speed and "load-bearing" qualities now that the L2
>cache part of the equation is equal?...


Other than the obvious difference that the two
come in different packages, the main difference
is that you can use Xeons in four (some models up
to eight) way SMP (Symmetric MultiProcessor) systems
whereas Pentium III processors are limited to two way
multiprocessing.

I have no experience with Xeons but have heard it said
that they are no better than Pentium III processors
when used in dual processor systems.

You can compare these processor types yourself at
<http://www.intel.com/design/processor/>, in particular at
<http://www.intel.com/design/pentiumIII/xeon/prodbref/> and
<http://www.intel.com/design/PentiumIII/prodbref/>.

I do find it ominous that the 1000 MHz. Pentium III
is not SMP capable. On the other hand, there are some
Xeons that are limited to dual processor capability.

Don't forget that you will pay much more for a dual
Xeon capable motherboard than for a dual PIII motherboard.

Regards,
Bill

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