Product guide

Ultrascalability combined with extreme availability
features and industry-leading performance
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5
processor model and memory used.
In processors implementing Hyper-Threading technology, each core has two threads
capable of running an independent process. Thus, an 8-core processor can run 16 threads
concurrently.
Intel’s Virtualization Technology (VT) integrates hardware-level virtualization hooks that
allow operating system vendors to better utilize the hardware for virtualization workloads.
Intelligent Power Capability powers individual processor elements on and off as needed, to
reduce power draw.
DDR
3
Registered
Memory with
Active Memory
Protection
eX5 servers use registered double data rate III (DDR3) DIMMs and provide Active Memory
features, including advanced Chipkill memory protection, for up to 16X better error
correction than standard ECC memory, IBM Memory ProteXion, and optional memory
mirroring. In addition to offering triple the memory bandwidth of DDR2 or fully-buffered
memory, DDR3 memory also uses less energy. 1.8V DDR2 memory already offered up to
37% lower energy use than fully buffered memory. Now, a generation later, 1.5V DDR3
memory is even more efficient, using 10-15% less energy than DDR2 memory. In addition
machine type 7143 supports low-voltage 1.35V DIMMs, which consume up to 19% less
energy than 1.5V DIMMs. (1.5V and 1.35V DIMMs can be mixed within a given memory
controller, however all DIMMs in that controller will run at 1.5V.)
The 7143 machine type of x3850 X5 and x3950 X5 servers support up to 2TB of memory per
node (chassis) in 64 DIMM sockets using 32GB DIMMs. (The 7145 machine type supports up
to 1TB per node with 16TB DIMMs.) They use PC3-10600 double data rate 3 (DDR3)
memory (operating at 1066MHz) for fast access, as well as PC3-8500 DDR3 and LV versions
of both types. Adding a second x3850/x3950 X5 (7143) server to the first doubles the
memory capacity to 4GB in 128 DIMM slots in 8U of rack space. (Two 7145 nodes support up
to 2TB.)
The standard configuration includes 2 memory cards, which support up to 8 DIMMs apiece.
The system is upgradeable to 8 memory cards per chassis. (With configurations of 8-to-16
DIMMs, using two memory cards saves cost, but using eight cards increases performance.) If
2TB is not enough, but you don’t need additional processors, you can attach a 1U MAX5
memory expansion unit, which adds another 32 DIMM slots (up to 1TB), for a total of 3TB in
only 5U.
Redesign in the architecture of the 7500 series and E7 family processors brings radical
changes in the way memory works in these servers. For example, they integrate two
memory controllers inside each processor, resulting in eight memory controllers in a four-
socket system. Each processor has four memory channels, each with a memory buffer.
(MAX5 adds another 4 memory controllers.)
This advanced memory architecture provides up to 333% more aggregate memory bandwidth
(up to 120GBps when using eight memory cards vs. a maximum of 32GBps bandwidth) than
the previous generation, for exceptional memory performance, and quadruple the system
memory capacity of the predecessor x3850 M2 server. By performing reads and writes
simultaneously, it eliminates memory read-to-write blocking latency. In addition, it also offers
innovative data reliability and security features to help improve data integrity, including
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