How to Select a New CPU
The CPU (Central Processing Unit) is the main platform of operations for computing that executes processes and tasks and interprets instructions from software, working as an overall control center for your computer. Every computer has a CPU, and even your smartphone has one. When you look to purchase one from the Itanium processor family, there are a few things that are helpful to know.
What Are Some Features of an Intel Itanium 2 CPU?
First launched in 2002, the Itanium 2 processor was geared towards enterprise servers, and there have been numerous versions of this Itanium series of processors that provide heavy-duty computing since then.
- This specific Intel processor was developed to reduce performance issues that occurred with its predecessor, the original Itanium processor. The following year in 2003, Intel responded to the release of the AMD Opteron's 64-bit architecture, which the brand incorporated into their processors, therefore changing the standards of the industry when it came to architecture.
- When production stopped on the Itanium 2 in 2010, the high-end processor had upgraded to a dual-core and quad-core design that was energy-efficient and was double the performance and increased the cache of previous versions of the Itanium.
Should You Consider the Core Number?
When you're selecting an Itanium processor, you'll notice that there are different cores available; in fact, the Itanium comes in single versions as well as models with two, four, or eight.
- In the beginning, all Itanium models only had one, which was essentially the equivalent of one system or unit.
- As time went by, Itanium manufacturers added more to increase power and efficiency. By choosing a processor with two, it means you have double the processing power, which makes a difference with respect to speed.
- By selecting the highest number in an Itanium-based system, which in this case is eight, you're using eight different units. This means your machine can multitask without overloading, improving overall speed, performance, and efficiency.
Do Clock and Bus Speeds Matter?
There are a few other numbers to weigh as you seek out an Intel system, including clock and bus speeds.
- Bus speed, which is measured in megahertz (MHz), controls how quickly the central processing unit can relay information to the RAM. A higher number means a faster system, so it's important to consider the bus speed.
- Clock speed, on the other hand, isn't as important. Clock speed is measured in gigahertz (GHz). It's a measurement of your machine's cycles per second; in this case, a higher number means your computer is working harder, which may be inefficient and actually slow you down.
- Take core and bus speed into consideration, but don't focus as much on clock speed when looking for a new Itanium central processing unit.
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