AnandTech: Intel Woodcrest, AMD's Opteron and Sun's UltraSparc T1: Server CPU Shoot-out
In summary:
Intel Xeon 5160 (Woodcrest)
Advantages:
Best server performance across all applications
Best Performance/Watt in the high end
Absolutely stunning web server performance
FB-DIMM enables high RAM capacity and bandwidth (quad channel)
Disadvantages:
Needs SSE optimized code for some special case code (RSA, AES)
FB-DIMM adds extra latency, cost (small) and power
UltraSparc T1 / Sun T2000
Advantages:
Superb SSL performance
Excellent Performance/Watt with SSL and Java code
Solaris, a robust and well scaling OS
Quad channel enables high RAM capacity
Disadvantages:
Heavy optimizing is necessary; out of box software performance is low
Low single threaded performance; also results in low performance in server software that scales badly
Price/Performance compared to Woodcrest
AMD Opteron
Advantages:
Well rounded CPU: performs well even with non optimized code; still excellent MySQL server results
Excellent Quad socket platform
Does not need FB-DIMM for high capacity thanks to NUMA
Disadvantages:
Web server performance compared to Woodcrest
Power at higher clockspeeds (110 W vs. 80 W)
DDR2 offers lower latency, less power and less cost (for now)
In summary:
Intel Xeon 5160 (Woodcrest)
Advantages:
Best server performance across all applications
Best Performance/Watt in the high end
Absolutely stunning web server performance
FB-DIMM enables high RAM capacity and bandwidth (quad channel)
Disadvantages:
Needs SSE optimized code for some special case code (RSA, AES)
FB-DIMM adds extra latency, cost (small) and power
UltraSparc T1 / Sun T2000
Advantages:
Superb SSL performance
Excellent Performance/Watt with SSL and Java code
Solaris, a robust and well scaling OS
Quad channel enables high RAM capacity
Disadvantages:
Heavy optimizing is necessary; out of box software performance is low
Low single threaded performance; also results in low performance in server software that scales badly
Price/Performance compared to Woodcrest
AMD Opteron
Advantages:
Well rounded CPU: performs well even with non optimized code; still excellent MySQL server results
Excellent Quad socket platform
Does not need FB-DIMM for high capacity thanks to NUMA
Disadvantages:
Web server performance compared to Woodcrest
Power at higher clockspeeds (110 W vs. 80 W)
DDR2 offers lower latency, less power and less cost (for now)