Re: AMD64-based laptops from HP/Compaq are crippled

From: J. Clarke (jclarke.usenet_at_snet.net.invalid)
Date: 07/05/05 

Date: Tue, 05 Jul 2005 09:10:03 -0400

alex goldman wrote:

> Robert Klute wrote:
>
>> On Mon, 04 Jul 2005 23:19:07 -0700, alex goldman <hello@spamm.er> wrote:
>>
>>>Robert Klute wrote:
>>>
>>>> On Mon, 04 Jul 2005 20:46:58 -0700, alex goldman <hello@spamm.er>
>>>> wrote:
>>>>
>>>>>I've been researching my next laptop purchase, and whether it will run
>>>>>Linux, and completely accidentally stumbled upon an alarming issue that
>>>>>people need to be more aware about.
>>>>>
>>>>>Apparently (and if my understanding is correct), HP/Compaq disables
>>>>>dual-channel memory access in Socket 939 motherboards, making CPU <->
>>>>>RAM communication slower, and overall performance less than what people
>>>>>would expect when buying a system with the outward characteristics of
>>>>>what they think they are getting.
>>>>>
>>>>>http://zv6000forums.com/viewtopic.php?t=148
>>>>
>>>> The laptops use the Turion chip.
>>>
>>>Wrong. _Some_ of the laptops use the Turion chip (quite few as of this
>>>writing, actually).
>>
>> The zv6000, the laptop under discussion here and in the forum you
>> referenced, uses the Turion chip.
>
> Wrong.
>
> Go to hp.com,
>
>
http://www.shopping.hp.com/webapp/shopping/computer_series.do?storeName=computer_store&category=notebooks/hp_pavilion&series_name=zv6000_series&catLevel=2&tab_switch=true&tab=specs
>
> you'll get
>
> Choices:
> AMD Sempron(TM) 3000+ (1.8GHz/128KB L2 Cache)
> AMD Sempron(TM) 3200+ (1.8GHz/256KB L2 Cache)
> AMD Athlon(TM) 64 3200+ (2.0GHz/512KB L2 Cache)
> AMD Athlon(TM) 64 3500+ (2.2GHz/512KB L2 Cache)
> AMD Athlon(TM) 64 3800+ (2.4GHz/512KB L2 Cache)
> AMD Athlon(TM) 64 4000+ (2.4GHz/1MB l2 Cache)
>
>
> May I ask why you insist on spreading misinformation *after* you've been
> corrected?

Now, if you go to the AMD site you'll find that the Mobile Athlon 64 is
_also_ listed as having 3.2 GB/sec memory support.

Now, it may be that HP is not using Mobile chips but instead using the
desktop chips, in which case I presume that they also provide a SNAP
reactor to run the thing.

Do not assume that all Athlon 64s are created equal.

Further, since the memory controller on the Athlon 64 is build into the
chip, one has to work pretty hard to disable dual-channel support.

And as another poster pointed out, are there any 128-bit SODIMMS out there?
If not then even if dual-channel support _was_ present you would need to
have two SODIMMS in order to use it.

>>>Regardless ...
>>>
>>>> According to AMD, the Turion's
>>>> integrated memory controller can use PC1600, PC2100, PC2700 or PC3200
>>>> unbuffered DDR SO-DIMMs and has a maximum throughput of 3.2 GB/s.
>>>
>>>Do you understand how dual-channel access works? You have 3.2 GB/s per
>>>memory module, i.e. up to 6.4 GB/s. Dual-channel access is more, not
>>>less, important when slow memory is used.
>>
>> NO, the Turion's memory controller is 64-bit and limited to a max of
>> 3.2GB/s. Dual channel won't help.
>
> Wrong. Turion is a Socket 754 CPU, so it doesn't even support dual-channel
> memory access. The discussion is about the CPUs that do.

So please show us the manufacturer's specifications for an available (i.e.
you can buy it somewhere) laptop that indicate that it has a 939 pin
socket. 

-- 
--John
to email, dial "usenet" and validate
(was jclarke at eye bee em dot net)

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