Hello to all ! I have a question about servers? Can I install a very productive (professional or gaming) videocard into a superserver motherboard? 2. Superserver motherboard how many Xeons can be installed into the most powerful server motherboard? And two or more videocards (like a ATI FireGL or Nvidia Geforce 8 series .)? If yes, SLI mode is supported? Thanks.
Very, very few server and workstation-class motherboards support SLI or Crossfire, which are targeted at gamers. While multiple cards are supported, it's typically for multi-monitor support. In many 2 way (2 physical CPUs) motherboards, PCIe x16 (and in the past AGP) slots are available. However, when you get into 4 or 8-way, you're typically SOL on that, and there are no 4- or 8-way boards that can do SLI or Crossfire. Ultimately, the expansion you can get depends on the particular motherboard. If it has the slot that the card requires, you should be able to use it. However, I would not bank on many motherboards in this class supporting SLI or Crossfire. Last I knew, SLI was slim and none, and Crossfire was non-existant. I'd hit up 2CPU's forums and check that info out.
Thanks for reply. I read about SLI support on Opteron motherboards. What about Xeon's? And I am interesting about Nvidia QuadroFX . Can it be usable for Xeon's platform as a GPU for modelling. So if I understand you , it mean that I can install 2 PCI Express videocards into Xeon's motherboard , but not 4 or more videoaccelerators. Thanks.
Well, the Opteron motherboards that do have any SLI support are based on nForce Professional chipsets. Xeon's, on the other hand, run Intel or Serverworks chipsets. nVidia currently limits SLI to only their chipsets that have been made for SLI. As far as the number of video cards or accelerators, the only limitation is what kind of expansion slot they use and how many are available. This is separate from SLI or Crossfire support. You can use a Quadro on a Xeon board just fine. Two is also possible, SLI is not. Even then, from what I've heard, SLI doesn't benefit Quadro's in 3D modeling, where precision is key rather than speed. SLI targets speed, which is fine for gaming, but not in precision work if its hindering it.
Thanks. Intel motherboards for home PC have SLI , but server motherboards haven't , right? . So what is more powerful , server Xeon or usual PC with Core 2 for ?? 1. 3D modelling. 2. Gaming. 3. Difficult mathemathics ops. Could you please answer ? P.S. What is SOL? Thanks. ~Dual S771 Slots supporting Intel Xeon 64 bit Processors! ~Intel® 5000P chipset with SLI ~Dual Channel DDR2-533/667 ECC ~2 PCIe X16 Slots, 1 PCIe X8 Slot, 2 PCI-X Slots, 1 PCI 32bit Slot ~RealTek ALC888 controller (High-Def. Audio) ~Dual 10/100/1000 Gigabit Ethernet ~Integrated SAS Controller w/ 8 Ports; Six USB 2.0 ports; One 9-pin 16550 UART serial port; PS/2 mouse and keyboard connectors; Six standard SATA connectors Does it means Intel chipset with SLI?
Intel releases Xeon's that are based off the same design as their current desktop chip line, in this case, Core 2. What Xeon's add are multi-processor support and typically larger L2 caches. Sometimes an L3 cache is added. So, for questions 1-3, for a single Xeon vs a single Core 2, the performance is about the same. Unless you're looking to run multiple processors, Core 2 is just as good as a Xeon. However, if you're looking for more CPU power, then you'll need to look at Xeon's. The 5100 and 5300 series are the current batch that Intel shares the design with the Core 2's. SOL=Shit Outta Luck What motherboard are you referencing? Link? Last I had checked, you couldn't get an Intel board with SLI, but I typically don't follow server boards as much.
