EDIT: This blog post has been updated and reposted with newer information based on Exchange 2007 RTM build. Please see the following for the newer and expanded version of this post:
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Updated Jul 01, 2019
Version 2.0
Blog Post
Anonymous: 2 vs. 16MB cache.
I do not have first hand experience with a processor that has 16MB of L3 cache (they are very new).
Most of the servers on the MMB3 benchmark have between 2 and 4MB of L2/L3 cache. http://www.microsoft.com/technet/prodtechnol/exchange/2003/performance.mspx
http://www.microsoft.com/technet/prodtechnol/exchange/2003/performance.mspx
In the Pentium 3 family, we saw roughly an increase of 10% in performance with each doubling of cache (.5MB-1MB-2MB). You can look for future MMB3 submissions with the larger cache, or run simulation tests yourself with Loadsim (E2003) today, and Load Generator
(E2007) in the near future when it is released.
Loadsim: http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?familyid=92EB2EDC-3433-47CA-A5F8-0483C7DDEA85&displaylang=en
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?familyid=92EB2EDC-3433-47CA-A5F8-0483C7DDEA85&displaylang=en
Dick Beddoe: Athlon FX
Exchange 2007 will install on the x64 version of Windows Server 2003 (which will install on an Athlon FX). I would recommend a server class CPU (and other system components) for a mission critical email server.
Thanks,
Robert Quimbey
Exchange Server