On 2/28/2011 2:14 AM, Bohdan Tashchuk wrote:
Here's how Intel does product differentiation:
If the product is an "iN" something or other (e.g.
i3/i5/i7 or the
like), regardless of the underlying architecture, the
memory controller
DOES NOT support ECC.
If the product is labeled "Xeon" something or other,
it DOES support ECC.
To keep beating a dead horse, it is possible to get ECC in an Intel iN
processor. Here, for example, is a PDF from Intel with some details
http://download.intel.com/pressroom/kits/embedded/pdfs/Core_i5-660_Corei3-540.pdf
The relevant quote is " Error correcting code (ECC) memory is supported on both
processors when paired with the Intel 3450 chipset."
So what's happening is that Intel wants everyone to think they must have a Xeon
to get ECC, but there are at least two Intel iN processors that support it. Of
course you need a corresponding motherboard to take advantage of ECC.
I'm not sure of the practical value of the above, since, seeing as Sandy Bridge
stuff is either here or right around the corner, it would probably make sense
to see how Intel's Sandy Bridge ECC strategy settles out. From links previously
posted here, it looks like ECC will be much more widely supported on the new iN
chips w/o requiring a Xeon branding.
And, yet, according to ark.intel.com (which, tends to be authoritative
on their shipping products), there are *exactly TWO* "desktop"
processors that can support ECC. Both are Celerons, neither are iN,
both are older, and really, both are embedded-only products. There are
several iN processors that support ECC, but they're all the "mobile"
version (which Intel also sells to the embedded market).
http://ark.intel.com/MySearch.aspx?s=t&ECCMemory=true
The "mobile" products are useless for this discussion, since you're not
going to find any sort of a motherboard that will take them. That is,
until you pay so much for the mobile/embedded motherboard that you
should have just gotten a Xeon/standard motherboard. Everything else is
a Xeon. And I can't see any reason (or have any indication) for Intel
to change its tune.
In fact, the exact opposite. Many review sites are commenting on the
fact that the SandyBridge chips have several new features (extra Turbo,
lower power modes, etc), and Intel is doing product differentiation on
these features, too. It seems as though if an Intel chip has M
features, Intel will produce a full M! combination of different models.
The reviewers were (in my view rightly) complaining that it's now very
hard as a consumer to pick the right CPU model, because figuring out
which features are in which CPU is completely non-obvious. And, for
better or worse, for desktop/server use, ECC goes only with the Xeon brand.
--
Erik Trimble
Java System Support
Mailstop: usca22-123
Phone: x17195
Santa Clara, CA
_______________________________________________
opensolaris-discuss mailing list
opensolaris-discuss@opensolaris.org
