Dual Socket A64 Mobo

[Icemanguru]

Hello everyone,
I am new to this form. I have helped a family member build a new A64 system and I have to say. The A64 processors are super fast. But my question is that I have an old Athlon 550 and I am about to upgrade and put a new system together in the summer. I am looking for a motherboard that can accept 2 A64 processors or 2 Optron processors the 200 model series and I mean the low end not the high end. Can some one please tell me. Is there any new mother boards comming out with Dual A64 socket support . I have searched and have come across one MSI board which is no longer on there web site and a few by Tyan. If someone can please help me that would be nice. I am holding a budget of about $2000 for this new system.
Please reply
Thanks,
icemanguru

 

[Adul]

for dual processors you need to go with an opteron.


With that out of the way, Tyan makes a nice dual opteron Motherboard.

 

[Icemanguru]

Thanks for the quick reply. But one problem is that ther eis no over clock if i am right on the Tyan mother board built in the BIOS. Also I need a board with about 4 to 5 PCI slots. Or PCIE slots that are backward compatiable. Is there a tyan board that can accept 2 Optron 242 series or higher processors and have about 4 PCI slots and one PCIE slot or all PCI slots or all PCIE with backward compability. That is what I am looking for.
Please help
Thanks,
Icemanguru
P.S. Also one more thing. Are the Opton 64 processors backward compability to 32bit. I will be rinning either xp pro or win 2k until they come out with the 64bit OS.

 

[MDE]

Yes, ALL Operon and Athlon 64 processors are fully 32-bit backwards compatible. My Athlon 64 laptop is running the 32 bit version of XP Professional without any issues.

 

[Icemanguru]

Thanks MDE. But still have one more question need help with. Sorry to repost it

Thanks for the quick reply. But one problem is that ther eis no over clock if i am right on the Tyan mother board built in the BIOS. Also I need a board with about 4 to 5 PCI slots. Or PCIE slots that are backward compatiable. Is there a tyan board that can accept 2 Optron 242 series or higher processors and have about 4 PCI slots and one PCIE slot or all PCI slots or all PCIE with backward compability. That is what I am looking for.
Please help
Thanks,
Icemanguru
P.S. Or is it better for me to look at Intel Xeon processors. But my only worry is that the Xeon are not 64 bit processors. and if so were do they start with what processor speed and FSB and Cache. I was looking at pricewatch and trying to figure out which Xeon processors are 64bit compatible

 

[elecrzy]

if you want a board with PCIe support, you'll want to wait for a NForce4 Mobo. Some companies are even going to release Dual Opteron boards with SLI support. So it all depends on you. Personally, I've been waiting for the Dual Opteron boards w/ PCIe(I don't like PCI or PCI-X) as well. Right now, I'm stuck with a dual PIII rig so that tells you how patient I've been.

 

[LTC8K6]

There are no PCI-E slots that are backwards compatible to PCI. They are totally different.

Intel's 64bit Xeons will have EM64T (Extended Memory 64 Technology) in their description. They are known as Nocona processors. They use socket 604. Newegg has them for sale.

 

[winterlude]

If you want to overclock, either go with a single Althlon FX55, or wait for multicores next year. Most PC software isn't optimized for multithread (yet). Unless you're running a server, going with dual opterons and trying to turn it into a desktop overclocker doesn't sound like the best idea. Opterons are built for servers meaning that stability is a high priority. That's why you're unlikely to find boards that overclock. The FX55 is an enthusiast's chip built for overclocking (if you get lucky with the CPU) since they are not multiplier locked. However, even in that case, you are better off waiting a bit until the FX's move to a 90nano process which will give you more headroom for overclocking. Opterons are already shipping with 90nm, so the FX at 90nm may be coming soon. You'll have to do a little research and have some patience to find out.

 

[Icemanguru]

How tell me if I am wrong but if I get the PI-X or PI-e slots on the dual socket mobo then I will have to find a new IDE expansion card and also new pci capture card. On and Should I get a Sound blaster card or use the on board.
Thanks,
Icemanguru

 

[SrGuapo]

What are you going to be doing with this system? I really would recommend against a dual CPU system unless you do alot of multithreaded stuff (not games) or are setting up a server.

 

[jvarszegi]

Originally posted by: LTC8K6
There are no PCI-E slots that are backwards compatible to PCI. They are totally different.

What? Really? Please, are you sure? Here's a link:
http://www.expresslaneitnet.org/info/

I need to know now if I really can't use my TV capture card in my new PCIe system I'm building. I've been reading all along that PCIe slots were backwards-compatible.

 

[Icemanguru]

I am going to use this PC not only for gaming but alot of home DVD makeing. I am very audio and video crazy and I like to take my home videos that I have shot with my Mini Dv cam and make DVD fo rmy family members. But I want to be able to multi and like run 2 dvd program makeing 2 different dvd movies at the same time. And also be able to watch a moive or play a game at t he same time. that is why i am also goign to be adding 2GB of ram in this system

Icemanguru

P.S. I have so many home videos that my AMD 550 can not handel and just restarts so I got to make the old PC in to a door stop and get back in the program.

 

[jvarszegi]

I looked up the PCIe specifications from the SIG, and they're mostly focused on more technical stuff than answering my question quickly. However, I also found this article, which I now realize is what led me to the assumption that PCIe is backwards compatible in the first place:

http://www.anandtech.com/syste...oc.aspx?i=1830&p=7

 

[1336]

TYhey'll still have the original PCI slots in there. But no, you can't jam your capture card in the PCIe 1x slot.