Subject: Re: Different speed CPUs show up as same speed
To: Brett Lymn <blymn@baesystems.com.au>
From: Bill Sommerfeld <sommerfeld@netbsd.org>
List: tech-smp
Date: 06/16/2002 14:56:30
> Interesting... our SS10 definitely wedge solid, the processors by
> themselves were ok.  As I said, I knew the mbus was supposed to allow
> it but the official word from sun was "not tested".

Indeed, there's a big difference between "supposed to work" and "known
to be stable and supportable".

Intel's periodic specification update documents (available from
developer.intel.com for each of their processor lines) have a "MP
compatibility matrix" for each stepping and speed.  I'm not sure why
they bother displaying the full matrix since they only call matched
speeds "supported".

For example, see http://developer.intel.com/design/PentiumIII/specupdt/

Note that, contrary to previous postings on this thread, mixed
steppings *are* supported; it's just mixed *speeds* which are not
tested (and therefore should not be assumed to work).

						- Bill