Intel FB-DIMM Performance Results

[Michael]

Intel was first to adopt DDR2 memory when they had launched their LGA-775 socket nearly two years ago with the Grantsdale and Alderwood Chipsets. Intel Corporation is first again to introduce the latest in memory technology: FB-DIMM. FB-DIMM is short for Fully Buffered Dual Inline Memory Module, and is primarily designed for mission-critical server environments that require maximum performance with minimal errors. FB-DIMMs are designed to bring the best traits from DDR2 memory while combining a new point-to-point serial memory interface. Some of the key benefits for Fully Buffered DIMMs include enhanced reliability, greater bandwidth, improved scalability, and higher capacity per memory channel. We at Phoronix have the first performance preview of the new DDR2 FB-DIMM memory modules on the Xeon Greencreek platform.

Results for the FB-DIMM were delivered using a Dempsey Xeon 5080, and the FB-DIMM modules used are from Kingston. We had compared the FB-DIMM DDR2 against DDR2-667 desktop memory, DDR-400 ECC Reg, and even DDR1-400.

The article can be read @ http://www.phoronix.com/vr.php?view=6814

Feel free to discuss these results, and FB-DIMMs, in this thread.

[CHAoS_NiNJA]

I find this RAM really interesting...I can't wait to see it in other systems outside of servers. What I'd love to see is a motherboard come out that supports both FB-DIMMs and normal DDR2, so we can get a real side-by-side comparison of the two formats.

[oreimer]

Hi,

There might be an mistake in the review.
A far as I have understood the Tyan 5000XL has only an dual-channel interface. At least this is what the Tyan Website states.
So there might be even a higher performance with the Tyan 5000XT board using a 4 channel interface.

Regards Oliver


Tempest i5000XT (S2696)
Specifications

Processor
• Dual LGA771 sockets
• Supports up to two Intel? Xeon?
"Dempsey / Woodcrest" processors
• Dual-Core, 1333/1066/667MHz FSB; VRD 11.0

Chipset
• Intel? "Greencreek" MCH + ESB2-M chipset
• Winbond 82627EHF Super I/O chip

Memory
• Eight (8) 240-pin DDR2 FBDIMM sockets
• Four memory channels; supports ECC DIMMs
• Supports maximum of 32/16GB of DDR2-533/667

Expansion Slots
• Two (2) PCI-E x16 slots (one x4 sig. from EBS2-M)
• One (1) PCI-E x8 slot (x4 sig. from EBS2-M)
• Two (2) PCI-X 133/100MHz slots from EBS2-M
• One (1) PCI 32-bit 33MHz slot
• Total of six expansion slots


Tempest i5000XL (S2692)
Specifications

Processor
• Dual LGA771 sockets
• Supports up to two Intel? Xeon?
"Dempsey / Woodcrest" processors
• Dual-Core, 1333/1066/667MHz FSB; VRD 11.0

Chipset
• Intel? "Greencreek" MCH + ESB2-V chipset
• Winbond 82627EHF Super I/O chip

Memory
• Four (4) 240-pin DDR2 FBDIMM sockets
• Dual channel memory; supports ECC DIMMs
• Supports maximum of 16/8GB of DDR2-533/667

Expansion Slots
• Two (2) PCI-E x16 slots (one x8 sig. from EBS2-V)
• One (1) PCI-E x8 slot (x4 sig. from EBS2-V)
• Two (2) PCI-X 133/100MHz slots from EBS2-V
• One (1) PCI 32-bit 33MHz slot
• Total of six expansion slots