I don't much care for the dual AMD, it takes extra cycles when the two procs need access to the same ram. The OS is going to address the RAM the same way regardless of which proc is using it, so if you are running a multi-threaded app that uses both CPUs they will be doing a lot of extra talking on the ram controller. In a single socket system I think it is great, just not in the multi-socket world.
The Dual core stuff works out to about 1.7 procs from a performance standpoint, but in general CPU has not been a bottleneck in years. The problem is either going to be the Disk IO or the memory. In the new Intel stuff the ram is on the same bus with everything else. No more North/South bridge stuff. > -----Original Message----- > From: Jim Davis [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] > Sent: Thursday, November 30, 2006 1:45 AM > To: CF-Community > Subject: RE: getting a new computer > > > > > > > I have been an AMD fan for a few years but the Intel Core2 Duos are > way > > too > > sweet to pass up if I buy now. > > I usually go Intel but have been annoyed at their lack of dual cpu > support > since the PIII. > > This last time out I did an ASUS K8N-DL mobo with dual Opteron 252's > (socket > 940). It'll take pretty much any socket 940 chip (including the > Athlon, but > only singly). With dual-core Opteron's like the 880 out you can stick > in > one dual-core chip and then add another later (if money's tight) for a > total > of four active cores. > > True multiple processor system edge out dual-core chips simply because > there's less chance of conflict. Each CPU has it's own memory > controller, > it's own memory, etc. If you multitask a lot running a dually is a > dream. > > Using one-Gig chips you can dedicate two gig of RAM to each physical > processor (dual channel) - makes for a screaming fast system. The > board > actually has 6 RAM slots supporting up to 24 Gig of RAM. > > There are more drive options than you can shake a stick at (10 > different > ports on two dedicated controllers both supporting RAID > configurations). A > total of 10 possible USB ports, two firewire ports, 7 mobo fan > connectors > and more than serviceable audio (8 channel digital audio). > > The expansion options are bit light but not disappointing. One PCI-E > graphics slot (so no SLI but you said gaming wasn't a priority) and two > PCI > slots. > > In short the board is billed as a "server" board but has all of the > home > user bell-and-whistles you could want (who needs 8 channel audio in a > server > room anyway?) > > I run a geForce 770 in mine and it's smooth as butter in games like > "Half-Life 2" and "Oblivion". It's also nice because the card has dual > DVI > connectors (I run dual 18" LCDs). > > I run my system in an Antec Sonata II mid-tower case. It's a little > cramped > (two of the SATA connectors can't be used because of the case) but > heat's > not a problem and it's a heck of a lot easier to manage than my giant > old > aluminum server case. > > I did replace the stock CPU coolers with better Zalman ones but that's > the > only concession to heat I made. > > The system runs almost non-stop and is extremely stable... except for > the > very few times when it's not. ;^) > > Jim Davis > > > ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~| Introducing the Fusion Authority Quarterly Update. 80 pages of hard-hitting, up-to-date ColdFusion information by your peers, delivered to your door four times a year. http://www.fusionauthority.com/quarterly Archive: http://www.houseoffusion.com/groups/CF-Community/message.cfm/messageid:221465 Subscription: http://www.houseoffusion.com/groups/CF-Community/subscribe.cfm Unsubscribe: http://www.houseoffusion.com/cf_lists/unsubscribe.cfm?user=11502.10531.5
