O.K I guess I have to take the risk that Lord Sauron will flame me for what I say next ;-)
I would rather recommend you a 2xCPU MB instead of a single CPU MB You will easily find many 2xCPU MB out there and you may want to consider the following: - most have only 32 bit PCI slots, look for 64 bit PCI slots and the max bus speed (133mhz) - server boards come (optional) with onboard scsi cards - you may still find additionally 4xSATA & IDE on the same MB - (optional) SCSI raid card - (optional) server admin card If you take this all into conclusion you will probably opt for the S2882UG3NR or a similar board from another maker http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16813151151 *no scsi http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16813151152 * with scsi http://www.newegg.com/Product/Showimage.asp?Mode=&Type=&Image=13-151-152-01.jpg%2C13-151-152-02.jpg%2C13-151-152-03.jpg%2C13-151-152-04.jpg%2C13-151-152-05.jpg&CurImage=13-151-152-02.jpg&Description=TYAN+S2882UG3NR-D+Dual+Socket+940+AMD+8131+Extended+ATX+Server+Motherboard+-+Retail Note the scsi raid card socket (option), white and in the middle left) Having the 64 bit pci bus also allows you to navigate real HEAVY loads between scsi discs and the CPU & Memory. Regarding CPU I would probably choose the 246 or 248 ($240-310) which are slightly cheaper than the 252 and, lets face it, the CPU speed alone wont really change so much on the systems performance. http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16819103412 http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16819103433 Another concern is the heat those CPU beasts produce (90W each). You may want to find a cooler solution which doesnt grill you or the CPU and also doesnt make you death. (I am sitting next to such a beast right now ;-) Most cooling systems go up to the 246 or 248. Finding one for the 252 might be difficult. I had a hard time finding a cooler which would do his job for the 248 while still allowing me to hear my own voice ;-). I would invest the saved money (compared to the 252) into Memory or SCSI and use the SATA for a backup solution. I prefer SCSI, as for me it has shown to be reliable in the long run and still outperforms most SATA/IDE setups. Note that 2xCPU systems are not twice as fast as single CPU systems. The SMP setup does have a bit of a overhead on your OS, so expect something like 0,8x the speed of a single CPU system. What the 2xCPU system gives you however, is the ability to handle heavy load. It can handle obviously more requests than a single CPU system. It will also take advantage of the hyperthreading bus *communication bus between the CPUs. This means that CPU1 can *borrow Memory from CPU2 if it is required for an application. For the case I would choose the CM Stacker. It does Unfortunately not offer the redundant PS, but you can put 2x PS from the maker of your choice. It wont be hot swabable, you will have to switch the plugs yourself. http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16811119042 The design is also quite appealing I believe. If you do opt for the CM Stacker make sure to get the Optional Cross floor fan. http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16800887011 It will make sure to get the heat out of the case, and that silently. If you prefer to show off the case, there is also a sie window available http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16811999760 I hope that I could make some valid points to make your decision easier for your next system. The system above is more expensive than "Lord Saurons" setup but it adds a lot of options and is really a sound system (not to say a beast ;-) I usually buy the parts not all in one go, but as required. Newegg as suggested by "Lord Sauron" does give a good service and I can back him up with that. I currently have 2 Opteron systems online which should be accessable for the public. 1) 203.143.127.108 2) 203.143.127.98 (testing) 3) 203.143.127.99 (from October) Do you have the possibility to take an opteron system for a testride ? (You might find that some shops might let you try a system) Best regards Nils Valentin Tokyo / Japan http://www.be-known-online.com -- To UNSUBSCRIBE, email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] with a subject of "unsubscribe". Trouble? Contact [EMAIL PROTECTED]
