Sempron processors for DC Projects

[Unforgiven]

My local Fry's keeps having a deal for a entire pc with a AMD Sempron 2200+ for $199.99 and I am strongly consdering picking up 4 or 5 of them for a herd but I'm not sure about the production for the Sempron processor. Is anyone running the aforementioned processor (or a similar model) listed earlier in my post? I don't know much about these processors because I'm only really familiar with Intel and the AMD 64 lines. Does anyone have comparisons for example of an XP 2200+ vs. a Sempron 2200+ running SETI? Any help would be greatly appreciated.

TIA

 

[mrwizer]

The ratings are different. The Semperon 2200+ is at 1.5GHz, while the XP 2200+ is at 1.80GHz. Although the Semperon runs at 333FSB, while the XP's at those speeds run at 266. But other than the differences in the rating, I believe that at the same speed they perform close. Is that what you mean?

For $200, you would find it difficult to build your own... I did a quick check, and for the same price the only difference would be faster memory/FSB (333 compared to 266) , 350W PSU, and no floppy. But all that is without shipping.

I still have a 1.3 Duron crunching FaD that is worth it to me. And if I could pick up a Semperon for super cheap, I would go for it.

 

[mrwizer]

But how are you going to get 4 or 5??? On the outpost site, it says limit one per household. Is that only on the web?

 

[JWMiddleton]

This weekend Fry' has the 2400+ with mobo for $69.99. I got that setup many months ago. I put in a used HD and PCI video card and got it running for much less than $200. It runs a SETI WU in 3h2m average or 7.92 WU/Day. Not too bad for the money.

As mrwizer said, the Sempron is an XP running at 333 MHz FSB.

 

[lane42]

I just put a 2600+ Sempron in a Shuttle SFF. Got it from 1.8 to 2.2 with just a slight vcore bump, 1.65 to 1.7
The only problem was every wu it did at this speed was corupt, Every WU. I saw every time it got to between 12 and 15% it went right to 100% and started the next wu. Have to run under 200 FSB with seti on this box

 

[Coquito]

Agp/pci lock problems on that shuttle? Or maybe it just doesn't have one.

 

[lane42]

No lock. It's a VIA KM400 chipset. Sempron's are great overclockers and i here guy's getting 2.4 and 2.5 Gig. out of them with not much problem.

 

[Unforgiven]

Originally posted by: mrwizer
But how are you going to get 4 or 5??? On the outpost site, it says limit one per household. Is that only on the web?

there is no mail in rebate to worry about so. all you technically have to do is leave the store, go back in and you are considered a new customer upon reentry. either that or ill take some friends with me. either way it sounds like it may be worth it for a cheap herd that could do some decent production. i know its not gonna be blazing fast but for $199 its hard to find a whole system that cheap.

 

[BlackMountainCow]

The Sempron only has 256k of cache while a Barton based Athlon XP+ has 512k of cache, which can have impact on WU times, no matter what project. But it's still a good offer.

 

[mrwizer]

Originally posted by: Unforgiven

Originally posted by: mrwizer
But how are you going to get 4 or 5??? On the outpost site, it says limit one per household. Is that only on the web?

there is no mail in rebate to worry about so. all you technically have to do is leave the store, go back in and you are considered a new customer upon reentry. either that or ill take some friends with me. either way it sounds like it may be worth it for a cheap herd that could do some decent production. i know its not gonna be blazing fast but for $199 its hard to find a whole system that cheap.

Got it. If you get a few, let us know how it goes.

And are you going to run Linux, or change to Windows?

 

[Unforgiven]

probably going to be running windows 2000. they come with lindows which is a joke so a reformat will be first and foremost

 

[Assimilator1]

The Sempron 3000 is based on the Barton core & thus that 1 has 512k cache (though its not cheap)

 

[BlackMountainCow]

Originally posted by: Assimilator1
The Sempron 3000 is based on the Barton core & thus that 1 has 512k cache (though its not cheap)

That's right, but Unforgiven is talking about a Sempron 2200+ here --> 256k cache!

 

[networkman]

Well, speaking specifically about the Sempron 2200+, I happen to have one in "Osiris".. one of my Goa'uld rigs running the Einstein@Home project. It does one of that project's workunits in a little over 8 hours -- that's 24/7 dedicated on a Win2k box.

That's particulary interesting to me because my (4) XP2000+ boxes(Amaterasu, Apophis, Baal, Cronos) are all running faster -- ie, completing workunits in a little over 7 hours. OS is the same, ram count is the same, and just like the Sempron chip, they all have 128k L1 cache and 256k L2 cache. In fact, I would think it should be the Sempron that would be running faster because of the 333bus. :roll: Perhaps it's the chipset of the board slowing it down.. not really sure.. just giving you my results.

 

[BlackMountainCow]

Actually, that doesn't surprise me at all: Sempron 2200+ = 1500 Mhz while Athlon XP 2000+ = 1667 Mhz. Doesn't look like much, but especially in long WUs like E@H it just accumulates over the time.

 

[Assimilator1]

Originally posted by: BlackMountainCow

Originally posted by: Assimilator1
The Sempron 3000 is based on the Barton core & thus that 1 has 512k cache (though its not cheap)

That's right, but Unforgiven is talking about a Sempron 2200+ here --> 256k cache!

Ok

 

[BadThad]

Just for reference, I recently put together a very inexpensive XP system:

- XP 2500+ Barton used $50
- Albatron NForce2 mobo new $47
- 512MB Crucial PC2700 used $45

The mult is unlocked on the 2500+ Barton, I was able to change the mult to 13x at default voltage and get 2.2GHz out of it. My SETI@Home wu average is 2:25 after around 200 wu's....which is excellent....I sure it's faster than the Semperon.

Nonetheless, $199 for a complete PC is impossible to beat, IMO. My system doesn't include video, case, PS and hdd.

 

[The Reaper]

I wish we had a Fry's around here.

 

[kb3edk]

Originally posted by: The Reaper
I wish we had a Fry's around here.

Yeah, at the risk of being OT, I've heard Fry's is sort of a "destination" store for electronics, and that each store has its own theme. I wish they had one here in Pennsylvania, instead we just got a "Cabela's" which is the destination store chain for guns, hunting, and fishing, with its own aquarium and 50-ft. tall taxidermy display. So you know what people's priorities are around here :roll:

At least there's a MicroCenter near my place... it's not as cheap as Newegg but it's still better than CompUSA (where you can get a Radeon 7000 for the low low price of $100... meh).

 

[Kenazo]

Would you all of a sudden get a better return on your money by buying a A64-3000 or some higher end rig and oc'ing it as far as you could?? 5 Sempron's would run you about $1000, and for that price you could build two a64-3000.

 

[Unforgiven]

good point, but add in cases, hard drives, video cards, ram and the cost of two a64-3000's would be well over $1000.

 

[mrwizer]

Originally posted by: Kenazo
Would you all of a sudden get a better return on your money by buying a A64-3000 or some higher end rig and oc'ing it as far as you could?? 5 Sempron's would run you about $1000, and for that price you could build two a64-3000.

I think that 5 Semperon rigs would crunch more than 2 A64 rigs. That is at least in my experience with FaD.

 

[Kenazo]

Originally posted by: Unforgiven
good point, but add in cases, hard drives, video cards, ram and the cost of two a64-3000's would be well over $1000.

In Canadian prices (I'm a canuck)

2 cases: $90
hdd's: any crap off the FS/T forums $30
Ram: $75/512 = $150
MOBO (K8M800 w/ onboard vid): $75each $150
A64-3000 $185 each = 370
Total: $790cdn Plus, the power draw on 2 A64's would be substantiall less than 5 sempron 2200 machines.

I think this is your best bet, personally.

Though your very best bet would be to buy the $200 computers, install your crunching programs, then sell the computers to relatives at your cost. that way they pay the electricity and you get the benefits.

 

[GeoffS]

*sigh* Wishing there was a Fry's in Vermont :roll: Maybe JWMiddleton sill pick me up a couple of combos!

 

[networkman]

A Fry's in Michigan would be nice too. Not so nice for my bank account, I'm certain.