dual processor platform

[Cuttlefish1212]

I want to go all out and build a dual processor system. I haven't built anything like this before and I don't know much about two of the components I'll be using.

 

Here are the system specs:

 

CHENMING CMUI-601AEB-W Black 1.0mm SECC Server Computer Case

 

SUPERMICRO H8DCE-O Dual Socket 940 NVIDIA nForce4 Professional 2200 Extended ATX Server Motherboard

 

AMD Opteron 256 Troy 3.0GHz Socket 940 Processor Model OSA256BLBOX

 

Kingston 1GB (2 x 512MB) 184-Pin DDR SDRAM DDR 400 (PC 3200) ECC Registered Dual Channel Kit Server Memory Model KVR400S4R3AK2/1G

 

eVGA 768-P2-N831-AR GeForce 8800GTX 768MB GDDR3 PCI Express x16 HDCP Video Card

 

NEC Display Solutions FP2141SB-BK Black 22" CRT Monitor 2 × D-Sub

 

ARCTIC COOLING AF8025 80mm Case Fan - Retail

 

 

I plan to get 2 Opty 256, 4 Kingston 1GB kits, and 5 of the case fans. I wanted 2x1GB memory kits, but none are available...none from a reputable brand anyway.

 

I am not very familiar with the SuperMicro mobo or the Chenming case. Anyone here use these items before and if so what are your thoughts/experiences?

[Nightshadow]

Are you actually building this as a server? By the looks of the video card, I would say it is going to be more of an extreme gaming machine

[WintersFury]

Why build a dual proc machine for gaming? And if you really want to do it, you could wait till the dual proc enthusiast boards hit the market and get one with sli upgrade possibilities from a brand that isn't mainly for servers.

[red930]

Check out 2cpu.com if you haven't already, if you're really interested in doing this they have a lot of information to dig through.

 

If you're really only wanting to build an extreme gaming machine though, I feel you should just spend the cash on a C2D, or even a C2Q, as it would work much better in the long run.

 

That said, if you are going for a server, (or just want to do it this way, which is fine too ) I'd stick with Tyan as a motherboard maker. Be sure to do all the research for drivers and whatnot before you get too far into it.

[UncleDavid218]

Definately go with Conroe's server brother "Woodcrest"

 

I know AMD is very efficient when it comes to servers, but by the looks of it you're building a gaming machine, so why not get the best CPU(s) available?

 

Just a thought though

[Cuttlefish1212]

Yes, it is an extreme gaming machine

 

I wanted to go with Tyan, but none of their boards had the specs I wanted. With that said, this board is SLI capable, but I'm sure the BIOS is stripped down for server use. Doubtful there are any goodies like DFI...probably more like Gigabyte. However, I don't want to go SLI so I thought this might work.

 

As far as C2D...I'm an AMD fanboy...no Intel for me please

 

I'm definitely going to research the pants off of this...it's going to be a $3500 expenditure so I want to get it right the first time around. I'll see if there is a Tyan board with the specs I want (1000MHz bus, PCI-e, and Nvidia chipset) in the meantime. Hope to have this badboy together by late February.

 

Why do this you ask?? Cause I want the meanest, greenest, gaming puter on the planet...within my budget anyway

[Nightshadow]

I think it's an awsome idea. Are you going to watercool the whole thing?? That would definatly be on sweet machine. Good luck.

[custom_coms]

It would be a sweet rig. However, a quad core intel system will be faster, cost less and be waaaaay more overclockable (thats a MUST in my books, but whatever floats your boat). Just my 2 cents. By that time there should be a REALLY SWEET(as in Lanparty sweet) DFI board out for Kentsfield....

[Cuttlefish1212]

I hope it turns out as well as I believe...what's killing me is the cost of memory or the lack of 2GB kits. I'm gonna get the processors, mobo, and case first and leave the memory and video card last. Hopefully by that time the prices will have come down and they will have worked out the bugs on the 8800GTX...hopefully.

[red930]

I hope it turns out as well as I believe...what's killing me is the cost of memory or the lack of 2GB kits. I'm gonna get the processors, mobo, and case first and leave the memory and video card last. Hopefully by that time the prices will have come down and they will have worked out the bugs on the 8800GTX...hopefully.

 

Yeah ECC isn't particularly cheap...or available for that matter.

 

I'd really look into finding some gaming benchmarks on a similar rig, you might not be able to find one with an 8800 series card, but someone has gotta have something similar on the 7800/7900 cards (or Ati equivalent). I'm guessing that the limited speed on the processors might end up bottlenecking pretty early on, and an overclocked X2/dual core opteron might just work better.

 

But anyways, good luck. I researched this over a year ago (before I decided DFI was the way to go) and came to these conclusions then....lotta changes have been made though so who knows.

[Nightshadow]

You could always just wait a little longer and build a system based on quad core amd's.. Then at least all theese intel freaks would stop telling you to go with intel... They'll be back to amd again!

[Cuttlefish1212]

I'm guessing that the limited speed on the processors might end up bottlenecking pretty early on, and an overclocked X2/dual core opteron might just work better.

 

I don't understand...how could two 3.0GHz processors become the bottleneck? Please explain.