• We’re currently investigating an issue related to the forum theme and styling that is impacting page layout and visual formatting. The problem has been identified, and we are actively working on a resolution. There is no impact to user data or functionality, this is strictly a front-end display issue. We’ll post an update once the fix has been deployed. Thanks for your patience while we get this sorted.

Lure of HyperThreading or The Lure of Athlon 64?

D

Daemos

Member
Well time to update my status...as some of you may of read...NEEDS to be done by the end of this year FYI 🙂

I MIGHT come into a little bit more money if all goes well (enough to buy 1gig of DDR400 ram, or change my upgrade parts to an A64 3200+)

Now, I plan to use this as an everyday machine, I plan to use it as a game, encoding, homework, programming, photo/video editing machine.

Now the setups I plan to go are:

A64:
Athlon 64 3200+ w/1GB DDR333 ram
Abit KT800 mobo
No overclocking

P4
2.8 or 3.0C w/1GB DDR400 ram
Abit IC7
SP-94 w/80mm Smartfan II and overclock to say 3.5ghz (probally at most)

Now since I like to keep programs like newsgroups, mIRC, Bittorrents, and msn, nortons, winamp, and whatnot in the background while I play games/do homework...it might be that Hyperthreading may bring a good performance boost here, which would even overcome the awsome power of the A64...since it can run 2 tasks at once vs only 1 task...

Now when I encode and stuff, I'll probally still have mIRC and newsgroups open...but...what do you guys think?

Also really if I can I wanna try to get away with just using My DDR333 ram and getting either a 2.8C or 3.0C with the same cooling up above and get it to 3.5 Ghz using Air cooling and a 3:2 ram divider...any opinions?

PS I will be upgrading again in 1.5-2 years time with a NEW box.
 
Remember that HT doesn't have ALL the benefits of a dual cpu system. I look at it like another set of instructions that help boost programs that work better with more than one cpu. FWIW, I run several things at once on my Barton quite easily. If you really want multitasking ability, go dual or go scsi.... or both! 😛
 
Check out my hyperthreading list on this forum as it list all the confirmed HT enabled apps....


I would go for the P4...the a64 3200+ is not the powerhouse of the fx model so gettig it over the p4 is rather bad move...Any case in most encoding and multiledia the 64bit athlons still are not king...if you can get the 2.8 or 3.5ghz and you plan on not ocing the athlon the better performance in the apps you list is the p4....

I use tmpgenc and in HT enabled I gain on average 22% (check my past HT thread). This was also in single app mode....The gain in this program while multiasking was even more....A lot of encoding and editing programs have been SMT enabled for some time...

My other suggestion is o run 2 HDD system. The advantage of reading from one drive and writing to another is also quite a gain in some apps like encoding and editing...


Also there is no current "awesome power" with the A64 (non fx) model chip!!! read the reviews I don't know where you get that in the apps you suggest running. neither the fx with its dual channel memory controller or the single channel controller of the plain A64 3200+ are awesome in those apps versus the older p4c...No 64bit os from micorsoft so I don't see any advantage....
 
Originally posted by: beatle
FWIW, I run several things at once on my Barton quite easily.
Click to expand...
The point of Hyperthreading is not to be able to run several things at once, it is to be able to run several non-trivial things at once and see an overall increase in throughput.

 
Daemos... Check this thread out HT testing


Here notice what HT on does versus no HT at all and with the no HT t all plug in the Barton minus about 10-20% since the barton can't do multimedia anywhere near that system....A64 would be much closer to the non HT number but look at the efficiency for one who does like to maximize their time on the PC.

 
Originally posted by: Daemos
OH yea I WILL be building a NEW box in 1.5-2 years time so this may change the situation...
Click to expand...

if you state this to tell us this needs to last a bit then I still say p4...Why you may ask....I don't think 64bit in these types of apps is going to deliver what HT or SMT enabled threads already give you....Meaning the p4c Ht enabled in most multimedia apps like you list is already favoring the p4 pretty well...at 3.5ghz there will be a nice lead in those apps....

As time goes on more and more apps with be HT enabled and HT already existing in apps may be refined and even better....If you get the athlon64 by all means get the fx model anyways....

 
Originally posted by: Duvie

My other suggestion is o run 2 HDD system. The advantage of reading from one drive and writing to another is also quite a gain in some apps like encoding and editing...
Click to expand...
Say what? I thought the benches showed no gain at all with 2 drives when encoding and editing. Encoding is CPU bound, not I/O bound.
 
Originally posted by: oldfart
Originally posted by: Duvie

My other suggestion is o run 2 HDD system. The advantage of reading from one drive and writing to another is also quite a gain in some apps like encoding and editing...
Click to expand...
Say what? I thought the benches showed no gain at all with 2 drives when encoding and editing. Encoding is CPU bound, not I/O bound.
Click to expand...

let me restate that...In encoding from straight DVD vobs there was a nice difference as well as using a d2v file as opposed to other format....NOt so much much going from avis or divx files....You are right Oldfart....

Relook at that thread 2 HDD's with apps

Edit: Oldfart is mainly right which is funny since it is my study and thread, but I was thinking the dvd vob files which I do mess around with a lot....
 
Bah I'm Hardly HD bound, by christmas I'll have 2 more HDs making a total of 4 😛

so yea...not really bound there...I always desire more HD space..and I always end up buying more HDs cuz I'm too lazy to burn 😀
 
Make those next 2 hdds or at least the one running the OS and main apps a Raptor!!! I have one and I luv it...
 
Well I've decided because with the encoding work I do, Hyperthreading means NOTHING for a good encode, if I was looking for a okay encode Hyperthreading all the way.

But for the encoding worK I do using the huffyuv trick and yatta Hyperthreading means nothing vs pure FPU power, and with my multitasking it doesn't bring a huge diffrence 2-5% at MOST.

http://guide.mellbin.org/7/divx511.htm

These guys are encoders they encode 24/7 I trust them 🙂

That and the fact the A64 setup will be 50 dollars cheaper...
 
Originally posted by: Daemos
Well I've decided because with the encoding work I do, Hyperthreading means NOTHING for a good encode, if I was looking for a okay encode Hyperthreading all the way.

But for the encoding worK I do using the huffyuv trick and yatta Hyperthreading means nothing vs pure FPU power, and with my multitasking it doesn't bring a huge diffrence 2-5% at MOST.

http://guide.mellbin.org/7/divx511.htm

These guys are encoders they encode 24/7 I trust them 🙂

That and the fact the A64 setup will be 50 dollars cheaper...
Click to expand...

Well I am not sure about Divx since I don't bother with that anymore, but TMPGenc delivered 22% with HT on in single app mode...Also the multtasking numbers are pure Bullshit (2-5% yeah right!!!) and they don't know what they are talking about...Again I tested this weeks ago and the performance was phenomenal....I would sugest you go check it out....


Pure FPU power, huh??? Did you notice that the athlon64 3200+ in single channel memory mode now does't take the multimedia title??? If you cranked the p4 to 3.5 as you stated the spread is even more....

I think you been given the wrong info, but I can give a crap what you buy I just don't want others to read these and get the wrong idea....

 
If you're buying now, I'd say get the P4. 1.5 years from now is pure speculation, however the Athlon 64 platform is on it's way up. Once they refine the platform early in the new year, things are going to change. Suddenly Athlon FX performance will filter down into the mainstream (the Athlon 64 is the EXACT same chip as the FX, just running at a lower clock speed with one of it's memory controllers disabled).

It all depends on how good the prescott will turn out.
 
Originally posted by: Duvie
Make those next 2 hdds or at least the one running the OS and main apps a Raptor!!! I have one and I luv it...
Click to expand...
I have two raptors and have yet to see any extrodinaryness out of them.
 
Originally posted by: beatle
Remember that HT doesn't have ALL the benefits of a dual cpu system. I look at it like another set of instructions that help boost programs that work better with more than one cpu. FWIW, I run several things at once on my Barton quite easily. If you really want multitasking ability, go dual or go scsi.... or both! 😛
Click to expand...

scsi doesnt have anything to do with multitasking... unless you go dual cpus and get 64MB of memory...
 
Honestly id say go intel and let AMDs motherboard line mature further, and the socket 939 change. I hate VIA, and Nforce 3 looks like it needs some work.
 
Whichever you feel like. The Athlons have previously been far better running lots of basic apps, and trying run them while hoggin the machine with encoding and such. With the P4Cs, the P4s are almost up to the Athlon in that regard (unless you do something silly like turn off HT), and if you're encoding music, videos (unless you use one of the few Athlon-centric encoders), or doing basic file compression, the P4 will run over the Athlon. For games, the Athlon has a slight edge right now, and with your overclocking one but not the other, that would make the P4 a better buy. Overclock both and they become even once again, where the app used and its settings will make the difference between them, rather than there being a blanket better or worse choice.

If you can't get the Athlon64 w/ 1GB of PC3200, then definitely get the P4 (with the P4C 3.2GHz, the prices even out between the CPU, mobo and HSF). If you're going to overclock the P4 but not the Athlon, go with the P4.
 
Well, I would go for Intel P4 for now. (and that's what I am going to do next month) I personally think it's too early to go for Athlon64 now. Yes, I know and agree it is the beginning of 64-bit computing, however, it seems like the time is not yet. I would definetely go for Athlon64 after 2 years from now, however, not right now.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

TRENDING THREADS

Back
Top