HP Xw9400 Comparison of the xw9400 and the xw9300 architectures - Page 1

Mini White Paper HP Workstations Comparison of the xw9400 and the xw9300 architectures Introduction: The xw9400 is the successor of the HP xw9300 dual processor personal workstation. Its architecture introduces several key differences. The most significant of these are the processor type, memory technology, I/O slots, and the on- board I/O interfaces. Processor Technology: The xw9400 supports the AMD Opteron 2000 processors. Compared to the xw9300's Opteron 200 processors, the 2000 series features shorter internal core latencies, additional virtualization and security features, higher clock frequencies over time, and upgradeability to quad-core processors. Two Hyper-Transport links connect the processors on the xw9400, in contrast to one on the xw9300. Although the peak aggregate data bandwidth is still 8GB/s like on the xw9300(1), performance tests have demonstrated gains of up to 30%. The largest gains have been measured in cases typical of applications with combined heavy I/O and memory activities, like many DCC applications. Bypass Board: This small board fits into the 2nd processor socket and connects the 1st processor to the nVidia Pro 3050 chipset, via one HT link. Unlike the xw9300, the xw9400 still enjoys all its I/O slots in a UP configuration. It is installed by default in the factory for UP systems. Memory Technology: Although still ECC protected and registered, the xw9400's DIMMs are based on the newer DDR2 technology. The advantages of DDR2 include a faster data transfer rate at 667MT/s. This results into a maximum bandwidth of 10.6GB/s per processor, a whopping 65% improvement over the xw9300's DDR1400 technology. The xw9400 introduces as well a new, additional, memory protection mechanism against data corruption by providing and checking parity over the command and address signals between the processors and each DIMM. The xw9400's DIMMs are consequently referred to as "DDR2-667 Address/Command parity, ECC, Registered" DIMMs. The maximum supported memory size is doubling to 64GB, with 8GB DIMMs. Also, open page latency on xw9400, as measured from the processor core, decreased from around 60ns to 50ns thanks to memory and processor timing optimizations. Graphics: In most configurations, the xw9400 supports two full 150W graphics cards, versus two 110W cards on xw9300. Cooling in the PCI slot area has also been improved. I/O Slots: The xw9400 has a total of 7 Graphics and I/O slots, while the xw9300 has 6. Two additional PCIe x8 slots (x16 mechanical) on the xw9400 provide an abundance of I/O bandwidth for high speed I/O cards. The availability of 4 PCIe x16 slots provides an unprecedented level of flexibility to the end user, allowing Graphics and I/O cards to be located in the most optimized position from a bandwidth efficiency standpoint. Other Differences: The number of SATA-II ports on xw9400 has been increased to 6, 2 internal USB ports allow locked-in devices like license keys, and 2 on-board LAN ports are now available. 8 SAS ports replace the xw9300's on-board U320 SCSI. The 800W power supply provides support for heavier system configurations. Summary: HP offers with the xw9400 the highest performance dual socket CPUs from AMD, combined with an unprecedented amount of I/O bandwidth in a desktop workstation. The xw9400 carries forward the value proposition pioneered by the xw9300, that brought powerful processors and large memory configurations coupled with SLI Graphics technology to the workstation market. By supporting even larger memory configurations, providing an unprecedented number of high-speed Graphics and I/O slots, and through sound design engineering, the xw9400 provides the horsepower for our end users to break through their ever more challenging tasks. (1) refer to the "xw9400 Core Architecture" mini white paper for more information © 2006 Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. The information contained herein is subject to change without notice. HP shall not be liable for technical or editorial errors or omissions contained herein. 06/2006