How can they stand it?

[Xtc4u]

Wow. I never realized what kind of difference a dually would have with video converting until now. How the hell can people with single CPUs stand it? I'm just converting an mgp to DivX Avi and my CPU usage is 70-80%. I couldnt imagine how it would do on a single CPU. Thank god for duallies.

 

[cmcquistion]

How the hell can people with single CPUs stand it?

They don't know any better...

I have yet to meet anyone who has gone to dually, then chosen to go back to a single CPU system (not willingly, anyway.)

 

[rottenspam]

yeah I like my dullie too. I am though the exception to the rule...... My first dullie was an ABIT BP6 with 2 celeron 366 cpu's that I o/c'd to ~525 mhz. Loved the machine except for its lousy ata/66 integrated controller. but the speed bug bit me, and at the time there was simply no cheap alternative to the BP6, so I upgraded to a Socket A athlon t-bird 750mhz and o/c'd it 933mhz, and it was an improvment. Many upgrades later..... When dullies with good performance became resonable I switched back. Happy I did, and I did it for video enconding. Now if only I could afford dual monitors.....

My dullie dream, is dual monitors, dual 1 gig sticks of ram, dual cpu's, dual HD's in raid 0 of course! All I need is that second monitor to compliment my $20 piece of junk monitor. though I can't complain too much it is a 20" Supermatch trinitron monitor, with a blown rectifier. Those dell 21" P1110's are looking good at $238 including shipping...

 

[Xtc4u]

When I first got this system i got it for giggles just to say I got a dual cpu system. Now im even more set on it. I will never go back to single.

 

[IFMU]

Re: Re: How can they stand it?

They don't know any better...

I have yet to meet anyone who has gone to dually, then chosen to go back to a single CPU system (not willingly, anyway.)

I would have to agree with cmc on that one. Most folks havent had the chance to play with one for some time to really get into the full usage you can get from a duallie. Once they do, they dont want to go back.

Now the others, the ones that swear by 'em, well they are typically gamers, and wouldnt really get the full jist anyways. (nothing wrong with it, just dont know what they're missin.

 

[spldart]

I only built a dually because of all my video work

 

[Kingslayer]

Re: Re: How can they stand it?

They don't know any better...

I have yet to meet anyone who has gone to dually, then chosen to go back to a single CPU system (not willingly, anyway.)

Well, now you've met one. When I upgrade my VP-6 I plan on going back to a single CPU. Duals are pointless when it comes to gaming and that is what I enjoy most. The lack of SMP enabled software is growing. What is the point of running SMP if you can't use it? Even Quake engine based games are starting to show DECREASES in performance when SMP is enabled in them. That goes to show you what a lack of concern to SMP'ers causes in programming.

It's quickly becoming a more economically sound decision to run a fast single CPU than it is to run even slower duals.

Duallies on the desktop was fun. But it just doesn't make sound sense anymore to utilize them on the desktop anymore.

 

[dustybyrd]

Re: Re: Re: How can they stand it?

Well, now you've met one. When I upgrade my VP-6 I plan on going back to a single CPU. Duals are pointless when it comes to gaming and that is what I enjoy most. The lack of SMP enabled software is growing. What is the point of running SMP if you can't use it? Even Quake engine based games are starting to show DECREASES in performance when SMP is enabled in them. That goes to show you what a lack of concern to SMP'ers causes in programming.

It's quickly becoming a more economically sound decision to run a fast single CPU than it is to run even slower duals.

Duallies on the desktop was fun. But it just doesn't make sound sense anymore to utilize them on the desktop anymore.

i understand that gaming is not better with SMP if that's all you do...however is that all you do on your machine?

here's what i use my duallie for....

with two monitors....one usually to photoshop work (dual proc capable) and gaming and the other monitor on movies/TV...(with a single cpu recording movies (70-80% cpu power) at the same time as gaming/or photoshop will cause big slow downs)

also i burned 200 wedding cd's while doing my normal computer activites....i started the first 50 on a single cpu machine and i had serious slow down issues...sometimes to a halt for 10-15 secs...that sucks

and on the software issue...i think MORE software will be made SMP capable because all new intel CPU's are hyperthreading (SMP) capable...now why would intel make them and the software makers not take advantage of them?

 

[cmcquistion]

Re: Re: Re: How can they stand it?

Well, now you've met one.

I stand corrected.

Duals are pointless when it comes to gaming and that is what I enjoy most. The lack of SMP enabled software is growing. What is the point of running SMP if you can't use it?

I have to disagree with you, here. My dual XP2100's system is 95% as fast as a single XP2100 system for gaming. On the dual, however, I can also run a dozen other programs, while I'm gaming, and it doesn't slow down my game.

I agree that the second CPU doesn't necessarily make your games fast, but it doesn't hurt, either. I've run benchmarks, a lot of them, and no game benchmark has suffered more than 10%, when comparing the same CPU speed and same video card.

Now, if I had to choose between dual 1 GHz P3's or a single 2 GHz Athlon, of course the Athlon system would be better for gaming. When comparing similar CPU type/speed, though, SMP doesn't lose by as much as some people think.

 

[boostland]

I have encoded a dvd while playing medal of honor online.
My old P4 2.6's would not be able to do this.
My first multiprocessor computer was a Amiga 3000 with a A2286 bridgeboard.
The Amiga used the 68030/68882 at 25mhz (I oveclocked it to 28mhz for cpu and 56 for fpu). The Ibm compatible bridgboard had a 286/287 cpu (upgraded it to a wopping 16mhz 386 later).
I could render vistapro on the bridge board to a seperate monitor attached to a dedicated vga card, and render caligary24 on the amiga cpu. Not smp but a good multitasking system in 1990, there were some hybrid 68k / PPC upgade boards made that could run a 68k program on the 68k, and a PPC on on the PPC cpu at the same time.
I even fitted a Amax card, it could run Mac system 7.01 on it. You could even copy and paste from mac word to winword 2 or to Amiga pagestream.
Before I used a SMP IBM compat I had never seen the kind of multitasking that my old Amiga could do, exept on the BHP SGI/CRAY workstations running IRIX.
The old Amiga 3000 still runs, It mostly only plays my favorite pinball game and is used as a video switcher / genlock using the IV24 video effects card (it cost Au $2500 for this card in 92).

 

[FlypSyde]

This is just turning into a dual against single cpu discussion. It all depends on what you do with your computer. For most purposes a single CPU is fine. If you're the type that likes to multi-task then SMP is your best bet. Different strokes for different folks. That being said, I've got 3 dualies running at home. My only single-cpu system is used for surfing the net and other day-to-day activities. An SMP machine would be overkill for that, although I did entertain the idea of replacing it with a BP6. For me it's all about the coolness factor!

 

[ToledoSteel]

I ran a VP-6 with dual 1ghz, but now I run a single proc. I would admit that I would like to have both, a dually and a single as a backup. The price of upgrading a dually is too much for me to use one at this point. 2x the proc $$ and the mobo's are generally more.

 

[Intrepid]

I went dulie a lnog time ago, had dual MP 1.2s than went to a single XP2000+ willnigly and loved it. had no use for a dullie. but i think my next comp will be a dullie. to bad they dont make laptop dulies.

 

[Mr B]

I went dulie a lnog time ago, had dual MP 1.2s than went to a single XP2000+ willnigly and loved it. had no use for a dullie. but i think my next comp will be a dullie. to bad they dont make laptop dulies.

There's a reason there's no laptop duallies....you'd burn your family jewels off if you actually put it on your lap while using it...

Actually...there's just not enough room in there for two CPU's, I'd think.

 

[Intrepid]

I know....having twin LION batteries in my lappy here well... i am convinced my jewls are watercooled at least.

 

[Kingslayer]

Re: Re: Re: Re: How can they stand it?

I stand corrected.



I have to disagree with you, here. My dual XP2100's system is 95% as fast as a single XP2100 system for gaming. On the dual, however, I can also run a dozen other programs, while I'm gaming, and it doesn't slow down my game.

But your playing with dual 2100's. Try playing with dual 800EB's and see how much fun it is. Part of the problem is that I will not run AMD duals. They don't have the history of doing it, they are new to it, and maybe in a few years, once they have proved themselves, I'll run them. For now, it's Intel only. And that's not cheap.

I do other things that can take advantadge of duals. Photoshop being one. But the things I do in photoshop are renedered just as quickly and efficiently with one CPU.

Look at where we stand with CPU's. We've broken the 3Ghz barrier. There isn't software out there that can even strain that CPU. If you can't strain one, two is a waste.

 

[spldart]

I could sure use a dual 6ghz box.

 

[dustybyrd]

Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: How can they stand it?

Look at where we stand with CPU's. We've broken the 3Ghz barrier. There isn't software out there that can even strain that CPU. If you can't strain one, two is a waste. [/B]

well...i totally agree with the fact that most software doesn't need more than 1.5 ghz of a single cpu to be just as fast as 3 ghz...but...

i love my dual because i like to seriously multitask...

i have 2 monitors...one i watch and record movies with...
i also typically burn cd's at the same time
and i surf at the same time
and i do photoshop at the same time....

now try doing all that with one cpu...even a 3 ghz one...

 

[Intrepid]

I have burned CDs recorded TV shows and surfed and run complex 3D renderings in my cheep azz rhino 3D all at once with no slow down of my P4 2.53 @ 2.8. But then that's maybe not as much of a load as I think iti s.
I will say that on my P4 1.8M with 512MB PC2100 when i plug my monitor keyboard 2 mice printer and scanner and headphones and speakers and switch and everything into it it slows down my laptop a bit, the sheer number of peripherals is killer i guess. tho my main rig does fine at al ltimes and i love it

tho i know that since i plan on going into CpE when i start collage next year i may eventualy need something more powerful, but i have been saving up for a big upgrade sometime down the road when AMD has had a chance to prove itself worthy or unworthy.

 

[boostland]

Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: How can they stand it?

I do other things that can take advantadge of duals. Photoshop being one. But the things I do in photoshop are renedered just as quickly and efficiently with one CPU.

Thats your problem, Using photoshop on a dual won't really be much faster than a single in most operations.
But Corel Photo paint will use both cpus for the most commonly used filters. My Bp6 still can peform a blur quite quickly, my dual AMD's totally wipe the floor with my 2 p4 1.8's @ 2.66.