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Non-Parallax Q: Second CPU for Dell Xeon PC — Parallax Forums

Non-Parallax Q: Second CPU for Dell Xeon PC

GordonMcCombGordonMcComb Posts: 3,366
edited 2014-06-21 13:46 in General Discussion
So, I picked up a refurbished Dell T5500 yesterday. It will be replacing my development machine that I use for all my writin' and codin', which I've had since 1932 (okay, 2006, but that's still a very old machine). The refurbisher put on Win 7, and upped the RAM to 12GB.

The system supports a second Xeon CPU. These can be purchased on eBay or Amazon for about $150. But this thing is, Dell provides NO (nada, zero, nuttin') online help on what's involved. I get that it's just a plug-in, but what else is needed? BIOS settings? Reinstall of Windows? No issue on the first, but a big "ugg" for the second.

The product looks like this. This one includes the CPU and RAM.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Dell-Precision-T5500-2nd-Processor-Memory-Riser-with-12gb-and-E5520-SLBFD-CPU-/291132527698?pt=US_Server_Boards&hash=item43c8d9d452

Does anyone have a similar Dell machine that has experience with this? The above listing has a Xeon E5520, and mine is a (slightly faster) X5570, but I *think* they're compatible when used on the same motherboard. But then again, I've been wrong once before.

Comments

  • RDL2004RDL2004 Posts: 2,554
    edited 2014-06-20 13:54
    I don't know what you would actually have to do but the processor you have is roughly equivalent to a i3 of the same clock speed. I doubt you would see a huge improvement adding a second processor. Dual processors on server are (I believe) mainly used to serve additional users on a network.

    If you decide to try and add second processor it doesn't seem like it should take more than a bios change and maybe new chipset drivers.However, it is a Dell and they are infamous for doing proprietary and non-standard things when it comes to their machines.

    If the chipset drivers have to be updated it would be a good idea, though maybe not necessary, to reinstall Windows. That's a bit of a pain but not that difficult really.
  • Heater.Heater. Posts: 21,230
    edited 2014-06-20 14:08
    Gordon,


    I have no idea. But firstly it seems to me a machine from 2006 is not much slower than what you can get today. Moores law has been taking a bashing in that time and things have not moved as fast as they used to. Heck, my main machine at home is an ancient AMD 64, with it's latest upgrade of a cheapo graphics card for OpenGL work and an SSD it does everything admirably.


    If it were me I would just throw that chip into the socket and see what happens. Plug'n'play right?


    I'd expect to tweak some BIOS settings perhaps. If Windows does not run I'm sure Linux will.


    As mentioned, a second processor, or multiple crores does not help much. I guess those big compilations can be spread over a few cores for a bit of a boost.
  • GordonMcCombGordonMcComb Posts: 3,366
    edited 2014-06-20 16:04
    Thanks for the feedback.

    It's not so much the clock speed but the number of cores and the architecture. My 2006 machine is infernally slow with its Pentium 4 chip.

    Though I didn't note it, one of the things I do now is graphics rendering of 3D CAD and video, and the number (and architecture) of cores comes into play with the apps I use. Luxrender, which is an unbiased photorealistic renderer, is a snail with anything less than 6 or 8 cores. Fortunately, it can network with other machines, and use more cores. Though OpenGL hardware acceleration is used in all of these, it's limited to screen output only. When rendering high-def to a file almost all of these prefer software-centric renderers. Otherwise it's a half day just going through and modifying all the shaders so they can work with the GPU and not give odd artifacts.

    In off-the-cuff benchmark tests, I had been using an Intel P45-based 2-core machine, and the Dell is about 4X to 5X faster, not only in rendering, but just moving around a 3D model with fewer than 75,000 vertices. So I'm hopeful a second CPU will improve things there, too.

    On reinstalling Windows: that's okay; it's all the applications that are the hassle.
  • NWCCTVNWCCTV Posts: 3,629
    edited 2014-06-20 23:02
    Gordon, you should just be able to plug it in and go. I have set up several Dual Xeon Servers and never had to do anything. After installing it should boot to a screen advising of the changes and asking if you want to accept.One question, Is the Windows 7 64 Bit?
  • GordonMcCombGordonMcComb Posts: 3,366
    edited 2014-06-21 08:14
    Yes, Win7-64 bit. Some of my graphics programs are known to have, shall we say, quirks when using Win 8.
  • NWCCTVNWCCTV Posts: 3,629
    edited 2014-06-21 13:46
    Just wanted to make sure as a 32 bit system would not be able to access the extra RAM.
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