Dual AMD or P4 3 gig

[Scooba Da Bass]

I'm going to be upgrading soon probably with the GF-FX and want a nice new board and processor(s) to go with it. If the choice was yours what would you go for, a dual AMD system, or the P4 with hyper threading? Any opinions about either?

 

[Testin da Cable]

dual amd all the way baby, and yeah, I'm an amd fanbwoi. tyan's products roxor too. perhaps I just like dual cpu boxen.
</fanboy>

still, it depends what you're going to be doing with the box really Ben. is it just games, or are you planning on *shudders* doing serious stuff with it?
because...*deep breath* if it's just games, just get the fastest single-cpu system you can get.

 

[Will]

If its for the best system spam, dual CPU wins over the fastest Intel every time for geek prowess, hyperthreading or not.

 

[Testin da Cable]

become a geek Ben. you know you want to

 

[Embattle]

If you dual you need Win XP Pro or some other SMP operating system plus it then needs the applications etc that can use both processors and, as TDC points out, most games don't and those that do normally aren't any faster.

While I like AMD their current range topper MP processor is 2400+ and tbh I reckon with what you'll most probably be using it for I would go with an Intel P4 3.06, raw power. Use a Asus P4G8X Deluxe with that P4 3.06 and it'll fly, plus make use of the dual-channel DDR that the mobo offers.

 

[Scooba Da Bass]

Well, it'll be used primarily as a music work machine with games as a secondary consideration. But ideally I'd like both to perform. I know Nuendo will utilise both hyperthreading and dual CPUs as they are available so I guess it comes down to the games, and on that it seems that the p4 wins.

So I'll go for the Asus as you seem to like it Emb.

Next question, what mem should I stick on that, and what HDs should I go with (two internals only, not necessarily massive as I have a bunch of firewire drives for large storage)?

 

[Embattle]

To take advantage of Dual-Channel DDR you must use pairs of memory sticks.

2x Corsair 512MB DDR XMS2700 Platinum CAS2

Get yourself a couple of Western Digital Special Edition drives, they are fast and reliable.

The thing to remember is that the ASUS P4G8X doesn't support IDE RAID but if you wanted, and you got the mobo with the optional Serial ATA onboard, you could get two SATA converters so that you could us the onboard SATA controller.

 

[PR.]

I would say go with the P4 3gig. I have a Dual P3 1gig thats 2ghz of CPU power for Windows XP but it never really felt like that, always seemed pretty slow.

While a dual is 'geeky' its not as effective on the desktop as a single CPU, when you think that most games programmers can't be arsed to make their game stable you should also even less of them make games that support multithreadedness, or something

 

[.Cask]

Can I have your old hardware =]

 

[Dimebag]

Athlon MP 2400+ 180 quid from komplett... so 360 for two.

Pentium 4 3.06 GHz 490 quid from komplett. Need I say more?

Go for the dual processor setup totally.

Dime

 

[Embattle]

I don't think you'll find money is an issue, as Scooba has shown with his purchase of a GFFX even though he has a 9700 Pro already.....its just raw performance he is after.

 

[Big G]

don't forget to buy one of these for your PC case/bedroom if you're fitting a GF FX

Invest in some of these too



Gaz

 

[Mellow-]

I was wondering does a system with two processors have a special motherboard with two slots for the chips or does it have something else? I only ask because i've never seen or used a duel processor system.

 

[Big G]

It has two sockets for two processors, and looks like this

Gaz

 

[S-Gray]

I have a very old Dual Processor Motherboard lying here now... ive never ever tested it, it was more to show people...

its a PC100 BXcell apparently, i say that because thats the only name i can see, altho it sounds like its the name of the Chipset.

Its a Socket A and a Slot 1... it seems to be relativly "new" also... made around 1999...

If i could get some very cheap parts for it i may even test it... but im 70% sure it doesnt work anyway

/Edit

Ah, its actually a "canada ices-003 class b" Motherboard, the PC100 BXcel is just the Chipset as i said.. seems to be a sort of Server Side motherboard

 

[Sawtooth]

Just a single processor should do it for games. Go get one on the new XP 3GHz babies, with extra kash. It'l go nicely withy your Radeon Pro. Forget the FX the new Radeons will be out soon and they'll sound a lot less than those hoover chips.