Since I am looking to replace my 800MHz Pentium 3, I have been looking at others computer’s to see what kind of processor vs speed generate a fast WU.
I have been intrigued with the ‘Number of CPUs’ line. It’s the more than Two CPU’s that interest me.
I have seen a 2 Xeon processor motherboard but I have not seen anything bigger.
I seen computers that report 4 CPU’s and one Poster on this Forum claimed that he has an 8 processor Xeon box. I am sure that it’s a server type in someone’s closet. But cant imagine how the motherboard look like or how all 8 CPUs are connected together and specially how it all works on one OS. Could XP Pro work on it??

Question is:
How many Real CPU’s in One Box do you run for BOINC??

I heard that the largest computer that was completed not to long a go has +32,000 processors. Now that’s a SMOKE BOX!!
I guess for me its one CPU, one motherboard, one box.... HMMM, Got to figure out how to stack these motherboards! :)

---

Clint
Team:
I SETI Once, I'll SETI Again!

I have a couple of dual Pentium 3 Mobos (Tyan s2505), one has 1GHz processors, one has 933MHz ones. They are actually very nice home machines, quiet and they stay cool.

I had one of those Dual Xeon boards in my office for a few days -- Tyan 2665 MOBO w/ 2 2.8GHz Xeons (HT, of course, so you see 4 processors), 2 GBytes of ram. This thing was a real screamer, in more ways than one. If I ran BOINC on it, it started to get real hot, extra fans and all. Also, the processor fans are *very* noisy. I could not keep this thing in the same room with me or I would go crazy, so I took out that Mobo and put back the 3.2GHz P4 (HT) that I was using before. A much quieter (but still hot when running BOINC) board. That hot and noisy machine can go out in the lab!

---

> I have a couple of dual Pentium 3 Mobos (Tyan s2505), one has 1GHz processors,
> one has 933MHz ones. They are actually very nice home machines, quiet and
> they stay cool.
>
> I had one of those Dual Xeon boards in my office for a few days -- Tyan 2665
> MOBO w/ 2 2.8GHz Xeons (HT, of course, so you see 4 processors), 2 GBytes of
> ram. This thing was a real screamer, in more ways than one. If I ran BOINC
> on it, it started to get real hot, extra fans and all. Also, the processor
> fans are *very* noisy. I could not keep this thing in the same room with me
> or I would go crazy, so I took out that Mobo and put back the 3.2GHz P4 (HT)
> that I was using before. A much quieter (but still hot when running BOINC)
> board. That hot and noisy machine can go out in the lab!
>
>

Slightly off-topic, but do processors have to be exactly matched to work in a dual-cpu system? I have two Pentium 2 300mhz processors that just refuse to to work in my Asus board. Everything seems ok, except that one processor is a .25 micron core, and the other is a .35 micron core.

---

You will be assimilated...bunghole!

Clint
If you want to stack motherboards check out this link.
http://bhs.broo.k12.wv.us/homepage/staff/seti/farms.htm

---

>
> Slightly off-topic, but do processors have to be exactly matched to work in a
> dual-cpu system? I have two Pentium 2 300mhz processors that just refuse to
> to work in my Asus board. Everything seems ok, except that one processor is a
> .25 micron core, and the other is a .35 micron core.
>
Yes they have to be exactly the same. No yours are not.

---

> >
> > Slightly off-topic, but do processors have to be exactly matched to work
> in a
> > dual-cpu system? I have two Pentium 2 300mhz processors that just refuse
> to
> > to work in my Asus board. Everything seems ok, except that one processor
> is a
> > .25 micron core, and the other is a .35 micron core.
> >
> Yes they have to be exactly the same. No yours are not.
>
>

Yeah that's what I thought. I sent off an email to the guy I bought it from on Ebay. It seemed that he just slapped it together and sold it without bothering to test it first. I just now bid on a pair of matched processors and a Soyo Dual Slot-1 board....so we'll see how that works.

---

You will be assimilated...bunghole!

> closet. But cant imagine how the motherboard look like or how all 8 CPUs are
> connected together and specially how it all works on one OS. Could XP Pro work
> on it??
>
<a>Here[/url] is the only 8-way "board" I've seen. The way they manage to fit them all is to stuff two CPUs onto a card that plugs into the board via Hypertransport, and then plug 4 cards into the board. Pretty cool I think :D

EDIT: Hmmm... the link dosen't seem to work, let's try this:
http://babelfish.altavista.com/babelfish/tr?url=http%3A%2F%2Fenterprise.watch.impress.co.jp%2Fcda%2Fhardware%2F2004%2F09%2F10%2F3339.html&lp=ja_en&intl=1

Puffy

---

A link to ThinkTank Q-Stationâ„¢ X-8
http://www.thinkcp.com/products/TankQStationX8.asp

Happy crunching

---

Happy crunching

I've got five dual cpu machines running in a very noisy room over my garage.
;)

CPU type: Intel(R) Xeon(TM) CPU 2.80GHz Pentium
Number of CPUs: 2 physical, 4 hyper-threaded
Operating System: Microsoft Windows XP Professional Edition, Service Pack 2, (05.01.2600.00)
Memory: 2047.27 MB
Measured floating point speed: 1215.37 million ops/sec
Measured integer speed: 2243.82 million ops/sec

CPU type: AMD Athlon(tm) MP 2600+ Pentium
Number of CPUs: 2 physical
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 2000 Professional Edition, Service Pack 4, (05.00.2195.00)
Memory: 510.98 MB
Measured floating point speed: 2009.96 million ops/sec
Measured integer speed 4844.12 million ops/sec

CPU type: AMD Athlon(tm) MP 2200+ Pentium
Number of CPUs: 2 physical
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 2000 Professional Edition, Service Pack 4, (05.00.2195.00)
Memory: 511.48 MB
Measured floating point speed: 1690.75 million ops/sec
Measured integer speed: 4056.42 million ops/sec

CPU type: AMD Athlon(tm) MP Processor 1800+ Pentium
Number of CPUs: 2 physical
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 2000 Professional Edition, Service Pack 4, (05.00.2195.00)
Memory: 511.48 MB
Measured floating point speed: 1435.51 million ops/sec
Measured integer speed: 2449.63 million ops/sec

CPU type: GenuineIntel 701MHz Pentium III Xeon
Number of CPUs: 2 physical
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 2000 Professional Edition, Service Pack 4, (05.00.2195.00)
Memory: 511.55 MB
Measured floating point speed: 632.46 million ops/sec
Measured integer speed 1554.16: million ops/sec

Plus 2 single cpu machines.
:)

Richard

---

Click the Sig!

BOINC Wiki

> Since I am looking to replace my 800MHz Pentium 3, I have been looking at
> others computer’s to see what kind of processor vs speed generate a fast WU.
> I have been intrigued with the ‘Number of CPUs’ line. It’s the more than Two
> CPU’s that interest me.
> I have seen a 2 Xeon processor motherboard but I have not seen anything
> bigger.
> I seen computers that report 4 CPU’s and one Poster on this Forum claimed that
> he has an 8 processor Xeon box. I am sure that it’s a server type in someone’s
> closet. But cant imagine how the motherboard look like or how all 8 CPUs are
> connected together and specially how it all works on one OS. Could XP Pro work
> on it??
>
> Question is:
> How many Real CPU’s in One Box do you run for BOINC??
>
> I heard that the largest computer that was completed not to long a go has
> +32,000 processors. Now that’s a SMOKE BOX!!
> I guess for me its one CPU, one motherboard, one box.... HMMM, Got to figure
> out how to stack these motherboards! :)
>
>
> Here are some quad mother boards very expensive.
>
>
http://www.monarchcomputer.com/Merchant2/merchant.mv?Screen=PROD&Store_Code=M&Product_Code=110567
>
>
http://www.computers4sure.com/product.asp?productid=1989072

---

> I've got five dual cpu machines running in a very noisy room over my garage.
> ;)
>
> CPU type: Intel(R) Xeon(TM) CPU 2.80GHz Pentium
> Number of CPUs: 2 physical, 4 hyper-threaded
> Operating System: Microsoft Windows XP Professional Edition, Service Pack 2,
> (05.01.2600.00)
> Memory: 2047.27 MB
> Measured floating point speed: 1215.37 million ops/sec
> Measured integer speed: 2243.82 million ops/sec
>
> CPU type: AMD Athlon(tm) MP 2600+ Pentium
> Number of CPUs: 2 physical
> Operating System: Microsoft Windows 2000 Professional Edition, Service Pack 4,
> (05.00.2195.00)
> Memory: 510.98 MB
> Measured floating point speed: 2009.96 million ops/sec
> Measured integer speed 4844.12 million ops/sec
>
> CPU type: AMD Athlon(tm) MP 2200+ Pentium
> Number of CPUs: 2 physical
> Operating System: Microsoft Windows 2000 Professional Edition, Service Pack 4,
> (05.00.2195.00)
> Memory: 511.48 MB
> Measured floating point speed: 1690.75 million ops/sec
> Measured integer speed: 4056.42 million ops/sec
>
> CPU type: AMD Athlon(tm) MP Processor 1800+ Pentium
> Number of CPUs: 2 physical
> Operating System: Microsoft Windows 2000 Professional Edition, Service Pack 4,
> (05.00.2195.00)
> Memory: 511.48 MB
> Measured floating point speed: 1435.51 million ops/sec
> Measured integer speed: 2449.63 million ops/sec
>
> CPU type: GenuineIntel 701MHz Pentium III Xeon
> Number of CPUs: 2 physical
> Operating System: Microsoft Windows 2000 Professional Edition, Service Pack 4,
> (05.00.2195.00)
> Memory: 511.55 MB
> Measured floating point speed: 632.46 million ops/sec
> Measured integer speed 1554.16: million ops/sec
>
> Plus 2 single cpu machines.
> :)
>
> Richard
>
Electricity must be cheap in the US....

---

Join team BOINCstats

@Clint Mason WA6TMJ
> I seen computers that report 4 CPU’s and one Poster on this Forum claimed that
> he has an 8 processor Xeon box. I am sure that it’s a server type in someone’s
> closet. But cant imagine how the motherboard look like or how all 8 CPUs are
> connected together and specially how it all works on one OS. Could XP Pro work
> on it??
>
> Question is:
> How many Real CPU’s in One Box do you run for BOINC??

8-way (16 with HT), but it's retired now. :´(

The one I used is of modular design with 4 (physical) Xeon MPs on each CPU/memory board. Two such boards per 4U chassis, up to four chassis stackable and interconnectable to act as a single computer.
http://www-1.ibm.com/servers/eserver/xseries/x445.html
But for distributed computing (like Seti), you get much higher performance per cost with several single or dual CPU PCs.

And no, you wouldn't be able to run XP Pro on it, nothing beyond 2 physical CPUs there. The SMP limits for the various Windows Server 2003 editions can be found here:
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsserver2003/evaluation/features/compareeditions.mspx

> I heard that the largest computer that was completed not to long a go has
> +32,000 processors. Now that’s a SMOKE BOX!!

That's more like a smoke ROOM. Those meanies don't fit in one chassis, they don't even fit in one rack.

---

> But for distributed computing (like Seti), you get much higher performance per
> cost with several single or dual CPU PCs.

Here in Australia for the price of a top of the line G5 (inc monitor) you can get 5 Athlon64 systems (less monitors). And each Athlon64 is capable of some serious crunching.

---

Grant
Darwin NT

Borgholio looks like you are trying everywhere to find a answer to your problem.
I wish you all the luck with the board and the new one if you win the bid on E-bay.

Scott

---

" "

> Electricity must be cheap in the US....
>
East Coast, Virginia, Northern part, 6.5 cents per kwh.

---

> > Electricity must be cheap in the US....
> >
> East Coast, Virginia, Northern part, 6.5 cents per kwh.
>
>

For me it is just one of those things I dont worry about.
With 16 boxes running I still have a AC running in my shed to keep it so they dont overheat.I think I average about $250 a month for elect/Gas so I can still afford about 6 more boxes.
Anybody want to donate parts FEEL FREE to do so now.

Scott

---

" "

Of course you could go 64 bit happy and run a nice 106 processor Sun Box if you are willing to open the old checkbook. http://www.sun.com/servers/highend/

Hardware is a bit pricy but you will only need 1 copy of Solaris OS, and it is indeed all in one chassis.

Tee Hee

---

<img src="http://www.setisynergy.com/images/stats/1863179.png"></a>

> Of course you could go 64 bit happy and run a nice 106 processor Sun Box if
> you are willing to open the old checkbook.
> http://www.sun.com/servers/highend/
>
> Hardware is a bit pricy but you will only need 1 copy of Solaris OS, and it is
> indeed all in one chassis.

"Weight: 1,000 kg (2,200 lb.) fully configured"

---

> Borgholio looks like you are trying everywhere to find a answer to your
> problem.
> I wish you all the luck with the board and the new one if you win the bid on
> E-bay.
>
> Scott
>

Heh...yeah it's driving me nuts. The processors have different stepping, so I think that's the issue.

---

You will be assimilated...bunghole!

WoW TNX for the replies!!

After seeing this:
http://bhs.broo.k12.wv.us/homepage/staff/seti/farms.htm
Now I know what to do with the old motherboards I got in the junk box!!!

Now a question on Hyper Theading..
Does it really help in speed up of WU crunching on the same CPU??
Is there a time differance between on/off?

To me its like two calculations on the same phyical CPU.
So with HT on its two WU in series vs full CPU power on one calculation.
I would think that HT gives no adavantage... But maybe...

Thanks for giving me great ideas on 2 processor motherboards!!

Loved the 105 CPU Smoke Box too!! :)

---

Clint
Team:
I SETI Once, I'll SETI Again!