🚀 go-pugleaf

William Park wrote:
> In comp.os.linux.hardware Floyd Davidson <floyd@ptialaska.net> wrote:
> 
>>warren22432@yahoo.com (warr) wrote:
>>
>>>"Scud" <arahmati(NOSPAM)@ihug.com.au> wrote in message news:<av5qtf$tcf$1@lust.ihug.co.nz>...
>>>
>>>>hmm well when i researched the dual vs. single CPU option there wasnt must
>>>>to gain from dual CPU for what i wanted to do so single seemed the way to go
>>>>unless you plan on using software writtne to utilise the dual advantage...
>>>
>>>this is true. and if the software is only written for single CPU, your
>>>dual CPU system may be even slower than Single CPU system.
>>
>>How do you figure that?

I was trying to figure that out %-/


>>
>>A single cpu system might be faster *if* there is only one
>>process running most of the time.  On the other hand, if there
>>are 2 or more processes running a dual cpu system is going to be
>>faster.  On my box the X server is always running, plus whatever
>>else I'm doing.  Hence there is *never* a time when a single cpu
>>would be as fast as a dual cpu system for my typical usage.
> 
> 
> Obviously, you don't do much harddisk trashing.  

I'll assume that's a typo...

> For CPU consideration
> only, dual can run 2 processes, so it's more responsive, both in theory
> and in practice.  If you are doing lots of IDE I/O, then your computer
> will crawl no matter what.  So, it makes more sense to go with
> single-CPU and spend some money on SCSI.

What?  That's why God invented Cache architectures for use with
symmetrical multiprocessing systems.  It is ALWAYS better to use
a multi-processing system for modern operating system architectures.
No good for CP/M, MS-DOS or Windows 95.  Plenty good for all brands
of *NIX, winslows2000, NT (VMSII).


> 
> Also, dual-motherboard is hard to come by and is expensive.  

Dunno.  I bought one in this newsgroup only a scant few weeks
ago. A ridgy-didge Gigabyte GA-6BXDU slot 1 i440BX
dual processor motherboard with an Adaptec AIC78796
SCSI 32-bits Ultra 2 controller with three 168-pins LVD
connectors for Ultra SCSI-2, and a 50-pin 8-bit connector for
supporting Ultra SCSI devices, 4 168 pin DIMM sockets,
4 PCI slots, 3 ISA slots, and 1 AGP port, 1x floppy port (360KB-2.88MB)
2x serial ports (16550 high-speed), 1x parallel port (EPP/ECP)
PS/2 Keyboard port, PS/2 Mouse port, 2x USB ports.

Populated with two Intel Pentium 400 PIII CPUs (LOVE those big
turbo fan jobs :-))), power supply, tower box, floppy
drive and complete (and neat) cables.  $180 (AU) ($98 (US)),

Thank you wonderful people!

I stuck a spare 20 Gb disk in it, an old CD-ROM from a 233 MMX
and scrounged around for two 128 Mb DRAM sticks and away we go!

Redhat 7.3, 2.4.18-3 MPX kernel.

This box cooks along!  Doing computational biology at
university, the machine runs X and modelling software,
and a whole bunch of math in C and pattern matching in Perl.

My brother has a 1.3 GHz Athelon running up winslows
2000 Pro, and my pre-loved box leaves his at the gate ;-)

Have fun.

Mark Addinall.