Re: [gentoo-user] hardware advice for dual-processor set-up on gentoo

[Denis <denis.che@gmail.com>]

I read AnandTech.  And many other reviews by now.  But since I've been
out of hardware buying venture for a long time, I figured I'd read up
on the specs directly from the manufacturers' websites first and then
the reviews.  I can't say I am handy with different relationships
between front size bus speeds, system clock, and memory transfer
rates.  The point that Bob brought up about memory bus limitations was
very specific and only appeared in a couple reviews that I could
locate when I knew what to look for.

The general spirit seems to proclaim AMD ahead of the game, leaving
Intel in the dust.  However, there are things where Intel is still
ahead - such as areas of specialized scientific computing, for
example.  For example, I can get a 4-thread capability much cheaper
from Intel than from AMD, thanks to their much-criticized
HyperThreading technology.  Hyperthreading has been excellent for my
particular application of computing.  So, if I can build a good Intel
workstation with will give me 4 threads for around $2,000 instead of a
similar AMD workstation with 4 threads for over $3,500 - then I'd
rather stick to Intel on my budget.  At least for now.  Perhaps, in a
year or so, I'll migrate to AMD if Intel hasn't come up with something
suitable for my computing needs for a reasonable price.  I am sure
many people will disagree with what I am saying here, and I am not
trying to start a flame war over preferences, but in the case of
highly multithreaded computing in my case, this solution seems to make
sense right now.  For people with less specific needs, a dual AMD box
with single-core processors would probably make more sense on the same
budget.

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