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**Dr Mordrid** · 14 February 2002, 05:51

You're most likely wasting your money going dualies.

First: both the software and operating system have to support multi-processors. OS wise this means WinNT/2K/XP. On the software end MSPro and VideoStudio do not. Premiere does, but just barely. Very few parts of Premeire actually USE the extra hardware.

Second: recent tests using identical project files for both MSPro and Premiere indicate that MSPro's SSE/SSE2/3DNow! support trumps Premieres multi-processor support bigtime.

Here's the site documenting the test results;

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http://www.hyperactivemusic.com/MS%20Pro%206.0.htm

The test projects are downloadable at this site so you can try an existing MSPro setup vs. Premiere and the rest of those who have posted MSPro results.

If anything the test files are skewed towards Premiere, not that it does it any good

Third: even with software that fully supports dualies the advantage is never 2x performance as there are always losses so you never really get to that 2x performance you're dreaming of.

To show you a real-world example, in the above mentoned tests Premieres rendering times (DV project) were as follows;

AthlonXP 1700+ (single): 15 min 33 sec
AthlonXP 1700+ (dualie): 12 min 17 sec

This using the Tyan Tiger MP board you mentioned. This is not that big a difference when you think about it.

Now for a real eyebrow raiser....the MSPro results on a similar system and also exporting to DV;

AthlonXP 1700+ (single): 5 min 52 sec

See what I meant?

Uppance: if you have MSPro (hopefully 6.5) you'll gain a LOT more just getting a fast AthlonXP and using the rest of your money for more memory or larger video drives.

The only way you really come out on top with dualies is if you have some other software that supports it 100% like 3D modeling/rendering programs etc., and even then the advantages aren't what many would expect.

Dr. Mordrid

**bill2** · 14 February 2002, 07:42

Doc.

Thanks very much for the detailed answer. I really appreciate it. It may save me lots of money.

**IM_Riktar** · 14 February 2002, 08:34

Some things to consider about duallies:

1. The Doc is right, you are not going to see double the performance in ANY program. That is a big misconception.

2. The following statement may not sound to clear but is something you would understand if you had a "duallie" to try in an operating system that utilized SMP: "This machine may not be faster, but DAMN, is it ever quicker!" This statement really holds up on machines that are doing more than one thing (Multi-tasking).

3. You will see a marked inprovement in programs like TMPGEnc that are used for Mpeg1/2 and VCD/SVCD use. This is one program that DOES use both processors very well. It isn't double the speed, but it comes very (95%) close.

4. Duallies don't really show their stuff in a machine that is setup to do only one thing (Servers excluded) as much as units that are serving dual roles.

4a. In my case, I can't afford to build multiple machines for multiple tasks. I had to come up with one machine that can handle ANYTHING I throw at it. Video editing, web-surfing, networking resources in the home, etc. In some cases it has to do all of the above at once!

So in conclusion, if you are building a machine for only one purpose, IE: video editing machine, the Doc is right. Save your pennies for more memory, faster CPU, bigger harddrive, etc.

If you are building a machine that is going to wear "multiple hats", you may want to consider going the duallie route. For myself, I haven't looked back with any regrets on my decision on what to build. And when I look to the future, I am seeing "double". But thats me.

Good luck whatever you decide.

**Dr Mordrid** · 14 February 2002, 09:08

Most of that I can agree with and yes, TMPGEnc is one of the few commonly used programs to really work well with MP's. Windows operations too will be faster, but once you're in a program....

As for using dualies in a machine with multiple hats; only if the software for those "hats" support MP. Since most software doesn't this has to be determined on a case-by-case basis.

The example I gave above of a 3D modeling/rendering program would be one such case where MP would be very advantageous.

Dr. Mordrid

**IM_Riktar** · 14 February 2002, 10:04

While the biggest advantage is with software that is SMP aware I have seen examples where setting the processor "affinity" can reap benefits by afixing one CPU to the task, the other to the operating system. This doesn't exactly utilize the full benefits of SMP, but there is an advantage.

As for the rest, I just gotta say "Ditto Doc"

**wkulecz** · 14 February 2002, 14:43

Can't disagree with anything said here.

But my "main" machine is a PIII-500 dualie with 1GB of RAM.

Its iteractivness with multiple apps open and running is what pays the freight.

Recently I captured a two hour movie (The Hunger, on SciFi) to DV
using it while reading Email, browsing this forum and others, checking Usenet news etc. No drops. Other than the capture preview window always updating, I'd never know 3.6MB/sec was going to the disk as I typed and moused around. Its also dual monitor 1152x864 as primary on PCI Voodoo3-2000 and 1600x1200 on Matrox G200 AGP so I've plenty of pixels for multiple applications.

So I'd agree. For a dedicated video editing machine buy single and put the price difference to faster CPU, more RAM and bigger hard drives. But for a do everything, highly interactive, multiple apps always open, machine going dual is well worth it.

--wally.

**moreau** · 14 February 2002, 14:54

I agree with those who said:

When I use Virtual Dub or Flask to convert (e.g. DVD to DivX), both cpus will show 50-60% utilization, rather than 100% on a single cpu machine.

So, in net, there is only perhaps a small advantage there.

But: While I am flasking, or Dubbing, my machine responds as though there was zero load. i.e. I don't notice any lag or lack of responsiveness. The conversion chugs away in the background unhindered by my usage, and vice-verca.

Such an analogy could extend to the ide vs scsi war that rages from time to time, though I don't wish to start that one here

respectfully,
Charles

**moreau** · 14 February 2002, 14:58

related is the notion of assigning processor affinity for single threaded aps.

You can, in principle, divy up processes to different processors...

Charles

**Damascus** · 16 February 2002, 19:34

Spring for the Tyan board anyway because it is supposedly super stable.

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