EPOX EP-GXB-M, Manual

Page: 13 / 90

EP-GXB-M Introduction
Page 13
Pentium II Xeon Processor
The Pentium
®
II Xeon Processor is the follow-on to the Pentium
®
II Processor. The
Pentium
®
II Xeon Processor, like the Pentium
®
Pro processor, implements a Dynamic
Execution micro-architecture -- a unique combination of multiple branch prediction,
data flow analysis, and speculative execution. This enables the Pentium
®
II Proces-
sor to deliver higher performance than the Pentium
®
processor, while maintaining
binary compatibility with all previous Intel architecture processors.
A significant feature of the Pentium
®
II Xeon Processor, from a system perspective,
is the built-in direct multiprocessing support. In order to achieve multiprocessing, and
maintain the memory and I/O bandwidth to support it, new system designs are
needed. For systems with dual processors, it is important to consider the additional
power burdens and signal integrity issues of supporting multiple loads on a high speed
bus. The Pentium
®
II Xeon Processor supports scalable multiprocessing support for
up to eight processors (on compatible motherboards), support for clustering technolo-
gies such as NUMA and VI arcitecture and 36-bit memory support.
The Pentium
®
II Xeon Processor in a variety of versions from 512KB built-in cache
to 1MB and 2MB versions. Data is shared with the rest of the system via a high-
speed high-bandwidth 100MHz front side bus. Up to 64GB of memory can be ad-
dressed and cached by the processor which allows for increased performance in
many applications.
The S.E.C. cartridge has the following features: a thermal plate, a cover and a PCB
with an edge finger connection. The thermal plate allows standardized heatsink
attachment or customized thermal solutions. The thermal plate enables a reusable
heatsink to minimize fit issues for serviceability, upgradeability and replacement. The
full enclosure also protects the surface mount components. The edge finger connec-
tion maintains socketabilty for system configuration. The edge finger connector is
denoted as ‘Slot 2 connector’ in this and other documentation.
The entire enclosed product is called the Pentium
®
II Xeon Processor. The packag-
ing technology and each of the physical elements of the product are referred to using
accurate technical descriptions. This allows clear reference to the products as just a
processor. This is the model used in past packaging technologies like PGA, TCP,
PQFP, DIP, etc