Comparing memory tests for two servers, results are contrary to hardware specs

[saurabhd]

Hi all,
First of all, thanks for the PerformanceTest software. It is a wonderful tool.

I have been evaluating the perofrmance of two servers which are nearly identical in specification:

1. Intel Xeon E7320
2. Intel Xeon 7040

After running, PassMark I see that the tool has computed the memory mark as:

1. Intel Xeon E7320=> Memory mark=996, Allocate small block=996, Read Cached=1882, Read Uncached=295, Memory Write=302,Large RAM=2884
2. Intel Xeon 7040=> Memory mark=1661, Allocate small block=1331, Read Cached=1851, Read Uncached=512, Memory Write=979,Large RAM=5397

However, looking at the detailed hardware specs, I am not able to justify why E7040 should be doing better than E7320 because the E7320 has a higher rated bus speed & higher L1 cache. Could anybody help understand this discrepancy please or have I missed something?

Hardware specs:
Intel Xeon E7320
Number of cores4 (max 4) Number of threads4 (max 4) NameIntel Xeon E7320 CodenameTigerton SpecificationIntel(R) Xeon(R) CPU E7320 @ 2.13GHz Package (platform ID)Socket 604 mPGA (0x3) CPUID6.F.B Extended CPUID6.F Core SteppingG0 Technology65 nm Core Speed2133.4 MHz Multiplier x FSB8.0 x 266.7 MHz Rated Bus speed1066.7 MHz Stock frequency2133 MHz Instructions setsMMX, SSE, SSE2, SSE3, SSSE3, EM64T L1 Data cache4 x 32 KBytes, 8-way set associative, 64-byte line size L1 Instruction cache4 x 32 KBytes, 8-way set associative, 64-byte line size L2 cache2 x 2048 KBytes, 8-way set associative, 64-byte line size FID/VID Controlyes FID range6.0x - 8.0x Max VID1.275 V

Intel Xeon E7040
Number of cores2 (max 2) Number of threads2 (max 4) NameIntel Xeon 7040 CodenamePaxville SpecificationIntel(R) Xeon(TM) CPU 3.00GHz Package (platform ID)Socket 604 mPGA (0x1) CPUIDF.4.8 Extended CPUIDF.4 Core SteppingA0 Technology90 nm Core Speed3002.9 MHz Multiplier x FSB18.0 x 166.8 MHz Rated Bus speed667.3 MHz Stock frequency3000 MHz Instructions setsMMX, SSE, SSE2, SSE3, EM64T L1 Data cache2 x 16 KBytes, 8-way set associative, 64-byte line size Trace cache2 x 12 Kuops, 8-way set associative L2 cache2 x 2048 KBytes, 8-way set associative, 64-byte line size FID/VID Controlyes FID range14.0x - 18.0x VID range1.116 V - 1.420 V

[David (PassMark)]

You are aksing about the memory test results, but included no details about the RAM in the two machines?

Also note that the memory test is only single threaded. So 4 cores is not better than 2. It is also dependant on our much free RAM is available, and not just the speed.

[saurabhd]

The installed memory is 32 GB on both. Page file is set to 2 GB. Does this help?

[David (PassMark)]

And what type of RAM?
e.g. ECC RAM can slow things down.

Also are you running a 64bit O/S and the 64bit release of PerformanceTest?

[saurabhd]

The servers are 64 bit. I am pasting the complete dump obtained from CPUZ tool.
Intel Xeon E7320

DMI Physical Memory Array locationProprietary Add-on Card usageSystem Memory correctionMulti-bit ECC max capacity131072 MBytes max# of devices32 DMI Memory Device designationDIMM1 formatDIMM typeunknown total width72 bits data width64 bits size2048 MBytes DMI Memory Device designationDIMM5 formatDIMM typeunknown total width72 bits data width64 bits size2048 MBytes DMI Memory Device designationDIMM2 formatDIMM typeunknown total width72 bits data width64 bits size2048 MBytes DMI Memory Device designationDIMM6 formatDIMM typeunknown total width72 bits data width64 bits size2048 MBytes DMI Memory Device designationDIMM3 formatDIMM typeunknown total width72 bits data width64 bits size2048 MBytes DMI Memory Device designationDIMM7 formatDIMM typeunknown total width72 bits data width64 bits size2048 MBytes DMI Memory Device designationDIMM4 formatDIMM typeunknown total width72 bits data width64 bits size2048 MBytes DMI Memory Device designationDIMM8 formatDIMM typeunknown total width72 bits data width64 bits size2048 MBytes DMI Memory Device designationDIMM1 formatDIMM typeunknown total width72 bits data width64 bits size2048 MBytes DMI Memory Device designationDIMM5 formatDIMM typeunknown total width72 bits data width64 bits size2048 MBytes DMI Memory Device designationDIMM2 formatDIMM typeunknown total width72 bits data width64 bits size2048 MBytes DMI Memory Device designationDIMM6 formatDIMM typeunknown total width72 bits data width64 bits size2048 MBytes DMI Memory Device designationDIMM3 formatDIMM typeunknown total width72 bits data width64 bits size2048 MBytes DMI Memory Device designationDIMM7 formatDIMM typeunknown total width72 bits data width64 bits size2048 MBytes DMI Memory Device designationDIMM4 formatDIMM typeunknown total width72 bits data width64 bits size2048 MBytes DMI Memory Device designationDIMM8 formatDIMM typeunknown total width72 bits data width64 bits size2048 MBytes DMI Memory Device designationDIMM1 formatDIMM typeunknown total width72 bits data width64 bits DMI Memory Device designationDIMM5 formatDIMM typeunknown total width72 bits data width64 bits DMI Memory Device designationDIMM2 formatDIMM typeunknown total width72 bits data width64 bits DMI Memory Device designationDIMM6 formatDIMM typeunknown total width72 bits data width64 bits DMI Memory Device designationDIMM3 formatDIMM typeunknown total width72 bits data width64 bits DMI Memory Device designationDIMM7 formatDIMM typeunknown total width72 bits data width64 bits DMI Memory Device designationDIMM4 formatDIMM typeunknown total width72 bits data width64 bits DMI Memory Device designationDIMM8 formatDIMM typeunknown total width72 bits data width64 bits DMI Memory Device designationDIMM1 formatDIMM typeunknown total width72 bits data width64 bits DMI Memory Device designationDIMM5 formatDIMM typeunknown total width72 bits data width64 bits DMI Memory Device designationDIMM2 formatDIMM typeunknown total width72 bits data width64 bits DMI Memory Device designationDIMM6 formatDIMM typeunknown total width72 bits data width64 bits DMI Memory Device designationDIMM3 formatDIMM typeunknown total width72 bits data width64 bits DMI Memory Device designationDIMM7 formatDIMM typeunknown total width72 bits data width64 bits DMI Memory Device designationDIMM4 formatDIMM typeunknown total width72 bits data width64 bits DMI Memory Device designationDIMM8 formatDIMM typeunknown total width72 bits data width64 bits

[saurabhd]

Pasting a part dump from CPUZ for:
Intel Xeon 7040
DMI Physical Memory Array locationProprietary Add-on Card usageSystem Memory correctionMulti-bit ECC max capacity131072 MBytes max# of devices16 DMI Memory Device designationDIMM1 formatDIMM typeunknown total width72 bits data width64 bits size2048 MBytes DMI Memory Device designationDIMM3 formatDIMM typeunknown total width72 bits data width64 bits size2048 MBytes DMI Memory Device designationDIMM2 formatDIMM typeunknown total width72 bits data width64 bits size2048 MBytes DMI Memory Device designationDIMM4 formatDIMM typeunknown total width72 bits data width64 bits size2048 MBytes DMI Memory Device designationDIMM1 formatDIMM typeunknown total width72 bits data width64 bits size2048 MBytes DMI Memory Device designationDIMM3 formatDIMM typeunknown total width72 bits data width64 bits size2048 MBytes DMI Memory Device designationDIMM2 formatDIMM typeunknown total width72 bits data width64 bits size2048 MBytes DMI Memory Device designationDIMM4 formatDIMM typeunknown total width72 bits data width64 bits size2048 MBytes DMI Memory Device designationDIMM1 formatDIMM typeunknown total width72 bits data width64 bits size2048 MBytes DMI Memory Device designationDIMM3 formatDIMM typeunknown total width72 bits data width64 bits size2048 MBytes DMI Memory Device designationDIMM2 formatDIMM typeunknown total width72 bits data width64 bits size2048 MBytes DMI Memory Device designationDIMM4 formatDIMM typeunknown total width72 bits data width64 bits size2048 MBytes DMI Memory Device designationDIMM1 formatDIMM typeunknown total width72 bits data width64 bits size2048 MBytes DMI Memory Device designationDIMM3 formatDIMM typeunknown total width72 bits data width64 bits size2048 MBytes DMI Memory Device designationDIMM2 formatDIMM typeunknown total width72 bits data width64 bits size2048 MBytes DMI Memory Device designationDIMM4 formatDIMM typeunknown total width72 bits data width64 bits size2048 MBytes

[saurabhd]

The servers are running Windows Server 2003 64 bit. We have used the 64 bit version of the tool from Passmark.

[David (PassMark)]

Posting large dumps of which state 32 times the RAM type is "unknown" on a "Proprietary Add-on Card" doesn't help much. If you don't know what is in the machine, why not just say so?

I am going to delete the irrelevant post about your Ethernet controller.

In any case assuming you have repeated the tests a few times and got similar results, there is really only one conclusion. The RAM in one machine is faster than the other.