Final answer:
To determine the best CPU and motherboard combination for an office intranet web server upgrade, one must assess the balance between performance needs and budget, considering both the number of sockets and CPU capabilities.
Step-by-step explanation:
The question pertains to selecting the best CPU and motherboard combination for an office intranet web server upgrade, with pricing based on motherboard sockets. To make the best decision, one needs to consider the price-to-performance ratio, which involves evaluating both the cost of the hardware and its capability to handle server tasks. For instance, a server with a dual-socket motherboard allows for the installation of two CPUs, which would generally offer better performance than a single-socket board; however, if the intranet server's workload would not utilize the additional power effectively, it might be more cost-efficient to go with a single-socket motherboard with a high-performance CPU.
It's important to look at the specific needs of the office's intranet applications. If the applications are multi-threaded and capable of taking advantage of multiple cores, then a multi-socket, multi-core setup could be beneficial. Yet, if the applications don't scale well with additional cores or sockets, a single socket with a faster clock speed could be a better choice. Ultimately, the best choice depends on finding the right balance between the number of sockets, the CPU capabilities, and the budget at hand.