Re: Thunder k8qw s4881
On Tue, Feb 05, 2008 at 12:44:36AM -0800, Francesco Pietra wrote:
> >From my own subsequent examination, no problem about the Kingston 184 pin DIMM
> memory slots: socket 940 is for these (DDR2 socket AM2).
>
> However, as far as I can understand, series 2xx dual opteron (which are those I
> have) does not fit Thunder k8qw s4881, which requires series 8xx dual opteron.
If it has more than 2 sockets, then it requires 8xx series.
> As I do not understand the difference among 2-way 4-way 8-way servers, are dual
> operon series 2xx absolutely prevented to be assembled in two pairs (4 dual
> opteron sets), shared memory, on a single motherboard? My interest is in a
> workstation for number crushing, no interest in X-system for such a computer,
> nor in raid hardware as I set Debian Linux amd64 raid1 software. Such a
> motherboard should also be compatible with two WD Raptor 150MB for raid1. I am
> saying that because the Thunder K8WE S2895 that I am using proved incompatible
> with two 300GB Maxtor that I first chose (and the reasons were clarified on
> this mailing list).
AMD decided to have different opteron models at different prices for
different markets. So the 1xx series was for single CPU systems, and
are fairly similar to athlon 64 processors, although early opterons used
buffered memory while the athlon 64 does not, but I believe current 1xx
opterons now use unbuffered memory as well.
2xx opterons have more hypertransport links to allow them to connect two
cpus together while connecting to the chipset as well, while the 1xx
opterons only had the one link going to the chipset.
8xx opterons also have more hypertransport links which support
connecting many cpus together. I really have no idea what makes the 2xx
limited to 2 cpus given I always understood it that the 2xx and 8xx both
had 3 hypertransport links, but somehow AMD charges extra money for the
8xx and only the 8xx supports more than 2 CPU sockets in one system (can
be 3, 4, 6 or 8 or whatever you want). Almost certainly it is an
artificial limit just to allow charging extra money for the many cpu
feature versus the single and dual cpu setup.
> Any motherboard that may fit these needs? Or is it worth while to set up a
> cluster with two additional series 2xx dual opteron, possibly in the same box
> that I am using (CS-721 Enermax).
I haven't seen very many cases that was equiped to take two motherboards
in one. It would probably be cheaper to buy two normal cases and build
them completely seperate anyhow.
--
Len Sorensen
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