Intel quad-core Xeon 5300 review

2 x 2 = 4

Just two weeks ago we saw the introduction of Intel’s first quad-core x86 processor. The Core 2 Extreme QX6700, better known by its codename Kentsfield, combines two Core 2 Duo chips into one processor and thus offers four processor cores with no less than 8 MB of L2-cache. Whilst running various benchmarks it became clear that the Kentsfield offered unparalleled performance: the Kentsfield attained the highest scores in every single benchmark that had been optimised for multi-core processors. Today we’re going to be looking at Intel’s quad-core foray in another market segment, namely the server/workstation market. Intel has developed a quad-core version of its Xeon DP workstation/server-processor codenamed Clovertown. Today will see the release of several different iterations of Intels new quad-core server processor. If Intel’s claimed performance figures hold up to our scrutiny then this processor could make quite an impact: a 70% increase in performance over current servers using existing dual-core Xeon processors and a substantial increase in performance in relation to power usage (performance per watt). To verify Intel’s claims we’ve gone to work with a server with two Clovertown processors and compared the performance to that of the dual-core Woodcrest (Xeon DP 51XX) processor.

Two LGA771 Intel Xeon E5345 'Clovertown' processors

2 x 2 = 4

There are many similarities in the way Intel realised the desktop Kentsfield processor and the quad-core Xeon chip. In our Kentsfield test we wrote that the Kentsfield processor was basically made up out of two separate dual-core Conroe CPU’s which had been stuck together. Intel repeated this little party trick with the creation of the quad-core Xeon processors: remove the heatspreader of the Clovertown and you’ll find two separate dual-core Woodcrest chips which have been connected to each other and which share the same frontside bus. The Woodcrest - like its desktop sibling the Conroe - has a total of 4 MB of L2-cache, which is shared by both cores. Hence the Clovertown, being made up of two Woodcrest’s, has a total of 8 MB of L2 cache; the first 4 MB of cache being shared by cores 1 and 2 and the second 4 MB of cache is shared by cores 3 and 4. The Clovertown, like its predecessor, has a 1333 MHz frontside bus which allows for high speed communication between the memory and the processors in a dual CPU configuration.

The Clovertown, like its forerunner Woodcrest, is based on Intel’s Core Micro architecture, which guarantees high performance and low energy usage. We wont delve to deeply into the Intel Core Micro architecture in this review. Click on this link to read our earlier in depth explanation of the Core architecture.

The Clovertown processor is part of the Xeon DP range of processors and is meant for workstations and servers with two processors. A quad-core variant of the Xeon UP (uni processor) and Xeon MP (4/8 way) will be released at a later date.

The makeup of the Clovertown processor