What is a matched pair?

[dual2max]

As title states.
Is it the same model number, the same date code, or the serial numbers are consecutive?
I ask because someone is selling opteron 285's as a matched pair and the only similarity is the manufacturers id. "OSA285FAA6CB".
The date codes are different by 10 weeks and the serial numbers are 100's apart.
My opterons serial numbers differ by 7. All other info is exactly the same. Hence what I thought was a matched pair.
This philosophy should stay the same for Graphics, HD's and memory.
Or am I wrong?

 

[mctiny]

Matched pairs normally mean the same model, core, cache and week number is good.

The closer the two CPUs are the better chance of being matched.

 

[Justintime]

Never had an issue with unmatched cpus, PIII, Athlon MP, Opteron and Xeon.

 

[mctiny]

Never had an issue with unmatched cpus, PIII, Athlon MP, Opteron and Xeon.

From a "Server" point of view it's best, otherwise I can't see any problems.

 

[Justintime]

Fair enough, but in 99.9% of the cases it won't bring any quirks to the table. I would'nt however, for instance put a palomino MP and Tbred Mp of the same speed in a dual board, don't even know if it'll work out Have put Durons and Bartons in SMP in the past though, totally unmatched and not really meant for SMP, no problems.