Preparing for VCP 5 exam. Which processor is best for VCP training

[jbalaji]

Hi Guys,

             I am  preparing for VCP 5 exam. For getting hands-on experience, I intent to  use home lab. I am thinking of installing ESXi in VMWARE Workstation. I  would like to assemble new pc to try out various features of vSphere  like HA, DRS, FT etc. Kindly recommend which processore I should go from  the below list:

• AMD FX 8120
• AMD Phenom II X6 1100T
• Intel Core i5 2500K

Please reply back urgently as I need to buy other components and build my PC quickly.

[Mouhamad]

Hello,

I have passed my exam 3 weeks ago, trust me, CPU has nothing to do with your exam. All are good.

As a personal opinion, I always like Intel.

Regards,

Mouhamad

[sorabhk5]

Intel i7 2600k should be fine for small practice LAB

Also check this thread: http://communities.vmware.com/thread/338553

[jbalaji]

I am thinking whether higher number of cores would help as AMD FX 8120  is having 8 cores and AMD Phenom II X6 is having 6 cores. Kindly advise  which would be better option.

[ranjb]

If performance is paramount I would choose the Phenom II X6 1100T ove the FX8120.

I wouldnt bother with the i5, excellent processor but the AMD are slighly better in terms of performance....

Have a look at this review which does a comparison of the 2 AMD processors you are interested in

http://www.tomshardware.co.uk/forum/321936-10-phenom-1100t-versus-8120-performance-guide

[jbalaji]

Thanks ranjb. I am looking to buy processor in terms of practising virtualization and running VMs to learn about different OSs. I am not looking at gaming and stuff like that. So, I am of the view that if we have more cores we can run more VMs in Vmware Workstation. Please correct me if I am wrong.

[sorabhk5]

See this blog from Hersey: http://www.vhersey.com/2011/12/my-home-vmware-lab/

Also if you will run bare metal ESX on i7 2600k. You will get a very good performance and can easily run 10-15 VMs. Going above this also depends on how much you are willing to spend on the home LAB.

HTH...

Wish you a Happy Virtualized Year ahead and Good Luck with your studies.

[AndreTheGiant]

IMHO, the memory could be more important than the CPU. You need more than 8 GB.

And if you use ESXi on baremetal you can use all the physical resources (but of course you need a dedicated system)

[chriswahl]

It's nice if you have a CPU with hyperthreading so you can see what that looks like from an ESXTOP perspective (adds an extra row to CPU stats) but not relevant to the VCP exam.

[cdc1]

If VMDirectPath IO (VT-d) is something you want to try out, don't bother with the Intel 2500K processor.  All Intel processors ending with "K" do not support VT-d ... last time I checked.

Not sure about the AMD CPU's you listed, as I primarily use Intel CPU's. However, with that said, you would also need to make sure that you have a compatible chipset for VT-d too, regardless of which brand CPU you end up getting.

The http://vm-help.com forums have a lot of decent information on CPU's, motherboard chipsets, and VT-d that I recommend you check out when you get some time, if VT-d is something that interests you.

As far as VCP training is concerned, the cheapest of the ones you listed would be fine to help you prep for the exam.