Xeon X3440 and MB Compatibility

[jrandhroak]

Greetings -

I really like the idea of having a Xeon-based PC. I've slowly been gathering the components to build my own computer around the X3440.

But while looking around I found an Intel webpage that specs out the X3440. In my research I know that the X3440 is much like an i5-750, so I brought up that Intel page too.

The problem I may have run into is this; the Intel-X3440 page states that the chipsets for that processor are Intel 3400, Intel 3420 and Intel 3450. Does this mean that that chip won't run in any other LGA1156-based MB? I was thinking a P55 chipset.

Thank you in advance.

Tony -

 

[Lmeow]

Well, the Xeon X3440 is like a Core i5 750 with a slower clock speed by 133MHz, the Xeon X3450 is pretty much a Xeon-named Core i5 750.but I'd think it would work, because on Intel's website it does say LGA 1156, and is a single socket processor. Just wondering though, why go for Xeon?

 

[GhislainG]

You'll need a motherboard that officially supports it. Unlike the i5-750, the Xeon X3440 has HT which sometimes helps, but overall an i5-750 usually is a better buy (unless you're building a server with server grade memory).

 

[jrandhroak]

I have had a Compaq Presario for 8 years. The only component to fail was the hdd. I would like to have another long-lasting computer. Thus the idea of an affordable server-class processor. I would also get 4-8GB of ECC memory and two 1+TB hdds that I will put into a raid 1.

My use of this PC will be for the following. The creation of several virtual machines using either/both Virtualbox, VMware or/and Xen. One VM will be a virtualized copy of my current WinXP box. I would also like to test for my RHCT/RHCE, so I will create a CentOS-based group of VMs to practice on.

I thank you all for your responses. As a most-time lurker I appreciate your thoughts and comments.

 

[GhislainG]

Now I understand what you're trying to do. I presume that you'll install several hard disks because that's probably where you'll end up with bottlenecks when running several VMs. Depending on how many VMs you'll run and their memory requirements, 8GB probably is a minimum.