New dual core rig!

reelbigfishreelbigfish Boston, MA Member
edited January 2006 in Hardware
Ok, so it's been a while since I've been here, about a year, and almost 2 years since I've upgraded my rig. I got a killer deal on some stuff so I took it. Unfotunatly I went over to the dark side.......yes it's an Intel Processor. I could've gotten an Athlon X2, but then the ram would be useless with the AM2. Specs:

Intel Pentium 930 D Processor
Gigabyte nForce4 SLI Motherboard
2GB G.Skill DDR2 667 RAM
EVGA Geforce 7800GT Video Card.

The hard drive, case and sound card are from my old rig. It's an antec server case, Sound Blaster Audigy and the PSU is a Dynex 500W PS from Best Buy. I'm pretty excited to get this thing going. Then hopefully I just get a new AMD motherboard and CPU along the way. How many of you guys are out there running dual cores now? Talk to you guys later.

Comments

  • Sledgehammer70Sledgehammer70 California Icrontian
    edited January 2006
    I think there is a few of us online running around with dual core X2's and Dual core Opterons and even Dual core Pent D's...

    I personally run a few X2's and love them to death! and it makes even more since now to jump into the higher end ones as they have dropped in price about 40%

    my few Dual cores are:
    AMD Athlon X2 4800+
    AMD Athlon X2 4400+
    AMD Athlon X2 3800+
  • KwitkoKwitko Sheriff of Banning (Retired) By the thing near the stuff Icrontian
    edited January 2006
    Is the Toledo X2 worth the premium over the Manchester X2?
  • Sledgehammer70Sledgehammer70 California Icrontian
    edited January 2006
    In all honesty yes! The main difference being the L2 Cache being 512 x 2 to 1Mb x 2. I would go woth high cache values! any day... thats why everyone love the Opterons as they are standard 1MB cache on the cores :)
  • LeonardoLeonardo Wake up and smell the glaciers Eagle River, Alaska Icrontian
    edited January 2006
    Pentium D820 (engineering sample) 2.8@3.646
    Thermaltake Big Typhoon HS/F
    Asus P5PL2, I945P chipset, Socket 775 (stable, budget OC board)
    Akasa 460W PSU
    1GB (dual channel 2 X 512MB) Gigaram DDR2 667
    Maxtor Ultra 100GB

    Dual core DOES make a big difference. It's like instant torque with a big V-8 engine. I don't know if my Intel forays will continue or not, but I will not purchase any more single core CPUs.

    I would recommend against anyone purchasing a Pentium D 8XX series processor with overclocking intent unless they are highly proficient in air cooling setups or have a watercooling reg ready to go. :hair: :shakehead

    This P820 eats QMD Folding@Home proteins as snacks, two at a time.
  • BudBud Chesterfield, Va
    edited January 2006
    I have:
    Intel 820d (stock speed)
    intel d945psn mobo
    2GB pny optima ddr533
    pny 6600GT
    tt purepower 420
    tt big water se
    antec superlanboy case

    and i love it i agree with Leonardo these babies crunch some wu's. I love converting a movie and playing bf2 at the same time
  • Omega65Omega65 Philadelphia, Pa
    edited January 2006
    Kwitko wrote:
    Is the Toledo X2 worth the premium over the Manchester X2?
    YES! Especially if you fold, With identical clock speeds and memory the DC 1MB CPUs fold faster than the DC 512K CPUs.

    Opty 170 (DC 1MB 2.0ghz) are ~$400 and will do at least 2.5ghz with a small bump in voltage and with the stock heatpipe CPU. So will the Opty 165 (DC 1MB 1.8ghz) for ~$340
  • LeonardoLeonardo Wake up and smell the glaciers Eagle River, Alaska Icrontian
    edited January 2006
    I would love to move into AMD dual core, but not until prices are reasonable. On Ebay, you can get an Intel dual core + mobo for the price of an AMD CPU alone. I will not deny the superiority of AMD X2 in work/cycle efficiency and in lower power consumption, but the flood of Intel dual cores on the market (problems selling them all ;D ) has made them economical. I'd build another dual core system in a heartbeat, but the wife has more discipline with our household budget than I do. She's a good woman. (Investments look really good.)
  • reelbigfishreelbigfish Boston, MA Member
    edited January 2006
    Leo's statement is the precise reason I went with the Intel. I got the mobo and processor for cheaper than I could have gotten an AMD. Plus, I wanted 2GB of RAM and the upgrade path for DDR is pretty much dead, so why invest in 2GB of PC3200 when I can get the DDR2 for less.
  • muddocktormuddocktor
    edited January 2006
    reelbigfish, get you a Thermaltake Big Typhoon hsf for that 830 and then overclock the snot out of it. With proper cooling and adequate power supply, the DC Intel procs do pretty darn well. Just look at what Leo has been able to do with an early manufactured 820.


    I'm also in the DC AMD boat and I love them. Nothing beats the sheer smoothness of having a couple of cores (or processors) to share the load when multitasking.:rockon:
  • reelbigfishreelbigfish Boston, MA Member
    edited January 2006
    muddocktor,
    I actually got a Pentium D 930, which is on the Presler core at 65nm. It runs cooler so I should be able to overclock it pretty good.
  • Mt_GoatMt_Goat Head Cheezy Knob Pflugerville (north of Austin) Icrontian
    edited January 2006
    Leonardo wrote:
    Pentium D820 (engineering sample) 2.8@3.646
    Thermaltake Big Typhoon HS/F
    Asus P5PL2, I945P chipset, Socket 775 (stable, budget OC board)
    Akasa 460W PSU
    1GB (dual channel 2 X 512MB) Gigaram DDR2 667
    Maxtor Ultra 100GB

    Dual core DOES make a big difference. It's like instant torque with a big V-8 engine. I don't know if my Intel forays will continue or not, but I will not purchase any more single core CPUs.

    I would recommend against anyone purchasing a Pentium D 8XX series processor with overclocking intent unless they are highly proficient in air cooling setups or have a watercooling reg ready to go. :hair: :shakehead

    This P820 eats QMD Folding@Home proteins as snacks, two at a time.
    My sentiments exactly!

    For anyone who is half way serious about folding there is no other way to go. How else can you get double the power with only the difference in price of the CPU??? You don't need any special board or memory as in a dual CPU server rig. And to top it off, you don't need to get rid of twice the heat. ;) I have had a Opty 175 but got rid of it as it was a totally terrible stepping. then I got an X2 3800 but got rid of it to get the Opty 170 I really wanted. I will now likely replace all my single cores with dual cores by Summer. :thumbsup:
  • reelbigfishreelbigfish Boston, MA Member
    edited January 2006
    mtgoat wrote:
    My sentiments exactly!

    For anyone who is half way serious about folding there is no other way to go. How else can you get double the power with only the difference in price of the CPU??? You don't need any special board or memory as in a dual CPU server rig. And to top it off, you don't need to get rid of twice the heat. ;) I have had a Opty 175 but got rid of it as it was a totally terrible stepping. then I got an X2 3800 but got rid of it to get the Opty 170 I really wanted. I will now likely replace all my single cores with dual cores by Summer. :thumbsup:

    hey, I just did that......of course I only have 1 rig.........:tongue:
  • LeonardoLeonardo Wake up and smell the glaciers Eagle River, Alaska Icrontian
    edited January 2006
    I actually got a Pentium D 930
    Good, good choice. Great performance for the price. The Presler's are producing less waste heat than the Smithfields (8XX series) for sure, but the Pressler's are not as cool as Intel had hoped. AMD still has a big lead on power and thermal efficiencies.

    I would still consider a Big Typhoon. They are huge, but will fit most mid-size cases. The mounting is a little bit tedious, but the mounting system is excellent. It's a very quiet HS too. If you have any other fans in your case beside's the Typhoon's, you won't even hear it.
  • Omega65Omega65 Philadelphia, Pa
    edited January 2006
    Another member of the DC only club here! :thumbup

    The Big Typhoon ($50) subtracts from the P4 9xx price advantage. The Opty & X2 stock heatpipe cooler (now with a 80mm fan) will get you too 2.5-2.6ghz easily....
  • LeonardoLeonardo Wake up and smell the glaciers Eagle River, Alaska Icrontian
    edited January 2006
    Opty & X2 stock heatpipe cooler (now with a 80mm fan) will get you too 2.5-2.6ghz easily....
    I'm impressed. For retail stock, that's a good heatsink. So yes, I'll admit that is a cost saving feature I didn't know about.
  • Mt_GoatMt_Goat Head Cheezy Knob Pflugerville (north of Austin) Icrontian
    edited January 2006
    And to top it off. The "Retail" processors are cheaper in most cases than the OEM's. :D
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