OPINIONS requested :) A64 vs. Dual 2400+ MP's

Monoman

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Mar 4, 2001
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I am purly looking for opinions on this one, which would you rather have given the information you have gathered. I will list a couple computers in my farm to start with.


Celeron 450
Dual XEON 450
PIII 800
PIII 1000
Thunderbird 1400
Dual MP 1600+

to name a few..


also this system will have a 15k.3 subsystem so disk access is screaming fast..

I am just debating what route I will go next. either, the new A64 939 chipset or go ahead and get another Dual system. I really enjoy the dually's ability to multitask without a hitch. but, will the RAW speed of the A64 be worth not getting a dual rig? They are right about at the same price anyway.

Thanks for your opinion.

Mitch
 

mechBgon

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What about a single Opteron on a dual-ready board? :D
 

Monoman

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Originally posted by: mechBgon
What about a single Opteron on a dual-ready board? :D

thought about that... but I would be tempted to sell my soul to get the entire setup.. on a grand budget and I need a videocard. :)
 

mechBgon

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Originally posted by: Monoman
Originally posted by: mechBgon
What about a single Opteron on a dual-ready board? :D

thought about that... but I would be tempted to sell my soul to get the entire setup.. on a grand budget and I need a videocard. :)
Dang, he's onto me :p

What stuff will you use it for, and what is your priority ranking of those activities?
 

Monoman

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well, frankly (least important is gaiming but I have to be able to do it. I own a LAN party business so it would be stupid not to) I dable with software development in linux and windows and do alot of WEB development with dreamweaver and photoshop. but throw gaiming the browsing these boards...
 

Sideswipe001

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May 23, 2003
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I'd *probably* go with the A64, even though I love my dual Xeon board. The MPs just aren't fast enough anymore, and their chipsets lack a lot (USB2.0, SATA, etc). I'd like to get dual Opterons, but a single A64 would be better for you, I'd think.
 

Monoman

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Originally posted by: Sideswipe001
I'd *probably* go with the A64, even though I love my dual Xeon board. The MPs just aren't fast enough anymore, and their chipsets lack a lot (USB2.0, SATA, etc). I'd like to get dual Opterons, but a single A64 would be better for you, I'd think.



Thanks.... although it doesn't have USB2.0, SATA is not of interest to me either because I have been spoiled by the goodness of 15k scsi :D
 

mechBgon

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Well first of all, if I had that fleet at my disposal, I would split up the duties. Use your dual MP 1600+ for the work stuff, and build an A64 gaming rig to power your gaming video card. If you don't feel the dual MP 1600+ is fast enough on any single task, smack a couple MP2400+'s into it. Or am I talking crazy talk here? :D
 

Monoman

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Originally posted by: mechBgon
Well first of all, if I had that fleet at my disposal, I would split up the duties. Use your dual MP 1600+ for the work stuff, and build an A64 gaming rig to power your gaming video card. If you don't feel the dual MP 1600+ is fast enough on any single task, smack a couple MP2400+'s into it. Or am I talking crazy talk here? :D


sounds like plain english here to me but unfortunately, I am not at leasure (not risking having to reinstall linux and config all the games again) to use the dual MP rig although with another drive I could use it... I was mainly seekin info on creating a BadA$$ rig. I am leaning more towards the A64 but I know I will miss the multitasking of the dual rig. I am researching Dual Operons now......
 

mechBgon

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Dual Opterons, or even a single Opteron on a dualie board, would also open the door to the option of a couple nice fast PCI-X buses, and you know what you can use those for... :) :music: Keep an eye on their PSU requirements (EPS or ATX?) and their chassis requirements (I could not fit anything larger than a standard ATX-sized board into my Lian-Li, for example).
 

Pariah

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Apr 16, 2000
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The A64 has a much more robust and up to date platform and will trash a dual 2400+ in practically everything.
 

Monoman

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Originally posted by: Pariah
The A64 has a much more robust and up to date platform and will trash a dual 2400+ in practically everything.

Thanks for the explanation....
 

Cerb

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Aug 26, 2000
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A single A64 would be better for all but a very small number of applications. Much fater memory access, not as good for pue nuber crunching, far better gaming and encodig/decoding plaform (though lagging a bit behind the P4s there, due largely to optomizaions for th P4 and few to none for the Athlons), you end up with newer chipset features (USB 2, Firewire if you look, SATA, AGP 8x, etc.).
Socet 939 will largely add PCI Express. It remains to be seen how much that wll really do to add to the life of the PC, but if you shift them down to lesser positions later i their lives, it could be beneficial.
 

Cerb

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Aug 26, 2000
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Originally posted by: mechBgon
Dual Opterons, or even a single Opteron on a dualie board, would also open the door to the option of a couple nice fast PCI-X buses, and you know what you can use those for... :) :music: Keep an eye on their PSU requirements (EPS or ATX?) and their chassis requirements (I could not fit anything larger than a standard ATX-sized board into my Lian-Li, for example).
Good singleA64 system: $1200 hardware.
Half-way deent dual-Opteron (just 240) w/o SCSI: $3500., $4000 w/ SCSI, and $5000 w/ backplane and ZCR (yes, it would be awesome desktop PC, and load times are insane). That'sassuming you already have a KVM and whatnot for it (just the box).
Not a hard decision given how a gaming/development desktop will get used.