What would be the best DC system?

[Fozzie]

If we look at all the ins and outs what is everyone's opinions, taking into account initial cost, overclocking and output on various projects.

[Bok]

Overclocked E6300 IMO.

[Digital Parasite]

I wonder how the new non-extreme quad-core stacks up? Should be cheaper than two dual-core systems, not sure how the output stacks up if you have 4 DC clients running at the same time (so all sharing the same memory bus).

[Chinasaur]

Depends on which project you choose. If OGR, then the best is a Dual G5 Macintosh.

[Biggles]

Bok is right as of this moment, but Intel do have a few new CPUs in the pipeline. The current E6300 and E6400 are actually Conroe cores, with 2 MB cache disabled. The first Allendales, which will only physically have 2 MB cache will be the E4300 (2 MB cache, 1.8 GHz) and E4400 (2 MB cache, 2.0 GHz), IIRC. What is notable about them is that they run on an 800 MHz FSB and so have multipliers of 9 and 10. Due for release later this month, 21st I think.

There's a few Asrock boards that use DDR memory but support C2Ds. Their FSB tops out at around 300 MHz though. But coupled with these new C2Ds, we could have an awesome combo on our hands.

In Q2, the E6320 and E6420 will come out. Same speed and FSB as the E6300 and E6400, but with 4 MB cache. Should also be good, but in real world terms the 4 MB cache makes less of a difference than you'd think, so the E4xxx series will likely be the kings.

The quad-cores so far haven't appeared to be bandwidth limited.

Shouldn't be helping the competition, but hey, it's all for science really. :)

[jasong]

Same question, but adding the consideration of global warming and recent price cuts of AMD.

Would you guys recommend I rush out and buy an AMD, wait two months and buy an AMD, or save my butt off and get a quad core.(Not afraid of a fourth solution if anyone wants to offer one. :) )

[Fozzie]

based on the 6300 Intel as the quad cores form Intel use the same socket.

[jasong]

Guys, I need some advice. My shopping going to be done at NewEgg.com, and it will probably happen within the next week or so. I'm looking to spend about $500-$700, with $700 being an absolute limit(well, not totally, but a preferred limit). This computer is going to just be a cruncher.

The first expense is for two Windows installations. There isn't enough stuff that can be run on Linux, and I'm tired of feeling like a criminal, which is what I technically am when it comes to one of my computers. Do you guys think I should buy 2 Windows 2000s, 2 XPs, or one of each. I think it's too soon to buy Vista.

After that, it's time for a Core2Duo. Which do you think would be better. Buying a Core2Duo a motherboard, and some cheap memory, or just a c2d, a motherboard, and put in some DDR400 I have lying around. I'm trying to do best bang for buck, and I'm not going to make another purchase until well into the second part of 2007, unless I decide not to go to school, in which case I'll have a ton of money to spend.

What do you guys think?

[Fozzie]

buy the kit Dyy sold, if you were looking to buy a cruncher?:bonk:

[jasong]

Okay, forget the Windows installations, I'll just stick to Linux. Those OSes, even the old ones, are expensive!

Okay, what we're looking for is max throughput. We have about $750 to spend($800 is the hard upper limit). Should I buy a good Core2Duo and Motherboard to use with 1GB of 400MHz RAM, and then no new updates until the second part of this year, or should I worry about RAM, too?

I know there are people here with a LOT of experience with RAM, so I'm going to trust you guys.

[Dyyryath]

I bought an E6600 and it's currently running at 3.3ghz (2.4 is stock) with nothing but air cooling. It's REALLY fast.

[riptide]

A dual cloverton system atm is probably the most pruductive system there is at the moment, with AMD FX-74 in a quad board rubbing shoulders with it. In the future, we will see Tigerton setups with Quad Clovers (16 cores ). They will be something to behold! And by god, I will do next to anyhting for one.
For now, I would aim for quad core. You don't need to get QX6700, but shortly there will be Q6300, Q6400 Q6600 etc available. Would be nice and efficient on the power bill to have 1 or 2 of these rather than a handful of Coroes even.