[AccessD] OT: Buying a PC for Developing Software

MartyConnelly martyconnelly at shaw.ca
Thu Mar 13 18:41:01 CST 2003


Why not go for the Gusto? And build your own Super Computer using 
Windows or Linux clustering via Message Passing Interface (MPI is a 
standard for supporting clustered computing based on message passing). 
This is how they did cheap special effects rendering for Titanic.

MPI Software
http://www.lfbs.rwth-aachen.de/mp-mpich/download/
Description
http://www.devarticles.com/art/1/444/1

PS. For you ulimate machine make sure it can handle dual monitors. For 
backup, I use a couple of
BackPack $250 USB2 pluggable 60 Gig drives with Ghost. They fit into a 
safety deposit box.
They are far faster to backup, no fiddling around with multple DVD's

As for flat panel monitors they are a little too pricey where I am in 
Canada. Get one with digital input and your video card needs this 
digital output too. Make sure you have at least one USB 2.0
port. For monitor hints  http://www.bcentral.com/articles/komando/102.asp

 I have a local dealer who services within 4 hours if brought in. Usual 
rush cost $ 80 CDN plus parts and time. He has to do it, this fast as he 
looks after a catchment area where people bring in machines and live on 
about 30 islands; they have to catch the last ferry home.

Francisco H Tapia wrote:

>Myke,
>  IF you are going to build your own masterpice, I recommend you do a little
>research... right now your TOP OF THE LINE chipset mb's for AMD are the
>NForce2 chipset based systems, any will do from any manufacturere.  For
>Intel the top contender right now is their native intel chipset or SIS.  As
>for noise, I have an AMD XP +2000 (1.667ghz) w/ a Volcano 7 cooling fan, and
>THAT is the noisy part of it, Recently I've been checking out cooling
>solutions such as the "Alpha PAL8045" it is very nice, multi-pin forrest and
>if you combine it w/ a whisper quiet fan you should be good. On average my
>CPU runs about 104F.  When I'm running processes intensive software such as
>converting a Video or Playing a 3D Game I've seen it go as Hot as 113F but
>no more than that.  I've included some links that I hope you find useful in
>your search for the perfect development system.  On the whole I don't have a
>problem with Dell, except to say that you'll NEVER know how much faster an
>AMD pc would be unless  you go over to your friends house to find out he
>Runs 100 more things at once with less lag on his AMD based system :D.
>
>All things PC related :
>http://www.tomshardware.com/
>http://anandtech.com/
>
>CPU Cooler review, Very nice :D
>http://www.dansdata.com/coolercomp.htm
>
>Motherboard Links
>http://www.motherboards.org
>http://amdzone.com/
>http://intelzone.com/
>
>
>
>-Francisco
>http://rcm.netfirms.com
>
>On Thursday, March 13, 2003 5:24 AM [GMT-8],
>Bryan Carbonnell <Bryan_Carbonnell at cbc.ca> wrote:
>
>: Myke,
>:
>: I'll agree with the folks that have said build your own system. You
>: get exactly what you want, nothing more, nothing less.
>:
>: Now on to the CPU, the things religious wars are made of :-))
>:
>: I will highly recommend AMDs. You get a better bang for your buck. I
>: built a 1.4 GHz Athlon system about 18 months ago and it cost me
>: about ½ the price of a comparable Intel. The MoBo was cheaper as
>: well.
>:
>: I have a comparable Intel system at work (1.5 GHz Intel vs 1.4 GHz
>: AMD) and I find that even thought he AMD has a lower speed, the
>: overall system is faster. Yes, I have actually done benchmarks on
>: both systems and the AMD always came back faster.
>:
>: The only thing that you will need to watch is the temp. I've been
>: working on getting my CPU temp down for about 4 months now. I get it
>: down to a comfortable level and then it slowly creeps up over a week
>: or so. So I tweak and clean again and it drops again, but rises after
>: a while.
>:
>: Dells are good machines, that's my Intel system at work and I haven't
>: had a problem with it since I've had it.
>:
>: Just my $0.02 CAD worth from an AMD fan.
>:
>: Bryan Carbonnell
>: bryan_carbonnell at cbc.ca
>:
>:::: mmmtbig at hotmail.com 12-Mar-03 7:17:39 PM >>>
>: Note: I am using a hotmail email account to post to AccessD because
>: attempted posts from my BellSouth.Net email account bounce back.
>:
>: Soon I will buy a new PC and drop the oldest one from the lineup in my
>: office. I'd like some opinions on PCs.
>:
>: I'm an independent developer working from a home office with a DSL
>: connection. I live about 20 miles north of Atlanta. I use a keyboard
>: video mouse sharing device for all the PCs. I don't like fixing
>: hardware
>: so I'd like a good onsite service contract. I don't need an OS or
>: software installed because I'm a MSDN subscriber. I'd like to have
>: less
>: white noise from power supply/fans. I'd like to use temperature
>: monitoring software because most of the failures I've had were due to
>: a
>: fan malfunctioning and the heat killing a hard disk.
>:
>: Opinions on the following would be welcome:
>:     Intel vs. AMD;
>:     DVD RW for backup;
>:     Same day onsite service;
>:     Best value monitor configuration.
>:
>: The easy decision is to buy a Dell. Anyone have suggestions?
>:
>: TIA,
>: Myke
>
>
>  
>





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