Dual P4 MB?

[Shadow07]

Does anyone know of a board that can come close to the following specs:

* Dual P4 or PIII (prefreably P4)
* Support for 1GB of RAM
* 64bit PCI slot or onboard Ultra3/160 controller
* AGP4x or maybe 8x (I don't think 8x is possible on this type of board, but hey...)


I have always stayed away from AMD, but if someone recommends an AMD board, I would look into it.

Thanks.

 

[Sunner]

The P4's aren't SMP capable, you'll have to go Xeon for two CPU's, which means a Socket 603 mobo as well, those are pretty expensive.

And since you asked, have a look at Tyan's Tiger/Thunde AMD mobos.

 

[AgaBoogaBoo]

First, you can't get a P4 board with dual processors. You could get a dual Xeon setup but you have to remember a few things:

1. You need Windows 2KPro or XP Pro. XP home only supports hyper threading I hear but I have a slight feeling it'll take dual processors
2. Your applications will need to have support for this, but the good video editing programs and such have support for dual processors.

I can give you more details but you need to tell me what you plan on using it for because it may end up being the a dual P3 solution is good enough for you or it may be that Xeon will do it.

 

[Shadow07]

AgaBooga - Thanks, as I already know about SMP.

I don't really know about the P4 architecture. I thought if I wanted to stay with Intel CPU's, I might have to go with XEON's, which is WAY to expensive. I have seen some of the PIII boards, but they don't have the options of what I wanted. Mainly, I have seen the Tyan boards, but not the AMD chip-set AMD boards.

I will look at the Tyan AMD boards, as Tyan usuall offers more advanced features than Abit, Asus, MSI, etc.

Anyone else?

 

[mechBgon]

Originally posted by: Shadow07
Does anyone know of a board that can come close to the following specs:

* Dual P4 or PIII (prefreably P4)
* Support for 1GB of RAM
* 64bit PCI slot or onboard Ultra3/160 controller
* AGP4x or maybe 8x (I don't think 8x is possible on this type of board, but hey...)


I have always stayed away from AMD, but if someone recommends an AMD board, I would look into it.

Thanks.

It would be interesting to know what you're building this for. Tyan's Thunder K7X Pro takes dual AthlonMP's up to the 2600+'s, comes with a 64-bit 66MHz PCI bus, AGP Pro110 slot, onboard gigabit + 10/100 NICs, and you can opt for the version with Ultra320 SCSI onboard too. You would want to pair it up with an Antec TruePower EPS550 since it's an EPS board. Max RAM is 4Gb of Registered ECC PC2100, I'd suggest Crucial. These Forums run on dual-AMD servers and serve over 100,000 members, with a total database size of at least 13Gb, so it's "not your father's Oldsmobile"

There are also plenty of Intel platforms to pick from in the dual-Xeon realm. You can find a handy search tool here. Whatever you pick, don't assume it will fit into a standard off-the-shelf PC case until you've checked. They Thunder K7X Pro is qualified for the popular Antec 800-series, 1000-series and 1200-series cases, among others.

 

[McCarthy]

Probably find many answers and new questions fast at 2CPU.

I've never quite understood why intel's policy seems to be to prevent dual desktop CPU use. When the older celerons turned out to work I didn't hear about anyone dumping their Xeons at the time to switch to celerons, but did see a number of hobbiests buying twice as many intel cpus as before. Even though a lot of them were running W98, heh. Oh well, dual P4 would be fun.

TYPO!

 

[Shadow07]

Well, to answer the question "what do i want this for?" Partially, a gaming machine, but really a test machine to run virtual machines (i.e. VMware). I have a system at home that I have pieced together, but I want to break down and buy a whole new system this year. I was just looking at the Tyan K7Xpro. That one looks like it would be great, especially since it has the option for "Adaptec and Intel Zero-Channel RAID ready."

The one component that I really haven't heard of is the AGP Pro110. What exactly is this? I'm not oblivious to the AGP bus, but I haven't really read up on the AGP Pro110.

Even though this board was designed for server use, I really don't like the fact it requires ECC RAM. Those types of RAM modules are expensive. But, I agree. I wouldn't go with any other type of RAM vendor than Crucial. I have had very good experiences with Crucial.

 

[mechBgon]

AGP Pro110 is a type of AGP slot that can deliver up to 110W of power for professional-level 3D accelerators. It's AGP 4X as far as the transfer rate goes. AGP 8X is not proving to have any real-world merit with consumer-level 3D cards (yet) so you probably don't need to prioritize that feature.

 

[Remedy]

Thanks, as I already know about SMP.

I really don't like the fact it requires ECC RAM. Those types of RAM modules are expensive

No offense, but for someone claiming the above, you shouldn't have any problem interpiting the differnece in requirments for SMP boards.

FYI, ECC is an option. Not a requirement. You can either buy the module with ECC support or you can buy a basic registered module. They come in 2 flavors for different class of buyers. The problem is, ECC Registered DDR memory as of today March 5th is priced similar to basic unbuffered memory. So cost isn't a concern, and if you're going to buy a 400$ motherboard, the price of memory shouldn't sway your thoughts on the purchase. I just had to nit pick that one bit.

AGPPRO 110 is Prosumer slot of graphics card that utilize 110watts of power consumption. 3Dlabs Wildcat 4 series and greater have this consumption and the slot spec is there for this card and the E&S graphics cards as well.

I've never quite understood why intel's policy seems to be to prevent dual desktop CPU use. When the older celerons turned out to work I didn't hear about anyone dumping their Xeons at the time to switch to celerons, but did see a number of hobbiests buying twice as many intel cpus as before. Even though a lot of them were running W98, heh. Oh well, dual P4 would be fun.

You have to remember, celerons back then were basically Pentium2's in the first place, electrically. They mimic every bit of the pentium architecture on paper and physic. So it came down to this, if you want to play with big boys (SMP 500$ motherboard and etc etc.) You're going to have to cough up the money. Regurdless if you just want to "play" with SMP or not, It's not fair to cheat US, the company only to satisfy your enthusiastic endevors.

edit:Mechbgon beat me to it.

 

[Shadow07]

That's not what I ment. I know the reasoning behind the requirement of ECC RAM. I was just complaining about how expensive ECC RAM is. That's all.

Thanks for the clarification on AGP Pro110.

 

[Remedy]

But if you keep hanging 2cpu and other places, you will always find memory at a good price or similar. Like last weekend when someone presented 512MB of micron Registered DDR memory for 53$. That's fairly cheap. Didn't mean to push your button.

 

[tart666]

Supermicro X5DA8 seems like a good board. Building a system right now with it...

 

[Shadow07]

NP. I'm working on a project right now, and I'm trying to get info for my next system. Nothin's says "fun" like working on a Netscreen! (Damn, I don't like these things.)

I know I could find deals on e**bay for ECC RAM, but they tend to get pretty high. Oh well.

I'll check out the SuperMicro, but I tend to stay away from SuperMicro. I have had some issues with the older PII and PIII boards.

TART - Let me know how the board works. I just checked out the specs on it, and DAMN!!!!! The price is just about the same as teh Tyan board, but with some better options. Like XEON processors instead of Athon chips.

 

[McCarthy]

I'm confused....

You have to remember, celerons back then were basically Pentium2's in the first place, electrically. They mimic every bit of the pentium architecture on paper and physic. So it came down to this, if you want to play with big boys (SMP 500$ motherboard and etc etc.) You're going to have to cough up the money. Regurdless if you just want to "play" with SMP or not, It's not fair to cheat US, the company only to satisfy your enthusiastic endevors.

Celerons were PII's, right. So far so good.
Want to play with the big boys, $500 motherboard...no, not necessarily. BP6's were what, $140? No 64 bit PCI, no onboard SCSI, just a normal consumer desktop board aside from it being dual CPU.
Who gets cheated? That's where I'm confused. Who did the BP6 hurt for example? I'm obviously missing your point, and I don't mean or want to.

 

[LeeTJ]

Originally posted by: mechBgon

Originally posted by: Shadow07
Does anyone know of a board that can come close to the following specs:

* Dual P4 or PIII (prefreably P4)
* Support for 1GB of RAM
* 64bit PCI slot or onboard Ultra3/160 controller
* AGP4x or maybe 8x (I don't think 8x is possible on this type of board, but hey...)


I have always stayed away from AMD, but if someone recommends an AMD board, I would look into it.

Thanks.

It would be interesting to know what you're building this for. Tyan's Thunder K7X Pro takes dual AthlonMP's up to the 2600+'s, comes with a 64-bit 66MHz PCI bus, AGP Pro110 slot, onboard gigabit + 10/100 NICs, and you can opt for the version with Ultra320 SCSI onboard too. You would want to pair it up with an Antec TruePower EPS550 since it's an EPS board. Max RAM is 4Gb of Registered ECC PC2100, I'd suggest Crucial. These Forums run on dual-AMD servers and serve over 100,000 members, with a total database size of at least 13Gb, so it's "not your father's Oldsmobile"

There are also plenty of Intel platforms to pick from in the dual-Xeon realm. You can find a handy search tool here. Whatever you pick, don't assume it will fit into a standard off-the-shelf PC case until you've checked. They Thunder K7X Pro is qualified for the popular Antec 800-series, 1000-series and 1200-series cases, among others.

don't go AMD if you wanna go Dual. Xeon is really the only way. if not, why bother? seriously. a good NForce2 board or a P4 with Hyperthreading should Outperform the AthlonMP's in most situations.

 

[mechBgon]

Originally posted by: LeeTJ

Originally posted by: mechBgon

Originally posted by: Shadow07
Does anyone know of a board that can come close to the following specs:

* Dual P4 or PIII (prefreably P4)
* Support for 1GB of RAM
* 64bit PCI slot or onboard Ultra3/160 controller
* AGP4x or maybe 8x (I don't think 8x is possible on this type of board, but hey...)


I have always stayed away from AMD, but if someone recommends an AMD board, I would look into it.

Thanks.

It would be interesting to know what you're building this for. Tyan's Thunder K7X Pro takes dual AthlonMP's up to the 2600+'s, comes with a 64-bit 66MHz PCI bus, AGP Pro110 slot, onboard gigabit + 10/100 NICs, and you can opt for the version with Ultra320 SCSI onboard too. You would want to pair it up with an Antec TruePower EPS550 since it's an EPS board. Max RAM is 4Gb of Registered ECC PC2100, I'd suggest Crucial. These Forums run on dual-AMD servers and serve over 100,000 members, with a total database size of at least 13Gb, so it's "not your father's Oldsmobile"

There are also plenty of Intel platforms to pick from in the dual-Xeon realm. You can find a handy search tool here. Whatever you pick, don't assume it will fit into a standard off-the-shelf PC case until you've checked. They Thunder K7X Pro is qualified for the popular Antec 800-series, 1000-series and 1200-series cases, among others.

don't go AMD if you wanna go Dual. Xeon is really the only way. if not, why bother? seriously. a good NForce2 board or a P4 with Hyperthreading should Outperform the AthlonMP's in most situations.

LOL, better let Industrial Light & Magic know about that (and Anand too, he's still on dual-AMD systems too AFAIK)

 

[LeeTJ]

Originally posted by: mechBgon

Originally posted by: LeeTJ

Originally posted by: mechBgon

Originally posted by: Shadow07
Does anyone know of a board that can come close to the following specs:

* Dual P4 or PIII (prefreably P4)
* Support for 1GB of RAM
* 64bit PCI slot or onboard Ultra3/160 controller
* AGP4x or maybe 8x (I don't think 8x is possible on this type of board, but hey...)


I have always stayed away from AMD, but if someone recommends an AMD board, I would look into it.

Thanks.

It would be interesting to know what you're building this for. Tyan's Thunder K7X Pro takes dual AthlonMP's up to the 2600+'s, comes with a 64-bit 66MHz PCI bus, AGP Pro110 slot, onboard gigabit + 10/100 NICs, and you can opt for the version with Ultra320 SCSI onboard too. You would want to pair it up with an Antec TruePower EPS550 since it's an EPS board. Max RAM is 4Gb of Registered ECC PC2100, I'd suggest Crucial. These Forums run on dual-AMD servers and serve over 100,000 members, with a total database size of at least 13Gb, so it's "not your father's Oldsmobile"

There are also plenty of Intel platforms to pick from in the dual-Xeon realm. You can find a handy search tool here. Whatever you pick, don't assume it will fit into a standard off-the-shelf PC case until you've checked. They Thunder K7X Pro is qualified for the popular Antec 800-series, 1000-series and 1200-series cases, among others.

don't go AMD if you wanna go Dual. Xeon is really the only way. if not, why bother? seriously. a good NForce2 board or a P4 with Hyperthreading should Outperform the AthlonMP's in most situations.

LOL, better let Industrial Light & Magic know about that (and Anand too, he's still on dual-AMD systems too AFAIK)

and that proves what?? when Anand bought his servers MP's were cutting edge. look at the MP mb's out there now. tell me which of those chipsets are cutting edge? NONE. None of them can keep up with the Nforce2 boards or a Very current P4 board. Oh btw, server needs are entirely different anyway. BUT if i were spending money today, i'd go Xeon dual or go w/ Barton (Nforce2) or P4 (granite bay) with Hyperthreading.

 

[mechBgon]

I'll agree that an nForce2 board with a Barton makes a lot of sense

 

[LeeTJ]

Originally posted by: mechBgon
I'll agree that an nForce2 board with a Barton makes a lot of sense

btw, i'm not an AMD hater. i have no problems w/ AMD, i just think the AMD smp chipsets never lived up to their potential. if there was an SMP Version of the Nforce2, now we're talking but as is, Xeon just kicks amd's but for duals.

 

[Shadow07]

Also, have you checked out the PIII XEON 2.0GHz CPU prices? I just saw a company selling that CPU for $250. Hit up pricewatch, and you will see. Besides, I would rather take a XEON over an Athon MP anyday.

Thanks for all of your responses.

 

[Chaotic42]

Originally posted by: Shadow07
Well, to answer the question "what do i want this for?" Partially, a gaming machine, but really a test machine to run virtual machines (i.e. VMware). I have a system at home that I have pieced together, but I want to break down and buy a whole new system this year. I was just looking at the Tyan K7Xpro. That one looks like it would be great, especially since it has the option for "Adaptec and Intel Zero-Channel RAID ready."

The one component that I really haven't heard of is the AGP Pro110. What exactly is this? I'm not oblivious to the AGP bus, but I haven't really read up on the AGP Pro110.

Even though this board was designed for server use, I really don't like the fact it requires ECC RAM. Those types of RAM modules are expensive. But, I agree. I wouldn't go with any other type of RAM vendor than Crucial. I have had very good experiences with Crucial.

When dealing with Tyan boards, go with the memory on their approved list. I don't think that any of them have Crucial on there.