Wait for Trinity or build Llano system now?

[JimmiG]

I'm looking to build a cheap, small virtualization "server" for labs and for teaching myself.

I was thinking about going with the AMD A6 3670K (2.7 GHz Quad), 16GB oF RAM and a uATX case+mobo. That would give me 4 cores, hardware virtualization and built-in graphics so I don't need to get a video card just for the first 45 minutes of setting the system up (before moving it into the closet and only connecting via RDP). Per-core performance isn't very important and I doubt I would need more than 4 cores.

However with Trinity just around the corner, should I wait? Will that affect CPUs <$90 too (most information seems to be about the 4+GHz models)? Maybe even more price drops are coming (though these CPUs are ridiculously cheap for Quad-core already).

As for my main system, I'll wait until Haswell comes out, this is just a secndary system for playing around with virtualization, Linux and Windows Server and to have something low-power I can run 24/7.

 

[daveybrat]

I'd rather have a Trinity for low power then. Some of the Trinity Quad's will be 100Watt just like Llano, but some models will be 65Watt. A 65Watt Quad-core with nice graphics sounds like a winner for you.

And don't forget, FM2 socket should have a longer lifeline than FM1 socket which is already dead.

 

[Centauri]

Not waiting a week for Trinity at this point would be silly. Unless of course you're counting on snapping up cheap Llano tech in the aftermath.

 

[SPBHM]

I don't have to much experience with visualization, but the A10 will cost $135,
you can buy the 8120 for maybe $30 more, wouldn't it be a lot better with 8 threads for virtual machines?

also, you can get a cheap MB with 760-880G, if you don't need a lot of GPU power it should work!?

but at the moment, if you can wait for trinity, it might be worth it compared to llano...

 

[beginner99]

What do you mean with "Labs and for myself"?

for me that sounds like "will barley be used much" but I might be wrong. What will you do on those VMs?

I just have the feeling you will be I/O limited mainly. Eg. get the cheapest dual-core (eg pentium 620g or similar, has a GPU in it too) and invest money saved in better storage (speak ssd) or at least 1 hdd per VM.

Runnign multiple VMs from same HDD -> You will feel that a lot more than running 4 of them on a dual-core.

 

[jaydee]

Llano or Trinity both seem like the wrong tool for the job. Main benefit is very good on-chip graphics, and they will be completely wasted...

 

[Fox5]

What do you mean with "Labs and for myself"?

for me that sounds like "will barley be used much" but I might be wrong. What will you do on those VMs?

I just have the feeling you will be I/O limited mainly. Eg. get the cheapest dual-core (eg pentium 620g or similar, has a GPU in it too) and invest money saved in better storage (speak ssd) or at least 1 hdd per VM.

Runnign multiple VMs from same HDD -> You will feel that a lot more than running 4 of them on a dual-core.

Depends on what he's doing.
The cheap AMD hardware might have more/better virtualization extensions than the cheap Intel hardware, though?