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dlamblin
Asked: 2009-08-01 08:24:33 +0800 CST

Which 939 socket chips support AMD-V?

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I know it'd likely be more cost effective to buy a new system with AMD-V or Intel VT-x, but to prove it, I need to know if there are any 939 socket chips that feature AMD-V and if so what they are. This would allow one to run a windows server guest under Xen.

Update
This question will likely be of little use three years on, when you can't even reliably buy 393 socket chips. But I thought I'd mention that yes, the context was that I owned a socket 939 system and wanted to start running linux primarily with a Xen guest hosted Windows. For that I needed AMD-V, but it language on AMD's site was that all their chps support it, which it's clear from these answers that "ALL" wasn't including 939 chips.

virtualization xen central-processing-unit intel-vt-x amd-v

6 Answers

  1. Best Answer

    There are none. The AMD-V feature was introduced on Athlon processors that used Socket AM2 (the successor of Socket 939) and on Opterons that used Socket AM2 and Socket F.

    Socket 939

    AMD Virtualization

    List of AMD Athlon 64 microprocessors

    List of AMD Opteron microprocessors

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  2. This link states that amd-v is not in any socket 939/940 opterons. Wikipedia's list of AMD processors also states that the amd-v feature is absent in any socket 939/940 processors as well.

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  3. I am not sure of the entire range of 939 processors, but this was a review I found reviewing the technology and amd was quoted:

    http://www.tomshardware.com/news/amd-cpu-windows-xp-mode,7739.html

    “With the exceptions of Sempron-branded processors and Turion K8 Rev E processors, all notebook processors shipped by AMD include AMD-V and therefore support Windows 7 XP mode."

    "With the exceptions of Sempron-branded processors and pre-Rev F Athlon branded processors, all of the desktop processors shipped by AMD include AMD-V and therefore support Windows 7 in XP mode."

    "Also, all AMD Opteron processors shipped by AMD from Rev F forward include AMD-V."

    The wiki mentions no 939 compatibility though.

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/X86_virtualization

    "On May 23, 2006, AMD released the Athlon 64 ("Orleans"), the Athlon 64 X2 ("Windsor") and the Athlon 64 FX ("Windsor") as the first AMD processors to support this technology.

    AMD-V capability is also available on Athlon 64 and Athlon 64 X2 family of processors with "F" or "G" stepping on socket AM2 (not 939), Turion 64 X2, Opteron 2nd generation[1] and 3rd-generation[2], Phenom and Phenom II processors. Sempron processors do not include support for AMD-V."

    Hope that helps your case.

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  4. I know it'd likely be more cost effective to buy a new system with AMD-V or Intel VT-x

    AMD is cost effective. Intel, not so much. That's not to say Intel's processors are worse, but in terms of costs they're more expensive than AMD.

    .. but to prove it, I need to know if there are any 939 socket chips that feature AMD-V and if so what they are.

    Socket 939 or 940? Well, I highly recommend Socket F (barcelona/shanghai/istanbul all support AMD-V and are excellent for virtualization), but if it's 939 you need, check out this chart on wikipedia.

    From what I can gather, the 939 opterons are all 1xx (1 CPU) per board and none of them list AMD-V compatibility. I can't believe I've never wondered if you can run virtualization w/o the extensions for the CPU. My guess is that the latest virtualization products need the extensions so it's a requirement for you.

    It sounds like you have a 939, but you want to upgrade if you need to. If I can sway your decision, I highly recommend AMD over Intel, especially if this is for home use (I can't quite tell if your post is for business or home). AMD is usually more cost effective, has better upgradability (IMO - less socket changes, consistent memory requirements, etc.), and the energy-efficient Opterons are worth every penny.

    AMD uses DDR2 (registered ECC) for DIMMs so the memory is bit pricer than some Intel solutions, but for virtualization servers, don't skimp on memory. They also have a fairly good array of CPUs for specific socket solutions such as the 1000 series (1 CPU/board), 2000 series (2 CPUs/board), 8000 series (4 CPUs/board). I can't tell what you're trying to virtualiztaion wise but AMDs product line (to me) is more cost effective and appropriate for what sounds like your first venture into the world of Xen.

    Damn, I sound like an AMD rep! I'm not, but I admit I am a fan of the Opteron line these days.

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  5. While the Xen Wiki is good, I prefer to get info from the source:

    AMD Desktop Processors:

    http://products.amd.com/en-us/DesktopCPUResult.aspx

    I believe ALL current server CPUs (Opterons) support AMD-V.

    Desktop comparison charts have a filter on the left, near the bottom for 'Virtualization'. Select yes to answer your question.

    Some of the AM3 Sempron and newer Athlon X2 series support AMD-V.

    The newly released Athlon II x4 processors (620 and 630) support AMD-V.

    There are no socket 939 CPUs that support AMD-V.

    And though some vendors show 1st gen phenoms as supporting virtualization, AMD says 'no'. My guess is this has something to do with the 1st gen phenom TLB bug and the use of the L3 cache when using virtualization solutions. But that's just a personal theory.

    NOTE: Just because a CPU doesn't support WMD-V does NOT mean you can't still run VMware or Xen. SOME older versions that do not REQUIRE these features can still run in full virtualization mode, but performance will take a hit and they are not as scalable as a result.

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  6. depending on what you're doing, you may find that it's most cost effective to run a Host OS + Sun's VirtualBox + Guest OS, as VirtualBox does not require Intel-VT or AMD-V

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