What are the true beneift of SMP?

[Paddy]

I week or so back I was in the market for a new motherboard after I killed my old one.

KvH reccomended the Tyan TigerMP board, but I dissmised it as it was too pricey an option. However, I have been given the option to offload my A7V266 and I have more available cash.

I am after a new system... something that will be reasonable future proof. I don't do a lot of Photoshop but I do like to dabble at most things. I seem to be spending a lot of time compressing my DVDs...

Would I realistically use SMP?
Even if I am running an application not speciffically disigned for SMP would I notice a performance boost?
I have not seen any direct comparrisions between the TigerMP board and the A7V266... Is there a better chipset that I should go for?


I value you opinions!

[Paddy]

Doh!

Curse my spelling!

[ayoub_ibrahim]

Paddy, first off do you have XP home edition?
I'm only asking as you'll need XP pro to have SMP OS support!

[Paddy]

Originally posted by ayoub_ibrahim
Paddy, first off do you have XP home edition?
I'm only asking as you'll need XP pro to have SMP OS support!

I am using both Win2K Prof. and XP Prof.

[dZeus]

I'm not aware of any DivX encoder which is multithreaded. If you're encoding SVCDs, then CCE is multithreaded, but it's not that efficient either from what I've heard.

You probably won't encode much if any faster with a SMP system. Most advantages you'll get from SMP probably are a more responsive system during heavy loads. WIth SMP also come SMP-driver-troubles (just ask Gurm).

During everyday use I think you better save the cash and buy a single-CPU system with a 1.3-1.5 higher clockspeed than the SMP system, and you'll probably get the same kind of performance during 90% of all tasks.

[Paddy]

There must be something better than this A7V266

Why when you have no money you lust after everything.... Now when I have some cash to spend... I cant find anythig to buy.

[ayoub_ibrahim]

There must be something better than this A7V266

supposedly the best KT266A m/board at present out there is the Epox 8KHA.
have a look at Anand's roundup review here.
I think you can get one from www.overclockers.co.uk

[Colin Morey]

one big thing that smp has in its favour, its _so_ much more responsive, my dual 233 rivals my P3-500 in terms of responsiveness. and I love working with my Dual 866 beast.

SCSI rocks though, I've yet to use an ide system that feels the same as scsi.

case in point: P3-800 with IDE,.. my P3-500 with scsi is smoother.

and I've just been playing B&W on my new G550, nice and smooth.

C

[The Rock]

Paddy:

If you use Flask for toying with DVDs, SMP makes a HUGE difference. I used to play around with it, and my encoding time was cut in HALF on my duallie rig.

Bart

[Paddy]

Cheers all.

I am extreamly tempted to get a TigerMP and just shove one CPU in it for now...

I know that you are meant to use 'MP' chips, but what else would work, albeit unofficially?


Cheers again!

[Taz]

Paddy, have a look at the following page at Firing Squad, they test a Tyan Tiger MP with various CPU's.

http://firingsquad.gamers.com/hardware/dualduron/

[Wombat]

Even if your encoding isn't multi-threaded, you can let the encoder have a CPU all to itself while the system uses the other CPU. My computer is useless while its encoding, and a second CPU would help alleviate that.