A dual processor motherboard can hold two complete processor chips, but they must be the same. They were common in high-end desktops and low-end servers, but are now rare due to the popularity of multicore processors. The physical design is different from a standard motherboard and limitations on processor access to the system bus and memory mean that one processor may have to wait while the other is active. However, with the advent of multicore processors, many of the disadvantages have disappeared, and many programs are now written to use multiple processors simultaneously.
A dual processor motherboard is a computer motherboard that has space for two separate, complete processor chips. These chips are then linked together on board using a number of different methods, although a specialized processor bus system is the most common. In theory, these machines have the potential to run at speeds well beyond a typical computer, as the individual processors provide nearly double the power. While dual processor motherboards have always been rare, with the advent of multicore processors, they’re even harder to find.
Typically, a dual processor motherboard requires two of the same processors. They must be exactly the same, otherwise the imbalance causes the computer to become unstable and shut down. While this is the case nearly every time, there have been cards that may require slightly different processors, but these were exceptionally rare.
This style of motherboard was common among high-end desktops and low-end server systems. In most cases, only high-end desktop systems can accept the hardware and software needed to utilize the power of the second processor. On the server side, mid to high-end servers have often moved from the standard motherboard path to other types of systems such as rack or blade systems.
The physical design of a dual processor motherboard often varies from a standard motherboard. The second processor changes the basic layout of the system, typically by moving memory. This pushes the memory down onto the board, often pushing the chipset towards the expansion slots. As a result of these alterations, a dual-processor motherboard will typically have fewer expansion slots than a similarly sized motherboard.
While a dual-processor motherboard appears to make a system twice as fast as a standard computer, it doesn’t. Limitations on processor access to the system bus and memory often require one processor to wait while the other is active. Also, until recently, few programs were written to take advantage of a multiprocessor system. Most programs will access the main processor and never send anything to second; it was often limited to operating system processes on all but the most powerful programs.
With the advent of multicore processors, many of the disadvantages of a dual processor motherboard have disappeared. The process of allocating system resources has changed to allow for more uniform access, and there are more programs that will use a second processor. In fact, many programs are now written to use multiple processors simultaneously.
Despite all this innovation, the dual-processor motherboard is still an oddity. Because multicore processors can do the same thing as a dual system without many of the technical issues, they have cornered the market. Finally, when common multicore surpassed two processor cores, it surpassed the power of a basic dual-processor system.
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