[LARTC] Intel or AMD is better processor for router (800+ users)

[Marek Kierdelewicz]

> The author highly recommends disabling IRQ balancing in the kernel 
> config, but does not clarify what this does. I tried googling but
> didn't find much info. What does it exactly do, and why is disabling
> it recommended/required?

I haven't seen irq balance option in kernels for some time now. 

> It seems to me, IRQ balancing does not allow to specify interrupts
> per device but assigns them automatically on the run, correct?

It seems so. As I mentioned earlier I havn't seen irq balance option in
recent kernels. Static irq2cpu assignment works well (even on HT
processors).

> While searching the web, I found reports about big performance
> increases in 3D rendering due to disabling the feature. Can this be
> true and why?

I don't have a clue. I can say one thing - static irq2cpu assignment
worx4me on linux routers hauling 400+kpps. Without it only one
core/processor would be used.

cheers,
Marek Kierdelewicz