Intel E5504 AT80602000801AA User Manual

26

 Intel

®

 Xeon

®

 Processor 5500 Series Datasheet, Volume 1

2. Processors must operate at the same core frequency. Note, processors within the 

same power-optimization segment supporting different maximum core frequencies 
(e.g. a 2.93 GHz / 95 W and 2.66 GHz / 95 W) can be operated within a system. 
However, both must operate at the highest frequency rating commonly supported. 
Mixing components operating at different internal clock frequencies is not 
supported and will not be validated by Intel.

3. Processors must share symmetry across physical packages with respect to the 

number of logical processors per package, number of cores per package (but not 
necessarily the same subset of cores within the packages), number of Intel 
QuickPath interfaces, and cache topology.

4. Mixing dissimilar steppings is only supported with processors that have identical 

Extended Family, Extended Model, Processor Type, Family Code and Model Number 
as indicated by the function 1 of the CPUID instruction. Mixing processors of 
different steppings but the same model (as per CPUID instruction) is supported. 
Details regarding the CPUID instruction are provided in the AP-485, 
Intel

Processor Identification and the CPUID Instruction application note and the 

64 and IA-32 Architectures Software Developer’s Manual, Volume 2A.

5. After AND’ing the feature flag and extended feature flags from the installed 

processors, any processor whose set of feature flags exactly matches the AND’ed 
feature flags can be selected by the BIOS as the BSP. If no processor exactly 
matches the AND’ed feature flag values, then the processor with the numerically 
lower CPUID should be selected as the BSP.

6. Intel requires that the proper microcode update be loaded on each processor 

operating within the system. Any processor that does not have the proper 
microcode update loaded is considered by Intel to be operating out of specification.

7. Customers are fully responsible for the validation of their system configuration.

The Flexible Motherboard (FMB) guidelines are estimates of the maximum values the 
Intel Xeon Processor 5500 Series will have over certain time periods. The values are 
only estimates and actual specifications for future processors may differ. Processors 
may or may not have specifications equal to the FMB value in the foreseeable future. 
System designers should meet the FMB values to ensure their systems will be 
compatible with future Intel Xeon Processor 5500 Series.

 specifies absolute maximum and minimum ratings which lie outside the 

functional limits of the processor. Only within specified operation limits, can 
functionality and long-term reliability be expected.

At conditions outside functional operation condition limits, but within absolute 
maximum and minimum ratings, neither functionality nor long-term reliability can be 
expected. If a device is returned to conditions within functional operation limits after 
having been subjected to conditions outside these limits, but within the absolute 
maximum and minimum ratings, the device may be functional, but with its lifetime 
degraded depending on exposure to conditions exceeding the functional operation 
condition limits.