Conclusions
I think it's fair to say that the Opteron is a sterling enterprise performer, even based on the limited suite of tests I was able to run. The performance results from my testing tally with other enterprise based evaluations of the platform that you can find elsewhere. It's also fair to say that the majority of the performance comes from a couple of crucial design decisions that AMD made early in the life of the new CPU.The onboard memory controller and L2 cache setup are near perfectly set for extracting maximum performance from whatever operating mode the Opteron happens to be executing code in. Coupled with the fact that the Opteron can execute code in a mixed operating environment with a compatible operating system and they have created the server platform that the enterprise was asking for.
A cheap, high performance platform for server deployment running x86 code with 64-bit capabilities. AMD have delivered. Class leading 32-bit performance seems a most welcome by-product.
Price performance lets the Opteron down in terms of the CPU's on test. The small cache 3.06 Xeon is a fair bit cheaper for wholesale retail than a boxed 244 Opteron, at least in the UK.
Armari's price list for the configured systems bears this out, with the 512KB 3.06 equipped MS-9206-R coming in a few hundred pounds cheaper than the 244 equipped RM-O64-1A. The 246 version opens up the gap even further.
However, the Opteron's 64-bit advantage in the enterprise makes the price difference look cheap, especially compared to a box from someone like Sun Microsystems or an Itanium machine from HP. Putting Opteron class performance in a 1U rack chassis is something neither vendor can remotely do for the same money.
You need to evaluate Opteron in context to see its advantages and from the right point of view, it has no equal. You may be able to put more power per 1U in a rack with Intel just now, but that's just 32-bit power. For the enterprise, you can see why Opteron has scored more than a few key OEM and design wins from major vendors.
It's clear that 64-bit software will dictate the success of Opteron in the long term, but I think they can be confident of getting developer support. I look forward to future iterations of the processor, especially in an environment such as provided by Armari.
I can't put a score on things in the traditional sense of rating a processor, that will come with other articles, but I can put a score on the Armari platforms.
It was my first experience with 1U rack systems and it was a pleasure. Even with everything cramped inside such a shallow case, working on them with the lid off was very simple. I can appreciate why this form factor is so popular, the amount of computing power that can be crammed in to a full rack is astonishing today.
Given the cost of these first 64-bit x86 systems, the form factor, the configured operating system and Armari's excellent support (I had many questions, all answered promptly), I can see why they are in demand. The Xeon system impressed too, with good price performance, the advantages of HyperThreading in a server situation (it was responsible for the good showing in the webserver test) and again, the advantages of the 1U form factor.
Depending on your computing needs, either system will look immediately attractive and I'm happy to point people in Armari's direction. Their clustered HPC setups are very impressive.
A good first showing for AMD's new baby and one they can be proud of.
Thanks
Armari for supporting us with the test evaluation servers and the excellent supportGoogle for everything else
Notes
There's a hundred and one things to cover in an article on machines like this, things I simply couldn't get round to. Commentary on noise, CPU packaging, performance with more applications, more focus on the motherboards, the list is endless. It would have been too easy to focus on the CPU's too, I hope you instead enjoyed the article as a look at the platform as a whole, with the discussion on the ISA and HyperTransport in particular a nice point for the writer and hopefully reader. I wasn't interested in "this CPU is better than this one" commentary, I hope you agree with my decision.Buy these products :: Opteron Motherboards :: Athlon 64 CPUs :: AMD Opteron CPUs ::
