Dual Processers part II
 

Hey all,

I recently posted with inguires on dual procc. motherboards....

I am still trying to formulate a plan on constuction..

I have a friend that is going to help me construct the machine, so I feel confident about attempting the constuction of this system.

Keep in mind that this system will be upgraded later as more funding presents itself...

Here is what I am thinking so far...

Tyan dual AMD s2460 tiger mp

PC 2100 DDR ram (512 to start)

2 western digital 80 gig HD's with 8mb buffers

2 1gz processers

Nvidia Geforce 4 ti 4600 128mb DDR ram video card

Soundblaster audigy plat sound card w/ breakout box

Full tower

now the trick question....

Over the past couple of years, I mainly worked with EDIT DV. I got it when it first came out and became very fluid with it. The kit came with a firewire card, and is the only card that I have had experience with...

Since this software is now dated, I am familuar with AE. So I was thinking about using premire now..

Should I switch to a different card? Is the only difference for rendereing effects instantly? What about dual monitor capeability?

Also reminder: kinda on a budget here.., trying to stay under $1600us.

Please help me complete or modify this system dv info team!

P.S. Just hooked up with a film crew, 60% into shooting, glad to be aboard! They are going for a sundance entry this year. Man I love this stuff.

You can do much better than a Soundblaster card. Get a Yamaha sound card instead. They are cheaper and are full duplex. Who needs a breakout box? It is not worth having to have a Soundblaster card just for that. Creative Labs isn't very good. They just bought 60% of THX so now the THX label means next to nothing.

Hi mBoomer. It sounds like you will have a nice system when done. I would reccommmend saving money, and getting a GeForce 3 instead, unless you just have to have the the newest card.

As far as The Audigy goes, it's a very nice card, and I love the breakout. It even accepts the standard 1/4" mic. Get the bundle WITHOUT the remote, it sucks.

One more thing... Get the stock fans for your AMDs. I bought the more expensive ThermalTake Volcano, and it sounds like a jet turbine. The stock AMD fans are quieter and cool better.
Good luck,
Keith

Oh yes I forgot to mention, GeForce 4's aren't much more than overclocked GeForce 3's. So the captain is correct when he suggests te GeForce 3. However I have always preferred the ATI line of cards, as they seem to have more software support now and in the forseeable future. Who knows what could happen, though?

Thermaltake fans are LOUD! I have a Thermaltake Dragon Orb 3 on my AMD 1.4 Ghz Athlon. It definitely keeps it cool but it makes it very difficult to concentrate on any kind of audio work. Of course my AMD didn't come with a fan. How hot can a processor (AMD) get before you risk damage? With the Thermaltake Dragon Orb 3 it got up to 148 degrees.

It will take much more than 148 degrees to toast a processor, even an AMD ( For those concerned with AMDs frying ). The funniest thing I have heard, is Intel fanatics saying that an AMD chip will fry if the fan dies- Newsflash! Any processor will fry if the fan dies! Most MBs will have a temp guage on them, which, if set, will shut down the PC before damage occurs.
Keith

I keep wondering why people want a dual processor system. Why
do you want one Boomer? The current single proc systems over
1 GHz are very very fast. Although it is getting better, multi
processor systems tend to be incompatible with some hardware
and applications. This can lead to frustrations and loss of money.
This doesn't have to be ofcourse.

I do 3-D,and the render times are often several days for a few seconds. In the meantime, my PC is choked, all processor power and ram going to the render engine. I can't do much else.

That's why I wanted a dualie, I just couldn't afford one after I got the Storm, the Audigy, the Ge Force 3...
Keith

I run a Tyan/AMD duallie machine with Vegas Video 3. VV3 is 2 processor aware software and absolutely FLIES thru renders. On top of that, it's possible to do other things on the machine while it renders. I LOVE my duallie and would never go back to a single CPU rig.

Keith, I was ofcourse talking NLE editing here... For 3D I would
definitely consider a MP system or an array of systems with
some form of network rendering. Bill, what kind of processors
do you have in your system? I have two systems at home,
my primary workmachine and another one that does all misc.
stuff like burning, web browsing etc. So I normally don't have
to bother my main machine too much.

Now I wasn't trying to say you shouldn't buy an MP system, but
people should know that not everything is always nice with such
a system (conflicts) and that not everyone uses it. If you not do
much rendering you'll probably don't need it.

I just want to indicate that MP is not the holy grail so to speak,
it can be ofcourse. In the near future I might get one myself
too, but for now, my current 900 mhz processor is sufficient enough.

As long as you are running NT or Win 2000, dual processors shouldn't have any problems. Even XP should be okay.

Dual AMD 1.2 Athlons on a Tyan s2460, volcano 5 fans, running W2k and 1024 Mb RAM. VV3 will do renders of transitions to RAM for preview. I do a lot of transition rendering/previewing before writing to a final output file. I love this system...smooth as silk and NO conflicts of any kind. I run a Pioneer A03 DVD burner as well as a CD burner...both of off NERO. Also have an NTSC monitor for full size previewing off of Vegas 3.

Hey Bill... How are your TT fans? Mine sounds like a jet turbine, I couldn't imagine two of them!
Keith

The dual volcano 5's run a 5000 RPM and are pretty quiet. My cpu temps run about 40 C at idle and 45 C at max with Arctic Silver heat sink compound between the heat sink and CPU. I've also got 3 case fans, including the power supply fan, that run 2500 RPM to keep air moving thru the case. Total noise is audible, but, not objectionable. I can concentrate without being distracted by fan noise.

I walk into my office building, and I can hear the whine of my TT from down the hall, through a closed door. And I'm not the only one to say TTs are loud. You must have got the GOOD ones :)
Keith

well, you know, I'm an old guy and can't hear so good....hehehehe
also, be aware that Thermaltake makes several fan models. The next model up in the series is, indeed, quite noisy. I researched fans before buying and the 5's had a noise signature lower than most, but still with good airflow. Lots of people complain about the 7000 RPM models....they sound like a jet engine on takeoff. I've got a duallie Iwill mobo with P3's that I use as a server...overclocked to 1.2 GHz. The Kanie Hedgehogs are unpleasant to be too close to...keep that one in the closet with my skeletons.