3 new ESX servers - Quad core or wait for 6 core?

[idata]

Hello all

We're in the process of buying three new servers that will run VMware VSphere. If we buy now, we'll most likely purchase PowerEdge R710 servers with Xeon Quad core cpu's. I read that 6 core cpu's will be out soon. Should we wait for the 6-core cpu? Will the gains in virtualization performance be enough to make most of you wait?

Thanks in advance for any input.

[idata]

A huge amount of more information is needed. What you will be running on the servers. How many clients. How many VM's, and what operating systems. How long can you wait for?

P.S. If you are asking us this, and you are looking at 3 multi-hexcore-processor machines you should not be in charge of your IT department's purchasing.

I would wait. Unless you are asking if the processors' will be optimized for virualization like the i5 6xx and i3's are optimized for AES encryption, than I am not sure if they are. But from how you worded your question that doesn't sound like what you ment.

[idata]

Thanks for your reply.

I will run: mail (Exchange/Postfix), file, ftp, application (Phone/SharePoint/GIS/monitoring) and database (MS SQL) servers

I will run the Windows (2003/2008) and Linux (RHEL/Debian) server operating systems (approx 30-50 vm's)We have approximately 75 local users (with possible 100+ future gis/database users).

Isn't the i5 6xx a desktop CPU? I am more interested in the Xeon 5500 series Quad vs the future server 6-core cpu's. I

understand the 5500 series have excellent virtualization performance.

Our current VMware licensing will allow us to use quad or 6-core cpu's without a penalty so we won't have to pay additional

licensing fees (we grandfathered into the new license scheme).

I can wait up to 2 months to purchase the new servers that will run most of our systems for the next 3+ years.

Does anyone know when the newer 6-core will be sold in mid-range servers? I think it will be difficult to justify $2500 for the

current cost of the 6-core cpu so I'll mostly likely buy the R710's with Quad xeons.

Message was edited by: EarthUSACASD (fixed funny formatting)

[idata]

They are going for around twelve hundred dollars. Other than that, I believe they will not be release with-in the next few months. I hope someone else has more input on them.

Actually here is a pair for $2200. http://cgi.ebay.com/PAIR-of-Intel-Xeon-Processor-Westmere-ES-i9-Core_W0QQitemZ120538507689QQcmdZViewItemQQptZCOMP_EN_Networking_Components?hash=item1c10a7a9a9