Hardware Architecture Research Paper

The contemporary technologies provide huge opportunities for the development of reliable and effective hardware that can be widely applied in different spheres and on different levels from individual use to the highly productive processes. In fact, the contemporary hardware may be used in different computers produced by different companies and often computers that are produced by different companies have a similar platform or similar if not identical hardware, which is often supplied by one and the same company to different computer manufacturers. In this regard, it should be said that such companies as Dell and HP are considered to be among the leaders of the contemporary computer industry and their products are traditionally associated with the high quality and reliability.

At the same time, it is necessary to clearly understand that these companies are competitors and in the competitive struggle they attempt to offer their own products, using unique technologies that can give them a strategic competitive advantage. In this respect, it is necessary to analyze products of both companies in order to assess the extent to which they are different and find out whether they have any significant advantage compared to each other at all. Basically, it is possible to compare Dell Power Age1955 Blade Server and HP ProLiant BL 460c.

On analyzing both devices, it should be said they are, to a significant extent, similar. First of all, it should be said that the general processor set up of both Dell Power Age 1955 Blade Server and HP ProLiant BL 460c is actually identical.

To put it more precisely, both devices have two processor packages. In addition, they have four cores per processor package, one hardware thread per core. Also, it is worth mentioning the fact that both Dell Power Age 1955 Sever and HP ProLiant BL have the system power management policy always on. In such a way, the system power management policy is constantly functioning that naturally is very important for the normal functioning of both devices and their reliable performance. At the same time, it is contributes consistently to the effectiveness of work of users of both devices.

Furthermore, it should be said that the CPU is one of the most important elements of both Dell Power Age 1955 Server and HP ProLiant BL, as well as all other similar devices. In fact, the CPU of both devices is also similar. In this respect, it should be said that both Dell and HP uses the same supplier and producer of the CPU that actually determines their similarity. It should be said that Dell and HP referred to one of the leading companies, Intel, which actually occupies the dominant position in the world market. In fact, such a choice is quite logical, taking into consideration the huge experience of Intel in the development of CPUs and other hardware devices. It is possible to estimate that this company is a reliable supplier, which products are delivered to leading companies of the world.

Speaking about the CPU that Intel supplies to Dell and HP, it should be said that it is actually identical and it is a Quad-Core Intel Xeon Processor X 5345. The CPU has 7 stepping, its socket type is LGA771. It should be pointed out that the frequency of the CPU is 2,33 MHz, while the front-side bus frequency is 1333 MHz. Furthermore, L1 cache is 32 Kb + 32 Kb per core, while L2 cache is 2 * 4 MB, each 4 MB shared by each core (Tanenbaum, 2001). In such a way, it is possible to estimate the CPU, being identical, defines, to a significant extent, the performance of the entire device and influences its major characteristics. In fact, it proves beyond a doubt that the CPU may be viewed as the basis of the device and the fact that Dell and HP uses the same CPU makes both products very similar and, therefore, highly competitive with each other.

At the same time, speaking about the most important hardware and devices, it is extremely important to dwell upon the memory used by Dell and HP. In this respect, it is necessary to underline that the two companies use different memory models for their products, which naturally could contribute to the larger technical difference between the devices. However, in actuality, the difference between the memory modules used by Dell and HP are differentiated from each other only because of the different supplier of memory modules, while their technical characteristics are practically identical. In fact, Dell uses Hyundai HYMP5F72BP8N3-Y5, while HP uses Micron MT18HTF12872FDY.

The type of the memory module of both Dell and HP is PC2-5300. The speed of the memory module is also identical for both Dell and HP, it is 667MHz. It should be pointed out that in the contemporary world, the speed may be one of the crucial elements that may define the customer’s choice in favor one of the products. In this regard, the speed constituting 667MHz may be considered as relatively high, though it is hardly possible to estimate that such a speed can meet the needs of customers who are expecting to buy a highly productive device, which could operate at the maximum speed, which the contemporary technologies can provide. Taking into consideration the speed of the memory module, it should be said that the speed in the system currently running is also equal to 667 MHz. Speaking about timing/latency, it should be said that it is also identical for both Dell and HP and it is 5-5-5-15. The size of the memory modules is 4 GB that is actually quite a significant size and it can facilitate consistently the work of users on this devices. In actuality, it should be said that such a size of the memory modules makes both devices really multifunctional and applicable in different contexts. This fact is very important because flexibility and multi-functionality of contemporary devices is one of the major conditions of the commercial success of the product and its popularity among customers. Also, it should be said that both Dell and HP have four RAM modules and dual side chip organization (Deitel et al, 2004), which is quite progressive and technologically advanced.

However, what makes HP and Dell really different is the platform both devices use. To put it more precisely, Dell and HP use their own, unique developments which actually differentiate their products. In fact, Dell uses Dell Power Age 1955, while HP uses HP ProLiant BL460c. The motherboard model number of Dell product is Dell 0MY759, while HP’s motherboard model number is HP 435358-B21. At the same time, it is worth mentioning the fact that both companies uses the same motherboard chipset, it is Intel 5000P, which, in all probability, is determined by the fact that Intel is the major supplier of the CPU for Dell and HP and it seems to be quite logical to choose the same supplier of the motherboard chipset. Furthermore, it should be said that the motherboard revision number of Dell is A00 and HP 91. Finally, it should be said that the BIOS setting of Dell and HP is also the same and it is disabled hardware perfetcher and adjacent cache line perfetch (Tanenbaum, 2001).

Thus, taking into consideration all above mentioned, it is possible to estimate that HP and Dell has developed two products which have a different platform, but, at the same time, their CPU and memory modules are practically identical. Obviously, such a similarity between both products in their technical characteristics makes their performance and functioning similar. At the same time, it does not necessarily mean that Dell PowerEdge 1955 Server and HP ProLiant BL460c are absolutely identical. In this respect, it is possible to refer to the platform used by the companies in the production of both devices. In fact, the different platform naturally affects the performance of devices, but such a difference is not really a determinant factor that can make either of the devices more competitive or just better. In other words, both devices occupy practically the similar niche of the market and basically they may be viewed as close competitors. The technical differences between the devices are not radical, but, what is more important, both devices are characterized by multi-functionality, high effectiveness and reliability.



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