[ale] Motherboard ?

[Jeff Hubbs]

> I am going to build a new system, piece by piece, but was 
> wondering if a
> bought a dual processor board can the board run with just one 
> cpu until
> I have the money to by the second processor? If I do have two 
> processors
> will the computer run all programs and compile programs faster or dose
> that depend on the program I am running? This will run linux 
> and windows
> 98 on a dual 1000mhz (even though I know windows 98 dose not support
> dual processors) w/ 256MB ram +.

It makes me wonder why you're bothering with a dual-CPU box if you're even
considering spending any significant time with this thing booted to Win98.  

I've just recently been looking into dual-CPU mobos again after having built
my first "dualie" c. 1997.  In general, yes, you can run a dualie mobo with
1 CPU; these days, I think you tend to need a terminator card to put in
place of the 2nd CPU if you don't have one.  

Now, just as then, my humble opinion is that the add-another-cpu-later idea
is bankrupt right out of the gate.  First, you can't wait too long, for if
you do, CPUs to match your existing one won't be available, and it's my
understanding that even if the CPUs are the same, if they were made too far
apart in time, you're playing with fire.  In the meantime, you get no value
back for having popped the extra $$ for the dual mobo.  

Dualies only help you if your usual operation involves fairly continuous
stretches of time in which more than one cycle-intensive process (or at
least thread; correct me if I'm wrong, somebody) fight for time.  A typical
single-thread user app will not show much improvement at all under normal
circumstances.  ABNORMAL circumstances might be where you're trying to
convert MP3s and running SETI at Home un-niced at the same time.  

I believe I have read where kernel compiles can be done in such a way as to
take advantage of dualies (if it doesn't do so automatically), so, if you
really think you're going to be doing a few kernel compiles a day, yeah, go
for it.  

Other than that, or maybe if you're going to be making hundreds of MP3s on a
regular basis, or predicting the weather, or maybe you just want to kick A
at SETI at home, don't bother with a dualie.

- JEFF
--
To unsubscribe: mail majordomo at ale.org with "unsubscribe ale" in message body.