March 5, 2009 at 5:13 am
Which processor type is best for installation SQL server AMD/Intel?
Pls suggest?
Thanks in advance.
March 5, 2009 at 6:22 am
I would alway buy Intel for software development because there is always a generic Intel developed driver for all hardware in you box, AMD does not write driver so AMD sells their chip cheap. However you could buy AMD from HP and Dell because both writes their own drivers. The short answer you will get more issues with AMD box.
Kind regards,
Gift Peddie
March 5, 2009 at 11:03 pm
Hi Gift ,
Thanks alot for your reply.
Regards,
Deepali
March 6, 2009 at 8:00 am
Gift Peddie (3/5/2009)
I would alway buy Intel for software development because there is always a generic Intel developed driver for all hardware in you box, AMD does not write driver so AMD sells their chip cheap. However you could buy AMD from HP and Dell because both writes their own drivers. The short answer you will get more issues with AMD box.
AMD developed the x64 instruction set and licensed it to Intel. both companies have a cross licensing agreement and their CPU's are mostly identical to each other.
the advantage of AMD is that the memory controller is integrated in the CPU
March 6, 2009 at 8:13 am
That maybe true but Intel sells the Itanium which is not widely adopted because of cost. I help with the .NET setup and deployment so I know Intel boxes comes with few issues. I am running a two year old Intel box still without issues.
I also know Intel own some of the best C++ compilers and profilers on the market.
Kind regards,
Gift Peddie
March 6, 2009 at 8:26 am
it's not the best test, but anandtech runs some generic database tests with intel and amd cpu's. a lot of times AMD beats Intel on the db tests but will lag in other areas. AMD's architecture has been fairly stable for the last 6-7 years. Intel has gone from the crap that was hyperthreading to it's current architecture which is based on Centrino and what it's Israeli team developed almost 10 years ago
it's kind of ironic that you can run x64 windows on an intel box and all the files will be in the amd64 folder. reason is that when MS and Intel first started fighting a few years back they helped AMD by developing 64 bit windows based on AMD's CPU's
personally when i spec out a new server i only do intel. our vp doesn't like AMD due to their financial issues and a lot of times it's more expensive than Intel
March 6, 2009 at 8:42 am
it's kind of ironic that you can run x64 windows on an intel box and all the files will be in the amd64 folder. reason is that when MS and Intel first started fighting a few years back they helped AMD by developing 64 bit windows based on AMD's CPU's
The above is not correct I was one of the original 64bits beta tester for SQL Server 2000 which runs only in Intel Itanium so I used Win2003 64bits in alpha build. That operating system support for x64 chip come much later when the desktop hardware companies started sell x86 XP with AMD x64 chip. I resolve most platform related issues so I know, we started the Itanium beta test back in 2001 and in 2002 AMD engineer told me the cost to build driver is too expensive so their customer have to make trade off. If you are running SQL Server there is no room for that.
Kind regards,
Gift Peddie
March 6, 2009 at 8:55 am
how many people use Itanium? 5?
it was a plan to compete with SPARC and UNIX which have been 64 bit for years before x64 came out. the 64bit windows that most people use is for x64 and all the files in the CD are in AMD64. i don't have a dvd in front of me, but i think even windows 2008 has an amd64 folder for all the files.
March 6, 2009 at 9:02 am
how many people use Itanium? 5?
That again is not correct Win2003/2008 sells in Itanium but it sells only in server because it was too expensive and there were stark overflow issues on the desktop when we were training for 64bits in classes run by Intel and HP.
I will not buy AMD for a server X86 or X64.
Kind regards,
Gift Peddie
March 6, 2009 at 9:06 am
is there a permanent roadmap for itanium or is intel selling it due to contractual requirements with HP?
March 6, 2009 at 9:09 am
No I am one of two active moderators of the Microsoft 64bits forum and at least 10 percent of the users are Itanium users, HP stopped selling Itanium desktop but still sells servers. If Intel reduce the cost it will be widely adopted.
Kind regards,
Gift Peddie
March 6, 2009 at 9:21 am
biggest problem with itanium is no backward compatibility
we just installed x64 windows and sql 2005 on a new server that will run the existing x86 app. when there is an x64 version we may upgrade and just use it on the same machine. impossible to do with itanium. even if the cost was the same the backward compatibility issue hurts it. it's one thing in a large environment where a DB project will last for years and an upgrade means deploying a long list of hardware and software, but not in the majority of projects
March 6, 2009 at 9:48 am
we just installed x64 windows and sql 2005 on a new server that will run the existing x86 app. when there is an x64 version we may upgrade and just use it on the same machine. impossible to do with itanium. even if the cost was the same the backward compatibility issue hurts it. it's one thing in a large environment where a DB project will last for years and an upgrade means deploying a long list of hardware and software, but not in the majority of projects
That is not correct because x86 which is 32bits runs in WOW64 and it comes in both Itanium and X64. The only thing I know some free development tools from Microsoft may not run on Itanium but most for pay software runs on Itanium because it is just a change of build option in the full priced Visual Studio.
If you are using anything that is only 32bits like Office the solution remains the same in both x64 and Itanium.
http://blogs.msdn.com/gauravseth/archive/2006/04/24/582091.aspx
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/895976
Kind regards,
Gift Peddie
March 6, 2009 at 9:55 am
and we're also running windows 2000 on x64 capable chips in some situations. we can go 64bit software at any time on x64 with a simple OS reinstall as well as any apps. not possible with itanium. I think our exchange guys just installed x86 windows 2003 on their new servers and if we ever go exchange 2007 we can use the same hardware as long as we reinstall the OS.
it's as much of a PITA as going new hardware on itanium, but a lot of organizations won't want to junk older servers that may still last for years
March 6, 2009 at 10:09 am
and we're also running windows 2000 on x64 capable chips in some situations. we can go 64bit software at any time on x64 with a simple OS reinstall as well as any apps.
Windows 2003 was the first 64bits operating system on the Microsoft platform so the above is not relevant. I know Microsoft sold some SQL Server 2000 64bits which runs only in Itanium because it was a joint project. I have not seen any valid reason to run AMD for a server because Intel also sells x64 which you said was licensed but I know Intel will provide drivers which keeps hardware and software running together.
Kind regards,
Gift Peddie
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