One question we get asked at least one time each week is whether or dual socket motherboards meant for dual processors can work with one CPU. A common driver behind this question is because dual processor motherboards allow for easy expansion at a later date. Add a second CPU, heatsink/ fan and additional memory to a system without replacing any internal components or adding a second machine. The answer to the question “Can I use one CPU in a dual processor motherboard?” is yes… with some caveats. Let’s explore why. Show
The vast majority of motherboards “just work” if you install a CPU into the lowest numbered CPU slot. This is usually CPU0 if there is CPU0 and CPU1 or CPU1 if the board is tagged CPU1 and CPU2. This is true for both Intel and AMD motherboards in general and when in doubt, most motherboard manuals will instruct a user as to which processor slot can be populated by a single CPU and a dual CPU motherboard. Here is an example from a Supermicro X8DTN motherboard that was a fairly popular dual processor Intel 5500 and 5600 series Xeon motherboard.  Since the Intel 5500 and 5520 series chipset had an IOH northbridge, populating only one CPU slot in the dual socket motherboard did not cut out any additional motherboard resources. In the Intel socket LGA1366 days, and with the AMD C32 and G34 platforms, both the northbridge and southbridge were found on the motherboard so the CPUs generally connected through the northbridge to get to an expansion card bus. In these systems, the main impact of only having one CPU (other than the obvious loss in CPU performance without the second CPU) is that one could not populate the memory banks for the empty processor slot. This is very similar to the single CPU nodes we use for the STH colocation project, even though each Dell C6100 node is dual processor capable. Underneath those heatsinks on the upper node sits only one processor despite the board being dual-processor capable. One can also see that the associated DRAM bank is filled with DDR3 RDIMMs while the empty socket is utilizing DIMM blanks. This setup is much different than a more modern LGA2011 dual Intel Xeon motherboard. Here is an example of a Supermicro X9DRH-7TF which has both onboard LSI SAS and Intel X540 10GbE: Today’s architectures add another level of complexity. With the dual Intel Xeon E5 LGA2011 platform as an example, the PCIe expansion slots are directly tied to a CPU. On the picture above, one can see each PCIe slot tied to a specific CPU. When a CPU socket is not populated, the PCIe lanes do not terminate. This has a major impact on the functionality of the motherboard. For example, if the second CPU socket is not filled in a dual socket motherboard oftentimes onboard devices such as Ethernet and SAS controllers may not work. Furthermore, PCIe lanes may not work. This will render the slots useless until the additional CPU(s) are added. Here is an associated diagram for the Supermicro X9DRH-7TF: Here we can see that if CPU1 was missing, the onboard Intel X540 10GbE LAN and LSI SAS2208 controller do not have a PCIe but to hang off of. Conversely, with no CPU2, one would not have access to several PCIe 3.0 x8 slots. Luckily, most motherboard manufacturers state in their manuals which socket to populate. Any further questions feel free to ask in the forums!
Previous articleStartIsBack Review: Bringing the Start Menu to Windows 8 Next articleUpgrade your pfsense appliance the easy way Patrick Kennedy https://www.servethehome.com Patrick has been running STH since 2009 and covers a wide variety of SME, SMB, and SOHO IT topics. Patrick is a consultant in the technology industry and has worked with numerous large hardware and storage vendors in the Silicon Valley. The goal of STH is simply to help users find some information about server, storage and networking, building blocks. If you have any helpful information please feel free to post on the forums. Ever wondered how dual CPU motherboards work and if they’re a worthwhile competitor to mainstream and HEDT motherboards? Today we’ll dive into that and help you get to the bottom of some interesting questions related to the mythical dual CPU PC. Let’s get into it! How Do Dual CPU Motherboards Work?First, let’s define dual CPU motherboards— or, more accurately, dual socket motherboards. Dual socket motherboards are (usually) Extended ATX (or non-standard server-) motherboards that have had their layout modified significantly to allow for two CPU sockets, as well as re-arranged (sometimes increased) RAM slots. The extreme niche that these boards occupy also means they’re often manufactured by lesser-known companies. Who Are Dual CPU Motherboards Made For?Dual socket motherboards are usually manufactured for server usage but can sometimes be repurposed into consumer boards as well. A surprisingly common use case for dual CPU motherboards is a few generations down the line, where they can be purchased on the used market for cheaper and potentially compete with modern multi-core options at a lower price. One prominent example of this was covered by GamersNexus last year in the video embedded below: A GamersNexus review comparing an older dual socket X99 server motherboard setup with two 12-core Intel Xeon CPUs competing against a single, more expensive 12-Core Ryzen 3900X. In tests like the ones shown above, dual CPU motherboards can serve as surprisingly competitive options with current-gen boards after a few generations pass. In CPU-based rendering or editing tasks like Blender or Premiere Pro, the dual Xeon E5-2678s remained surprisingly competitive with the Ryzen 9 3900X. Where it faltered, it still didn’t fall behind the Ryzen 5 3600 in most tests. Gaming seems to suffer on dual-socket motherboards, though, especially minimum FPS numbers. Lower FPS minimums mean more severe FPS dips under heavy load, which makes this a less-than-ideal setup for gaming. The reason why this happens is due to latency introduced by the engine needing to communicate with two CPUs at once, in addition to much lower single core performance on the Xeons. So, dual CPU motherboards are definitely targeted at people who have lots of easily parallelizable workloads and who need lots of raw CPU cores to get it done. Their presence in server spaces is no accident, but they have some legitimate use as workstation motherboards, too, especially if you find them and matching CPUs for the right price. Apart from doubling Core Counts of the CPUs you also get double the PCIe Lanes, which makes sense for users in need of a lot of high-end PCIe GPUs (e.g. for GPU Rendering or Machine Learning). Since Dual CPU Motherboards are targeted at Server environments, they also come with support for much higher RAM capacities and more Storage. The above sounds a lot like what we see on current generation HEDT / Workstation-class CPU and Motherboards, though, so let’s talk about HEDT motherboards: When To Consider HEDT Motherboards InsteadRemember when Intel blamed AMD to have just glued together two CPUs and called it Threadripper? Well, it’s not stupid if it works! HEDT, or High-End Desktop, refers to motherboard platforms made for enthusiasts and prosumers with exclusive high-core CPUs and top-of-the-line Chipset features. They generally have more PCI Express x16 slots, no built-in video, and more (usually USB) I/O ports. AMD’s Threadripper Line-up pretty much brings to server AND desktop form factors, what Intel’s Dual CPUs used to do. Albeit in a single-cpu package. And potentially even doubling that again with dual EPYC CPUs – for those who need it. Intel’s HEDT boards are offered alongside their Extreme Edition processors, whereas AMD’s HEDT boards are presented with their Threadripper (Pro) processors. In either scenario, the purpose remains roughly the same: way more raw multi-threaded power than even high-end Core i9/Ryzen 9 chips can offer. If you’re paying attention, this might sound an awful lot like the benefits offered by a Dual CPU Motherboard. And you would be right, especially if you’re using older dual socket boards to compete with modern CPUs at a lower price. The big difference is that HEDT boards and CPUs tend to stay on the higher end of pricing, even after a few generations. Additionally, HEDT boards will also perform better in workloads like gaming, at least when properly configured. The best case scenario for gamers will still generally be found in high-end consumer motherboards with Ryzen 9 or Core i9 processors, though, where single-core performance is at its highest. Otherwise, HEDT and Dual CPU motherboards occupy a fairly similar space in the market, at least used and secondhand markets. When it comes to enterprises shopping for server hardware, something like a dual CPU motherboard is much more likely than an HEDT board, though. HEDT boards could very well be used as server motherboards but are generally directed toward individual workstation or enthusiast use. Both board types and corresponding CPUs see much less frequent revisions than consumer desktop motherboards, though. Additionally, they’re both being pushed hard in the market by modern Core i9 and Ryzen 9 CPUs. Pros of Dual CPU Motherboards
Cons of Dual CPU Motherboards
When do Dual CPU Motherboards make sense in a Non-Server Environment?So to answer the initial question of this article: When do Dual CPU Motherboards make sense in a Non-Server Environment?
There are Dual CPU Motherboards available (For EPYC and XEON) in ATX and E-ATX that you can install and use inside a regular, compatible PC-Case. All outside of a 19″ Rack that usually needs proprietary and/or non-standardized Motherboard Form Factor and Layout. Because EPYC and XEON CPUs are extremely expensive compared to consumer, workstation and HEDT CPUs, though, the logical next question that you may want to ask yourself is the following: Do you need an EPYC or XEON DUAL CPU configuration, or could you build two PCs based on consumer hardware for a fraction of the cost? Two AMD Threadripper (Pro) 64-Core CPUs with a TRX40 or WRX80 Motherboard, mainstream RAM, will get you the same amount of cores and PCIe Lanes, at a much cheaper price! They are easier to cool, run much quieter, you can add up to 4 dual-slot GPUs into standard E-ATX Cases and a bunch of storage, BUT you’ll have two PCs instead of one, which means you need to split your workload across the network. In the end, it’s all about core-density and whether you benefit from it or not and are willing to pay premium for it. FAQWhat’s The Difference Between Server and Desktop CPUs?Since you’ll most likely be shopping for server CPUs alongside dual CPU motherboards, chances are you want to know a thing or two about server CPUs. Alex has written a pretty detailed breakdown of Server vs Desktop CPUs already, but I can still give you a few starting tips before heading there. First and foremost, the main purpose of a server CPU compared to desktop or even HEDT CPUs is having an unholy amount of cores and PCIe Lanes. Intel Xeons and AMD EPYC chips are even more swole than their Ryzen 9, Core i9, Threadripper, or Extreme Edition counterparts. As a result of these higher core densities, things like individual core speeds tend to be a little toned down compared to desktop chips. However, the corresponding boost in distributed/threaded workloads often pays off in professional and enterprise environments. What are Motherboards Made Of?Does this article pique your interest in motherboards and how they work? Consider heading over to my What are Motherboards Made Of Guide, which includes a detailed rundown of every part that goes into a modern motherboard and what it does. Plus, I’ll also talk about how motherboards are actually assembled, which is a cool little process. Did you know the “Printed” in “Printed Circuit Board” is actually quite literal? I didn’t until I researched and wrote that article. How Much RAM Do I Need?If you’re considering a dual socket PC build, especially with server CPUs, you’re gonna want some RAM. You’re probably going to want a lot of it, actually, depending on the specific use case you’re trying to push with your dual CPU motherboard. Source: AMD Alex has already tackled a more extended RAM Capacity Guide if you need it, but I can leave you with a few quick tips for a dual CPU scenario before you go. First and foremost, try to get at least 4 sticks of RAM, ideally 8. Since you have 2 CPUs, you’ll have to make sure they each have RAM. Giving them each 2 or 4 sticks of RAM will ensure that they’re running in a Dual or Quad-Channel configuration, which will help increase their bandwidth and performance in scenarios that are bottlenecked by RAM throughput. Choices past that will largely depend on you, but if you’re getting a dual-CPU motherboard, maxing out your RAM capacity within your budget is most likely a good idea. Put those extra DIMM slots to use! Over to YouAnd that’s all, for now! I hope this article taught you a thing or two about dual CPU motherboards and their uses in the market. At the moment, their place seems to be in either high-end server use or mid-range hobbyist builds with older boards. It’ll be interesting to see if dual CPU boards stick around or see any changes in popularity in the coming years. At least for people who want to do intensely multi-threaded things like running a render farm, a dual CPU motherboard is always going to make at least a little bit of sense…if the budgetary requirements are within your reach, of course. What are YOU considering a dual CPU motherboard for? Let us know in the comment section below or head to the Forums with any other questions or concerns you might have about CPU and motherboard technologies. Until then or until next time, have a good one— and don’t forget to consider HEDT or Core/Ryzen 9 if you can’t find a use for 64+ cores! Share this article:
CGDirector is Reader-supported. When you buy through our links, we may earn an affiliate commission. The next post you should readHow Much does A PC Motherboard cost? [Motherboard Pricing Tiers explained]UPDATED November 3, 2022 Best Z590 Motherboards for Intel 11900K, 11700(K), 11600(K)UPDATED November 9, 2021 Which M.2 Slot Should You Use?UPDATED May 9, 2022 Which PCIe Slot is best for your Graphics Card?UPDATED June 17, 2022 Christopher Harper - post authorI have been a passionate devotee to technology since the age of 3, and to writing since before I even finished high school. These passions have since combined into a living in my adulthood and have made writing about PC Hardware very satisfying. Can I put 2 CPU in my motherboard?What Are Dual CPU Motherboards Used For? By putting two processors in one system, you're effectively combining the power of the two. You would get more processing power, more cores/threads, more RAM slots, more PCIe lanes, etc.
Can you run 2 CPUs at once?You can have more than one physical CPU in the same PC, provided the motherboard supports it. It's usually not economically sound, unless you need the best possible performance. You can get motherboards with 2 CPU Sockets but they are mostly mean't for servers.
Can you use 2 different CPUs in a computer?CPUs must have the same thermal profile (TDP) to work together. The CPUs must have the same number of physical cores to work together. The CPUs must have the same number of logical cores to work together. Stepping does not matter.
How do I enable dual CPU?Press "Windows+R" to open a Run dialogue box. ... . Click the "Boot" tab, then click the "Advanced Options" button. ... . Click the check box labeled "Number of processors" to place a check mark inside it.. Click the drop-down list below the "Number of processors" label, then select "2.". |
How to use 2 CPU in one motherboard
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