Dual core server duel: Xeon vs Opteron benchmark

AMD challenged INTEL to a dual core duel, INTEL is not responding. For that, AMD has given a list of 10 reasons that INTEL won't duel.

For those who like to see an interesting fight, be disappointed. If INTEL does get to the stage, it will get beat up so bloody by AMD, you will shed tears of sympathy for the INTEL folks.

GamePC had a benchmark on the rare to find Paxville DP at 2.8GHZ, and INTEL got punched right and left, left and right.... Paxville had only about half the performance of Opteron in Apache bench.

Now INTEL is readying the dual core Xeon MP 7040, which is dual core for 4 way and up servers. Luckily for us, HP has submitted SPECINT scores for this spanking new INTEL wonder chip.

Here is the summary:

INTEL: 3.0GHz, Intel dual-core Xeon MP 7040, 4 cores, 2 chips, 2 cores/chip , SpecInt rate 57.2

AMD: Opteron (TM) 880, 4 cores, 2 chips, 2 cores/chip , specint_rate 75.1

INTEL: 3.0GHz, Intel dual-core Xeon MP 7040, 8 cores, 4 chips, 2 cores/chip specint rate 105

AMD: Opteron (TM) 880, 8 cores, 4 chips, 2 cores/chip , specint_rate 144

Now the math: (75.1-57.2)/57.2 = 31.3%,
(144-105)/105 = 37.1%


Now, let's look at number crunching speed, the SpecFP_rate scores:

INTEL: ProLiant DL380 G4 (2.8GHz, Intel dual-core Xeon Paxville), 4 cores, 2 chips, 2 cores/chip 40.3

AMD: ProLiant DL385 (AMD Opteron (TM) 280), 4 cores, 2 chips, 2 cores/chip , 74.4

Woops, INTEL dual core is only about half the speed of AMD in number crunching. Looks like INTEL needs at least a 5.16GHZ dual core Xeon to have to same performance of Opteron 280.

Now, if we compare 8 core, specfp_rate scores, INTEL looks tiny.

ProLiant ML570 G3, Xeon MP 7040, 8 cores, 4 chips, 2 cores/chip, SpecFP_rate2000, 48.2

Sun Microsystems, AMD Opteron (TM) 880, 8 cores, 4 chips, 2 cores/chip, SpecFP_rate2000, 153.

4 Xeon MP 7040 dual core is only 30% of 4 Opteron 880 in number crunching speed.

Maybe HP is not good at making Xeon servers? Let's look at IBM's dual core Xeon machine:
IBM eServer xSeries 346 (2.8 GHz dual-core Xeon Paxville, 2MB L2 Cache), SpecInt_rate 59.9, not bad, IBM pushed the score up two points.

AMD home made using offshelf TYAN Thunder K8QSD Pro (S4882-D), AMD Opteron (TM) 280, SpecInt_rate 76.8 .

Actually, the fastest AMD dual core CPUs are the Opteron 285SE and 885SE used in Sun's Galaxy line. The SpecFP_rate is 82 for 4 Opteron 285SE cores. I will update the link when SUN's score is published on spec.org .

Here is a preview of INTEL Dempsey processor performance benchmark.

(I changed the article date to 01/01/2006, as servers with INTEL's new chips won't be available by then)