OT: Is the AMD Phenom processor upwards compabible with the Opteron

[Rick Stevens]

Jonathan Ryshpan wrote:
> Configuring the kernel I came across a choice between generic-x86_64
> processors, and the Opteron/Athlon/Hammer/K8 processors.  My system has
> a 4-core Phenom processor.  Questions:
> 
>      1. Is the Phenom compatible with the Opteron/etc?  I.e. if I
>         configure for the Opteron, will my kernel be reliable?  (This is
>         not as easy to find out as I thought.)

To my knowledge, yes.  It's certainly compatible with the Athlon.  I run
a Phenom quad-core as well, but I just use the off-the-shelf x86_64
kernel.  Works fine.

>      2. How much of a performance advantage is there to configuring for
>         the Opteron as against the generic?

I don't know that you'd notice any significant difference with a normal
work load.  If you were doing heavy I/O or number crunching, then you
might see some difference, but not enough to really bother making a
custom kernel.

That's just my opinion, of course.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
- Rick Stevens, Systems Engineer                      ricks at nerd.com -
- AIM/Skype: therps2        ICQ: 22643734            Yahoo: origrps2 -
-                                                                    -
-   The light at the end of the tunnel is really an oncoming train.  -
----------------------------------------------------------------------