Intel Processors Revealed

Written on the 1st of March 2007 by Scott Jones : IT Leaders

It used to be easy to tell which PC and Server processors (CPUs) were faster; the higher the clock speed the faster the processor (eg: 2GHz versus 3GHz).

But with clock speeds basically at their maximum due to heat issues, processor manufacturers turned to other means to get faster results, like adding multiple CPU cores and tweaking processing methods.

To the business buyer, this has lead to significant confusion as to which processor should be used for which purpose, especially when the different CPUs only have seemingly random model numbers to differentiate them.

SMEs with 5-15 staff were commonly accidentally buying servers meant for a large corporates. And we were finding our competitors often quoting pointless specifications and wasting their clients money in the process.

So after 9 hours of research and summarising, here are the latest Intel processors, along with a general guideline for which to use when. Your IT Leaders business specialist can give you more exacting advice for your business.

Server CPU	Best Utilised For Server:	Equivalent Desktop CPU Architecture (and best PC use)	Equivalent Notebook CPU Architechture (and best use)
Pentium 4	Micro network of <10 PCs doing file and print sharing only.	Pentium 4 / Celeron (Basic business or home use)
Pentium D (9xx series)	Low-end Applications Server or Domain Controller on network <10 PCs	Pentium D (General Business or Home use)
Xeon (P4)	N/A Phasing Out	Pentium 4	Pentium 4 Mobile
Xeon MP	N/A Phasing Out	-
Xeon Dual Core 5000 series	Low-end Server (single CPU) or Mid-end Server (double CPUs) Good small business Server for Networks up to 40 PCs	Pentium Extreme (Gaming and High-end Multimedia editing)
Xeon Dual Core 7000 series (MP)	High-end Corporate DC or applications Server, or good database Server for larger networks. Expensive but expandable up to 4 CPUs.	-	Pentium M / Celeron M (Low to Mid-end notebook needs)
Xeon Dual Core 7100 Series (MP)	High-end Corporate applications or database Server for large networks. Expensive but expandable up to 4 CPUs.	-
Xeon Dual Core 3000 series (SP)	Low-end Server (single CPU only) for small - mid networks	Core 2 Duo (Mid to High-end gaming, apps and media editing)
Xeon Dual Core 5100 Series	High-end small business server using new Core technology. Best for high-usage single-server environments or apps which can utilise multi-threading.	Core 2 Duo (Mid to High-end gaming, apps and media editing)	Core 2 Duo LV (High end use and long battery-life needs)
Xeon Quad Core 5300 Series	High-end small business server using new Core technology. Best for highest-usage single-server environments or multiple apps which can utilise multi-threading.	Core 2 Extreme / Quad (High-end gaming or media editing)
Xeon Quad Core x3200	High-end small business server using new Core technology. Best for highest-usage single-server environments or multiple apps which can utilise multi-threading.	Core 2 Extreme QX6xxx (High-end gaming or media editing)

* Notes on Notebook processors and chipsets such as Centino:

Celeron has less Cache but is otherwise identical to Pentium M, making them a good value option with plenty of system RAM.

Centrino is a PACKAGE not a processor. It is a Pentium M or Celeron M bundled with Intel 855 chipset and Intel Pro (802.11b..10Mb) Wireless chips. There are other chipset combinations bundled with the Pentium M / Celeron M which work as well or better, such as a Pentium M with Atheros 802.11g (54Mb) Wireless networking, so Centrino is not everything.

The new Core 2 Duo processors are brilliant on notebooks with big processing ability and the best power consumption properties seen yet. Clearly the best choice for both power users flogging their notebooks hard, AND road warriors who want longest battery life.

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Intel Processors Revealed

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