Looking to move up to dual or quad chip server !!!

[Nflight]

Looking for upgrade, need some advice. OK I am not rich, after my last upgrade just 3 weeks ago, but since I have trouble passing some people on here, and I found a source for 4200+'s near $210 a pop in the box, I can't resist.

I am looking to put together a fast dual or quad chip CPU Server configuration. I have reviewed many and I am at wits end as there are so many choices. I have no fear in building the system myself. The intent of the machine is passing the competition quickly and efficiently. I will be using no water just heatsinks to cool the system. I want efficiency in that it draws the least amount of power but surely gets the job done. That is why I am going with 4200 instead of Opterons (Less Heat and Lower Power consumption)

I have been looking at Tyan, and Asus boards, your recommendations are greatly appreciated, HELP ?

I am looking to have minimal installations of PS and HDD, no CDR's no DVD's just plain on simple crunching, even a low end VGA will do the trick.

There is so much knowledge here, I know I can get a feeling of direction by asking for my team mates assistance, Thank You

[Strongbow]

So you want a cheap but lightening quick crunching system eh! ...thanks for the warning!!! :lol:

Seriously though if you're not going to use it really for anything else then there's just 4 areas you need to consider...

1) are you going to overclock it?

2) Memory, get the fastest you can afford!

3) don't waste your time with the multimedia system boards for gaming!

4) Get yourself a decent PSU ready for the extra wattage needed for quad cores - you'll be able to use it for your next upgrade as well!

Covering all four of those areas I would suggest the following as a great cost effective set up...


* ASUS M2V (Socket AM2) as it is cheap and has DDR2-800 support!

* GeIL 2GB (2x1GB) PC6400 800MHz Ultra Low Latency DDR2 memory - pricey but worth every penny!

* Zalman CNPS9500-AM2 Aero flower CPU Cooler - I reckon its the best non water CPU cooler around!

* Tagan TG500-U25 500W (CA-012-TG)- oodles of umphh and a 3year warranty - top PSU if you ask me!

Hope this helps!

[Nflight]

Answers to your questions posed:

1) NO

2) This was my plan exactly

3) I don't game at all, I was thinking of using only CLI as my controlling methodology so NO Video card will be needed.

4) I Have scene that most preconfigured and assembled ones take upto (4) 350 PSU's. I was looking at one single unit to supply enough juice at the initial startup, so an 800 Watt PSU would be best. (The extra energy that Unit provides would be a safe barrier for peak current draw upon start up.) Excess in designing the device would be ruling out the disadvantages compared to the advantages of researching the best avenue to take before I make the plunge.


Sorry but your recommending I go with a AM2 socket instead of my cheap 4200 939, AM2's are not cheap and I can't afford those baby's!

[vaughan]

You need 2 CPU sockets on the m/b don't you? That board suggested by blackheath has one cpu. I haven't found an AM2 board with 2 CPUs in my search. Might have to go for a 940 pin CPU, Opteron 2xx series.

[Brucifer]

I looked at things pretty hard between a dual m/b or a single one. The duals are up in price. AND if the board craps, you have 4 cpus in effect that are out of business. I ended up going with single cpu motherboards, 939 socket 3800 X2's cause the price was right on the cpu's. I used 1gb (2 512 sticks) of memory. I don't over clock as I do math projects and stability is a real concern. I went with the Asus A8N-VM motherboard. for $72 from OUTPOST. Also got the CPUs there, $150 each, 65watt. Low power, low heat. The motherboard has on board video. I use linux, txt mode, for dedicated crunchers. If a motherboard craps, I only have one system down. If I had a better price I would have picked up faster cpu's, nowever the 3800 still puts out a lot of work and I odn't have any overheating worries. Best of all, it is a cheap system cost wise. I'm very happy with the Asus motherboards. I had picked up 3 GigaByte M/B's with onboard video. One of them has crapped out with about 9 1/2 months on it running 24x7 with an amd-64/3700. Picked up one of the asus m/b's for it and it's running great. I am figuring I'll pick up more of those motherboards. Can't beat them for a dedicated cruncher. I'm running a 500w ps on one X2, and a 450 on the other. On the single amd-64's I'm running 380's and 400's.

Looking down the road at the 4-core chips. I really don't know if I'll get too carried away with them for quite some time primarily due to price and putting too many eggs in one basket. Maybe in a year or so if the price comes down on them I'll look at them, but I think I'll stick with X2's on single boards

[Nflight]

Yes my searches are coming up empty as well. Darn and I was hoping for a cheap 939 multi-cored Server. Maybe If I call around somebody might have some odd out of date M/B hanging around they would get rid of at a great price. You never know. Thanks fo rthe help so far. :-(

[Strongbow]

Nflight, you mentioned the eventual move to quad cores - if that's the case then you have to look at socket F motherboards (AM2) as no other socket will be compatible.

btw, Tagan also do a 1100W version of that PSU I mentioned! :shock: ...you could start your own utility company with one of these puppies! :D

[Strongbow]

Oops! You didn't mention quad cores, you mentioned quad chips! my mistake!

If you're looking to scale above a single processor then you will have to go for Opterons. So look for socket 940 boards if you want the 200 (2-way) or 800 (>2-way) series Opterons.

Take a look at the ASUS K8N-DL or the Tyan Tiger K8WE for 2-way Opterons.

Or a Tyan Thunder K8QS Pro for a 4-way Opteron system.

If you do want to go towards Quad cores in the near future then you will have to look at something like a 2-way ASUS KFN4-DRE or a Supermicro H8QME-2 (wildly expensive motherboard) which are Socket F compatible! ...but you'll be walking to work after filling these up with processors :lol:

[Nflight]

Seriously speaking I am trading in my car for a E-bicycle, I only drive 12 blocks to work right now, and most of the time if it doesn't break I can work out of my house. The car is expensive and if sold will allow more funds to be put into this addictive DC computing fun. I don't get paid much when I don't get to work, but I like to work my own hours and sleep naps when I feel like it. Kind of like being self employed, but not really.

I did look at Sun V-2100 series x86 based servers. I have a friend who is a Sun Representative who can still get me 939 pin servers from SUN at close to $750 each with out the processor. I thought this to be a sweet deal, everything else is included and it is rack mountable.

Another friend has an Ohio contact from which he gets his 4200+'s at the low price of $210 each. Between the two friends I should be able to get a complete Server with warrenty (like I really need that), and still have change from $1,000.

Your comments

[gatekeeper53]

Nflight,
Today NewEgg has 4200's for 185 w/free shipping.

http://www.newegg.com/Index.asp?page=1

My 4800 dual has gone down $18 in the last 10 days I guess the new quads are already being felt. I have to guess that there is a huge supply of duals that need to be moved out to make room for the production of quads.

The above link is the AM2 socket but here is the 939 at the same price

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16819103547

[Nflight]

Alright I sold the laptop, now the SUN has to go before I budge.

Here is some poop on the SUN mentioned at the bottom with my signature: http://www.spec.org/cpu/results/res2006q3/cpu2000-20060815-07001.html

Meanwhile here is the price structure of the Sun Ultra 20 Workstation & the M2 as well: http://store.sun.com/CMTemplate/CEServlet?process=SunStore&cmdViewProduct_CP&catid=131490

What I have been told about the quad cores is that the 1200 series has the QUAD setup and all you have to do is update the bios to activate the Quad chip. If any one of you knows something different please share the scoop with all of us. Thanks and Thanks for all the comments so far... :!:

[festergod]

If you are going with a 939 pin chip, i'm not so sure you should rule out the opteron 1xx series.

My main gaming rig is a opty 165, single chip on a DFI board. Stock clock is 1.8 Ghtz, but i run it a little over 2.4 ghtz on stock heat sink and voltage. You said you werent interested in O/C-ing , however bang for the buck i cant complain about this opty 165 w/ 20 mins of reading on how to O/C with new board layouts. Under full load this comp runs @ 46C, in a warm room. If you do decide to O/C make sure you read the O/C forum hangouts and manufacturers boards. Some boards do not take well to O/Cing and can shorten the final clock setting. Like for instance some have said ASUS boards with heat pipes dont take to O/Cing to well.

Anyways .... say your guys site on spinhenge@home forums, saw this question asked and thought i would give my 2 cp. Peace, Fester

[vaughan]

Good point festergod and welcome to the AMD Users forums. :thumbleft:

I have an Opteron 165 running on a DFI Lanparty UT NF4 SLI-DR Expert with a CoolerMaster AQUAGATE Mini R120 water cooler. This is a pretty powerful system I just wish that the price of Opterons would fall as much as the X2 chips have recently.

[Nflight]

If you are going with a 939 pin chip, i'm not so sure you should rule out the opteron 1xx series.

Like for instance some have said ASUS boards with heat pipes dont take to O/Cing to well.

Anyways .... Peace, Fester

Actually I am an ASUS fanatic when it comes to M/B's, I was wondering why I never saw a rig OC'd with an ASUS M/B. That explains the myth or the reality, I will need to look into this arena. ALthough our former expert used Asus, so I have this feeling I will need to do some research on M/B's.

Thanks Festergod for the opinion really gives insight I didn't know to look at.

[moving fusion]

I found this, not really what your looking for but... http://www.pcstats.com/articleview.cfm?articleID=1699

ASRock K8 Combo-Z/ASR Motherboard