Woodcrest benchmark data
 

Got some benchmark data for the new Intel Woodcrest processor, running CFX 11 Preview 4 64-bit under Linux. This is for the Benchmark.def file in the installation examples directory. The CFX Community Forum has a lots of data for running this case to compare to. Serial: Total wall clock time = 1 min 33 seconds 2-way Local: Total wall clock time = 48 seconds

That's about twice as fast previous best results... nice! Stumpy

Re: Woodcrest benchmark data
 

Just what I needed ... I'm designing a new cluster. Thanks for the info.

You forgot the most important thing though ... what is the clock rate of your Woodcrests?

Re: Woodcrest benchmark data
 

Some details on the ram spec and motherboard used would be handy as well ...

Re: Woodcrest benchmark data
 

PS: For comparison, my Opteron 275s on Linux 64 bit are almost precisely double your times.

Woodcrests are the bargain of the century considering how much cheaper they are than Opeterons.

Re: Woodcrest benchmark data
 

To elaborate on the ram spec ... are your FBDIMMs in a quad channel configuration?

Re: Woodcrest benchmark data
 

Have you compared the benchmark with CFX 10 on this Woodcrest? Maybe it is to ascribe partial to the new solver. But anyway very interesting.

Re: Woodcrest benchmark data
 

Yes I ran it on 10. 10->11 would never result in 100% performance improvement, 5% maybe but not 100% ;)

Re: Woodcrest benchmark data
 

That's right. But on my old Smithfield with win32 there was a performance improvement of 30% from cfx10 to 11. But as I told: woodcrest benchmark is interesting at all.

Re: Woodcrest benchmark data
 

Perhaps Stumps could re-run on CFX 10.

Re: Woodcrest benchmark data
 

A bit more info on the system... CPU clock speed is 3.0GHz It's a 4 socket machine with 8GB RAM

Sorry, thats all - I don't have much access to this system. Stumpy

Re: Woodcrest benchmark data
 

A 4 socket Woodcrest mobo? AFAIK that doesnt exist... 2 socket max.

I presume you mean 2 sockets x 2 dual core Woodcrests = 4 cores?

Re: Woodcrest benchmark data
 

Yes, sorry. The OS sees 4 CPU's. I presume it's 2 dual cores. Stumpy

Re: Woodcrest benchmark data
 

And how many partitions did you run?

Re: Woodcrest benchmark data
 

1 and 2. The case is too small to get meaningfull results with 3 or 4 partitions.

Re: Woodcrest benchmark data
 

Have you done any comparison with single-core processor?

Re: Woodcrest benchmark data
 

Hi Longbow

There is extensive data on comparative benchmarks on all sorts of CPUs on the CFX Community page, under the solver discussion group.

But as Stumpy says, his reported serial speed is half the time of the previously best reported serial run (on a 3+GHz P4 with 2MB cache).

Glenn Horrocks

Re: Woodcrest benchmark data
 

Impressive!!!

By the way, is there any comercial woodcrest workstation or cluster available now? Where can I buy one?

Re: Woodcrest benchmark data
 

No problem. Every good dealer sales them by now.

Re: Woodcrest benchmark data
 

In my opinion the doubled cache might be an explanation for a halv solving time...

Re: Woodcrest benchmark data
 

Really?

Good dealer means DELL, HP, SUN?

Re: Woodcrest benchmark data
 

Just looked around. It seems woodcrest is just 5100 series Core 2 Duo Xeon.

I found DELL Precision 490 or 690, HP xw8400 have this kind of CPUs. Are they "woodcrest" workstations? Did they eliminate the memory bottle neck problem for regular dual intel P4, Xeon CPUs?

If the answer is yes and yes, I would think to buy them to set up my cluster.

Re: Woodcrest benchmark data
 

Hi,

To my knowledge you are correct, the Intel 5100 series processors are the Woodcrest ones. I have checked with Dell and they have not put Woodcrest CPUs on the web site yet (at least here in Australia but we are always behind the rest of the world) but they are available and will go up shortly. In the Dell server range ask about the Dell 2950 series servers.

Also have a look at their benchmark results on www.spec.org - quite impressive - pretty much as good as the top itanium CPUs per processor and a fraction of the price.

Also keep in mind that it appears the 5100 series CPUs are interchangable with the 5000 series CPUs. The 5000 series are not Woodcrests and are considerably slower. Make sure you specify 5100 series CPUs.

Regards, Glenn

Re: Woodcrest benchmark data
 

Hi,

I think there is a lot more to it than just the cache size. These processors are based on a entirely different architecture than the previous generations of workstation/server CPUs. For starters the fact that Stumpy reports dual core operation to be just about twice as fast as single core operation indicates Intel have improved the CPU to memory bottleneck which every previous Intel 32 bit CPU had previously. Then you factor in support for FB-DIMM memory, 1333MHz FSB etc etc and there are plenty of differences. Have a look at the Intel web site if you want the full schpeil.

Glenn Horrocks

Re: Woodcrest benchmark data
 

Hi, Glenn,

Thanks for your info. Now I know DELL also sells computers in Australia. If you can check U.S. DELL small bussiness section, the 5100 series CPU is available on Precision 490 and 690 with much high price than 5000 series.

I have configued a DELL 690 with two 5160 (2.66 GHz), 16 GB 677 MHz RAM. The price ($6200) is a little over than four DELL 380 (3.4GHz P4 CPU, 4 GB RAM for each). I am waiting for the money to buy the DELL 380. If the woodcrest 2.66 GHz CPU can beat P4 3.4 GHz CPU, I will go for woodcrest. Someone reported 3.0 GHz woodcrest took half of the time on the benchmark problem. If this is true, woodcrest CPU would be the one.

Re: Woodcrest benchmark data
 

Hi,

For sure there are more facts affecting these results :)

Patrick

Re: Woodcrest benchmark data
 

Hi,

Based on the results presented here it looks like the Woodcrest option you mention would be twice as fast as the P4 option. If the price is similar the Woodcrest sounds like better value for money.

Does Dell supply the FB-DIMM memory? The quote I got from Dell used DDR2 RAM. Any idea whether going to FB-DIMM memory would be worth it?

You might also consider going for the faster 3.0GHz processor as it is cheaper to buy extra speed as a faster CPU rather than extra parallel licenses. We can always find wonderful ways of making the purchase more expensive.

Glenn Horrocks

Re: Woodcrest benchmark data
 

There should be more feedbacks from users regarding CFX speed on Woodcrest CPU.

DELL does supply FB-Dimm. Precision 490 and 690 use DDR2 SDRAM FBD.

Bian

Re: Woodcrest benchmark data
 

Hi,

Intel has been also making noise about the new Conroe CPUs, which are meant to be the desktop/workstation version of the Woodcrest (Woodcrest was aimed at servers). Does Conroe provide similar performance? I think they are still a few weeks off being available. I would assume it is potentially a little better still.

Regards, Glenn

Re: Woodcrest benchmark data
 

Woodcrest and Conroe have a common core hence performance at identical clockrates will be virtually identical.

Of course the slightly higher bus speed and use of a quad channel memory configuration gives Woodcrest a slight edge.