Go Back   Sports Car Forum - MotorWorld.net > Hobbies and Leisure Time > Computers, Consoles, Gadgets And Gizmos



Reply
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
Old 08-20-2006, 02:23 PM   #1
Sir_GT
Regular User
 
Join Date: Apr 2004
Location: Somewhere in the Philippines
Posts: 1,456
Default Project: I want to build a quad-core system... input?

Let's not go windows vs mac here.

I have to admit, I really like the idea of having the hardware that the macpro offers, but I still don't feel like paying that price for it, especially since I know the bulk of the cash goes to a profit margin.

So why dont we go the PC route, and build one, same spec as the macpro, but try to beat the price?

Input from anyone then? What motherboards to use? Ram? etc? I know Pentium Xeon's are the only choice for a multiple processor system (Apparently Core 2 Duo's can only run by themselves), so where do we start?
__________________
Studio Gecko
Sir_GT is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-20-2006, 06:14 PM   #2
dutchmasterflex
Regular User
 
Join Date: Jul 2003
Posts: 4,566
Default

Do you really need all that power?
__________________
dutchmasterflex is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-20-2006, 06:21 PM   #3
nickthaskater
 
Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: Richmond, BC, Canada
Posts: 1,056
Default

Originally Posted by dutchmasterflex
Do you really need all that power?
Do we really need Zondas?
__________________
nickthaskater is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-20-2006, 07:13 PM   #4
cooperluke
Regular User
 
Join Date: Mar 2004
Location: Leiria, Portugal
Posts: 1,443
Default

Yep... we need Zondas!! I need!! Just that noise....
__________________
CB

cooperluke is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-20-2006, 07:59 PM   #5
TNT
Regular User
 
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: :noitacoL
Posts: 2,670
Default

I would just head to a trusted computer store and ask them prices. that would be the best idea IMO. get some ball parks.
__________________
TNT is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-20-2006, 08:14 PM   #6
Pimp Racer
Regular User
 
Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: 30° 4' N 85° 35' W
Posts: 1,783
Default

Check out that thread with the mac pro in which elein made. I posted prices of hardware that are similiar to the Macpro and it comes to round 2000 I think. Anyways if I were you and you seriously are thinking about building a computer just wait till January when the eight core comes out and spend a g or 2 more and make it future proof for a while at least.....or if you really dont do that much intense apps then just go 4 cores or even 2. May I ask what ya gonna do with the comp?
__________________
http://gthotspot.blogspot.com/
Pimp Racer is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-20-2006, 08:41 PM   #7
RC45
Regular User
 
Join Date: Jun 2003
Location: Texas
Posts: 15,413
Default

I have just one question?

Why?
RC45 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-21-2006, 02:28 AM   #8
Sir_GT
Regular User
 
Join Date: Apr 2004
Location: Somewhere in the Philippines
Posts: 1,456
Default

Originally Posted by RC45
I have just one question?

Why?
Curiousity if I'm being honest with you.

I'm curious how much of a difference all that power makes with regards to everything.

Pimp Racer: I think I'll have to read that thread again. Link to the eight-core system news?
__________________
Studio Gecko
Sir_GT is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-21-2006, 02:35 AM   #9
saadie
Regular User
 
Join Date: Jan 2004
Location: north-south of nowhere
Posts: 6,869
Default

hmm ...... get a dual processor board ... hook up two dual coure processors ...
__________________
saadie is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-21-2006, 06:49 AM   #10
Shinigami
Regular User
 
Join Date: Jun 2005
Location: Lausanne, Switzerland
Posts: 955
Default

If you go with Xeon's, you'll be paying quite a bit of cash... not really worth it if all that you're looking for is an answer to your curiosity.

Also, many Xeon boards don't offer the chance to hook up proper video cards to harness all that power.

I've been running SMP PC's for a long time now, and whilst they're nice when you have a certain number of applications open (for example, surfing the new while rebuilding a 3d scene is no problem), you need to understand that there are many applications which simply will not take advantage of multiple processors. Games are notorious for this, and those who do support more then one processors, don't usually run that much faster as the bottle neck is often the video card, and it also requires some tinkering to modify the game to run that way...

If you want SMP, just go with a dual AMD system or something. Not too expensive, and you'll see some difference for sure.
__________________
My new car: MB SLK55 AMG (36months, 40,000miles and still flawless)
My old car: MB SLK230K Brabus - sold
Shinigami is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-21-2006, 07:27 AM   #11
Sir_GT
Regular User
 
Join Date: Apr 2004
Location: Somewhere in the Philippines
Posts: 1,456
Default

Originally Posted by saadie
hmm ...... get a dual processor board ... hook up two dual coure processors ...
That's the idea.

Thamar: Wouldn't that be throwing away good money? Since AMD's dual core's aren't really that competitive compared to Intel's?

Also, it's not supposed to be used at home. It's for the office anyway. So it's actually an investment, but the reason why I decided to go for one PC with 4 cores rather than 2 dual-core pc's is due to my curiousity.

Shinigami: The macpro's board lets you hook up quite a lot of videocards IIRC. I need to check to be sure.

Again, the purpose of this isn't to test how much the hardware will affect one application; rather, it's a test to see how much improvement there will be with regards to multitasking.
__________________
Studio Gecko
Sir_GT is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-21-2006, 08:33 AM   #12
RC45
Regular User
 
Join Date: Jun 2003
Location: Texas
Posts: 15,413
Default

Originally Posted by Sir_GT
Again, the purpose of this isn't to test how much the hardware will affect one application; rather, it's a test to see how much improvement there will be with regards to multitasking.
The answer, not much at all.

I gave up an 8way dual core system (16 effective procs is what Windows saw) a while back - because it did nothing quicker than any other system with the same clock speed would do... even when using multi-proc aware applicaitons.

It's only value was bragging rights..
RC45 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-21-2006, 11:02 AM   #13
dutchmasterflex
Regular User
 
Join Date: Jul 2003
Posts: 4,566
Default

Listen to RC, he know's what he's talking about

You'll see a bit of a difference when you run a shit load applications at the same time.. but it will also slow down in certain areas where it looks through your quad caches and huge main memory..
__________________
dutchmasterflex is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-21-2006, 12:15 PM   #14
SFDMALEX
Regular User
 
Join Date: Jun 2003
Location: Canada
Posts: 5,337
Default

Its tottaly useless because a lot of programs arent even optimized to run two cores, I doubt very much that there is anything you will do that will take use of 4 cores.


And I have no problems with an old HT 3.4 as far as multitasking goes And I usualy have a ton of applications open at once.
SFDMALEX is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-21-2006, 12:32 PM   #15
Sir_GT
Regular User
 
Join Date: Apr 2004
Location: Somewhere in the Philippines
Posts: 1,456
Default

Originally Posted by RC45
Originally Posted by Sir_GT
Again, the purpose of this isn't to test how much the hardware will affect one application; rather, it's a test to see how much improvement there will be with regards to multitasking.
The answer, not much at all.

I gave up an 8way dual core system (16 effective procs is what Windows saw) a while back - because it did nothing quicker than any other system with the same clock speed would do... even when using multi-proc aware applicaitons.

It's only value was bragging rights..
Well. Then there's no point then is there?

*kicks a can*
__________________
Studio Gecko
Sir_GT is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply

Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off

Forum Jump