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Anyone running Itaniums?

N

NulloModo

Supreme [H]ardness
Joined
Dec 16, 2002
Messages
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I remember years ago there was a huge fuss over the upcoming IA-64 and IA-32 architectures, and how the Itanium was going to revolutionize everything... then it came, and no one seemed to care, but apparently it was decent enough that they have Itanium2s now...

I had thought at the time that Intel was trying to move away from x86, and that IA-32 with a desktop part to accompany it would be the home user's alternative to Itanium, but that never really happened.

Still, the whole Itanium idea seems pretty cool. Are they only server chips though, or are they great for workstations, 3D modelling, video editing, and that kind of fun stuff too? Does anyone here have a PC that uses one? Share your experiences?

Can you even run XP on one?
 
well obviously they didn't take up on the desktop market. even in the server market they're not too popular. though they arn't successful, they do have good performance with certain things, like certain server tasks.
 
NulloModo said:
I remember years ago there was a huge fuss over the upcoming IA-64 and IA-32 architectures, and how the Itanium was going to revolutionize everything... then it came, and no one seemed to care, but apparently it was decent enough that they have Itanium2s now...

I had thought at the time that Intel was trying to move away from x86, and that IA-32 with a desktop part to accompany it would be the home user's alternative to Itanium, but that never really happened.

Still, the whole Itanium idea seems pretty cool. Are they only server chips though, or are they great for workstations, 3D modelling, video editing, and that kind of fun stuff too? Does anyone here have a PC that uses one? Share your experiences?

Can you even run XP on one?
Click to expand...

1) No, you cannot run regular Windows XP on an IA64 processor, because they are compiled for different machine types. IA32 code can run on IA64 processors, but not an entire OS. You can get a copy of XP that installs onto Itaniums though, just as you can get one that goes onto AMD64 PCs.

2) Itaniums are cool, but no one wants another CPU architecture that cannot run x86 code. We already have SPARC, MIPS, Alpha, etc CPUs that are 64-bit RISC processors, and indeed they are technically superior in design to the 30+ year old x86 ISA used on our desktop CPUs, but very few people need an IA64 computer.

Itaniums might be great for 3D, assuming the software was native. They do have v. good FPU performance. :)
 
the itanium was intel's path into the big iron market. basically intels answer to hp's pa-risc, sun's ultraSPARC and ibm's power processors. they wanted a piece of that high dollar segment and had nothing to compete with 'real' server chips. afaik hp and dell were the only big vendors to offer itanium based workstations but the sales were pretty slow so they pulled those machines off the market.

I would like to hear from someone who has one too :)
 
As long as AMD and other competitors were allowed to use the technology, I was kind of hoping that we would move beyond x86. Ironically, however, it was AMD and Microsoft who shifted Intel and IA-64 from the spotlight.
 
incomudro said:
No whats the need when you have 8XX opterons.
Click to expand...

As soon as there are 512xx Opterons, then we can talk about competing with the Itanium.
 
Erasmus354 said:
damn we have dropped down to 14th from 3rd a year ago :(

Although VT still has the highest self made supercomputer in the world :) Not to mention ours is probably the cheapest of all of the top 25.

What are all those eServer Blue Gene solutions? They seem to have taken over the top100 list.
Click to expand...

I was wondering the same thing.....seems they kinda snuck in there.
 
I remember when the Itanium first was released and all the hubbub that was outthere about performance..and a big fiasco at HP because they were trying to hide Alpha numbers vs. Itanium...as the Alpha was kicking some serious a$$ and the Intel dollars were making Carly Intel's bitch.

Why o' why did Alpha have to die...damn HP for not knowing what to do with a great architecture, and then on top of that, go and sell it to a company that doesn't want to utilize it, they just want to make it go away (intel).

I have heard that some of the guys originally behind the alpha are putting together another processor, and I am anxious to see what comes from these guys as they are some seriously gifted designers...
 
Josh_B said:
Yeah. It's called the K8 - otherwise known as the Opteron. :)

http://news.com.com/AMDs+Opteron+aspirations/2008-1082_3-995885.html
Click to expand...


Yeah, I know that...but apparently alot of the original engineers are getting back together after having been dispersed throughout the industry. They are supposedly working on a new design...I mean if Sony can come up with the cell, putting even a third of the minds of the alpha team could come up with something that makes the cell look like a processor for a supermarket checkout line calculator...
 
hardwarephreak said:
Yeah, I know that...but apparently alot of the original engineers are getting back together after having been dispersed throughout the industry. They are supposedly working on a new design...I mean if Sony can come up with the cell, putting even a third of the minds of the alpha team could come up with something that makes the cell look like a processor for a supermarket checkout line calculator...
Click to expand...

True enough. Who knows what they'll come up with.
 
Josh_B said:
2) Itaniums are cool, but no one wants another CPU architecture that cannot run x86 code. We already have SPARC, MIPS, Alpha, etc CPUs that are 64-bit RISC processors, and indeed they are technically superior in design to the 30+ year old x86 ISA used on our desktop CPUs, but very few people need an IA64 computer.
Click to expand...

Just to make sure it's clear to everyone, IA64 isn't a RISC processor; it's a VLIW design, the opposite of RISC really.

This guy owns an Itanium: http://homepage.mac.com/ehurtley/PhotoAlbum24.html. He also has a substantial collection of other processors: http://www.hardforum.com/showpost.php?p=1027977244&postcount=175.
 
DanK said:
Just to make sure it's clear to everyone, IA64 isn't a RISC processor; it's a VLIW design, the opposite of RISC really.
Click to expand...

I am aware, however you are correct that I could have made it more clear.

Nice collection of CPUs, though. :cool:
 
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