Server specifications for v9 site

[paulbeckett]

Hi all

I'm trying to understand server specifications for a v9 site and if I upgrade, where the performance benefits (if any) would be found.

My current dedicated server runs...

HP ProLiant DL380 2 x Intel Xeon 2.8Ghz
4GB RAM

My version 9 site (www.kjbeckett.com) is pretty quick but I would always be looking for it to be faster if at all possible. My biggest focus is on response time following "Add to Cart" or going through the checkout pages. Here the there is a delay on load (if only a sec) that I would love to reduce if possible.

I'm currently working with the hosts to understand the next option for upgrading the servers and I'm other options include specs like...

Twin 6-Core Xeon X5650 (12 cores) - 2.66GHz/12MB Cache
12GB DDR3 1333MHz

or

Intel Core i5 Dual Core 3.2GHz (4MB Cache)
4GB DDR3 RAM

or

Intel Xeon Quad Core 2.9GHz (8MB Cache)
8GB DDR3 RAM

Would any of these options, or similar, give me page load time benefits? Is there any advantage or running Quad core or more? Does Quad core only really benefit when dealing with large visitor volumes and therefore should I just focus on faster dual core?

If anyone has any general advice about how to absolutely maximise website performance (via server spec) I would appreciate it.

(Note - I appreciate the server is not the only factor in website performance and we are always looking to design in a optimal way but we are currently focusing on server performance).

Paul