Re: New Computer

[Chris Albertson <chrisalbertson90278@yahoo.com>]

Just got back from a couple weeks in Canada (Vancouver, BC)
All bet a Pentium $, 3GHz with "hyperthreading" would be almost
exactly as fast as your dual AMD system.

Processing images is one of theose tasks that can be split up
and run on a group of computerss.  Why not just look at the current
"sweat spot" (maybe about 2.8Ghz with 1GB RAM) and buy as many of
these as you want.  Then use one of your older machines as a file
server to keep the data.  The data cruncher computers can be chaep
as you will not need a CDROM or a large disk or even a monitor/KB
for each of them.

One tip:  I bought a new PC.  I bought a black case made by "Antec"
that was sold as being quiet.  They were right.  No fan noise.
but by 2.7Ghz P4 says cool.  Space insade for quite a few drives
and the drive cooling is good too.  200GB drives typically run
hot in other cases but not so hot in this one, good air flow.
It's not magic.  They use large diameter, low RPM fans and decently
engineered air paths. and rubber vibration isolators and drives
and fans.  
I can't hear it and it is about the easiest case to work on that I've
Owned to date. All the drives come in/out with no tools.  It's
a solid case.  It's the "SONATA" by Antec.
I may even replace another PC's case with one of these.  Not cheap
at $100 each but worth the price IMO.

--- Thomas Droege <tdroege2@earthlink.net> wrote:
> I am still thinking about a new computer.
> 
> I presently run most of the data through a Tyan Thundersomething with
> 1 GB
> memory and two 1500 AMD (Athelon?) processors.  This takes about 12
> hours
> to process two systems' data for one night.  I have a third somewhat
> slower
> computer where I process the third system.  It takes about 18 hours
> to
> finish a summer evenings' run.  I am looking forward to fall when I
> should
> be getting a lot more data.  Not so for winter as it is usually
> cloudy
> here.  A good night could take more than 24 hours to process and
> several
> good nights in a row would overrun my buffer capacity.  No, more
> disks will
> not really help much.  I need the clear the decks before the next
> data
> comes in.  
> 
> I am considering a Tyan Tiger MPX system.  I am interested in
> suggestions. 
> Particularly I want to here that you have run Mandrake linux on
> anything
> suggested.  The Mandrake web site lists the Tyan Tiger as qualified
> to run
> 9.1.  I have been bit several times buying computers not on the
> Mandrake
> list which would not run Mandrake linux.  Well I am sure the problems
> are
> small, just a kernel patch or two for you experts.  I need something
> that
> runs out of the box.
> 
> The code does not take advantage of multi-processors.  So one feature
> of
> the extra processor is that I can muck around while the pipeline is
> running
> without slowing things down.  I believe the pipeline is mostly
> compute
> bound.  It also does not appear to use a lot of memory.  At least
> that is
> what "top" indicates. Michael might comment as he knows best what the
> pipeline uses.   I plan to buy relatively large disks, but would like
> to
> hear arguments as to why I need a lot of memory.  I was thinking of
> 1GByte.
> (Sigh!  Now 1Gbyte is not a big memory.  When I was spending millions
> on
> DEC computers, I doubt if they had strung a GByte of cores.)
> 
> I have been searching Price Watch for the best places to deal.  I
> would be
> interested in anyone with recent experience buying dual CPU machines.
> 
> This processor might eventually end up as an "image server" if Doug
> Welch's
> project works out.  
> 
> Tom Droege
> 
> 
> 
> 


=====
Chris Albertson
  Home:   310-376-1029  chrisalbertson90278@yahoo.com
  Cell:   310-990-7550
  Office: 310-336-5189  Christopher.J.Albertson@aero.org
  KG6OMK

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