[geeks] sun ultra 24

[Lionel Peterson]

>From: Francois Dion <francois.dion at gmail.com>
>Date: 2007/10/15 Mon PM 12:03:57 CDT
>To: The Geeks List <geeks at sunhelp.org>
>Subject: [geeks] sun ultra 24

>As far as I know this doesn't exist, but hey, look at what I found in
>the documentation:
>
>http://docs.sun.com/source/820-2480-10/index.html
>
>http://docs.sun.com/source/820-2480-10/AppA.html#0_pgfId-1001312
>
>    * One Intel Core2 Duo or Core2 Quad processor
>    * Processor frequencies: 2.0 GHz and faster
>    * Level 2 Cache from 4 MB to 8 MB per processor
>
>Memory
>	
>    * 8 GB maximum memory
>    * Four DIMM slots
>    * 512 MB, 1 GB, 2 GB registered DDR2-667, registered, ECC DIMM
>modules supported
>
>
>
>Not bad, but disapointing to have only 4 DIMM slots. How much does it
>add to the cost to have 8 DIMM slots??

Well, I guess you'd have to weigh the cost differential between 8x 1 Gig DDR2-667 and 4x 2 Gig DDR2-667 modules... As a practical limit for the desktop, maybe we could agree that 8 Gig is a reasonable maximum memory size?

If you employ a more expensive chipset to add sockets for more DIMMs, then every user is paying a "tax" on the chance they might want to exceed the 8 Gig memory limit of the cheaper chipset.

Also, I bet it was hard to source a "desktop" system board with 8 memory DIMMs and at least 2x PCI-Express x16 slots for dual-head graphics... Server boards without the dual PCI-Express x16 slots and with 8 memory sockets are probably more plentiful, but as a desktop they typically include only 8 Meg ATI RageXL video on-board... (They call that server-level graphics in the PC world)

Lionel