[gentoo-user] Re: new machine: Intel quad vs duo

[James]

Philip Webb <purslow <at> sympatico.ca> writes:


> I'm getting close to buying the parts for my new machine (see earlier msgs)
> & an Intel quad-core mentioned by a helpful responder
> has now come down almost within my price range.
> The CPU I have been contemplating for some weeks is
> an 'Intel Core 2 Duo E6750 4 MB 65 nm 2,67 GHz', which sells for  CAD 225 ,
> but there is now 'Intel Core 2 Quad Q6600 8 MB 65 nm 2,4 GHz' for  CAD 305 ;
> the  8 MB  cache in the latter divides into  2 x 4 MB / pair  processors.
> Prices continue to drop weekly & should go lower with our higher CAD.

> My guess is that even a dual-core CPU wb overkill for my simple desktop,
> but I'm keen to get value for money in a machine intended to last to 2011 .
> Does anyone have any thoughts re dual- vs quad-core processors
> when used for various purposes with Gentoo ?


To really quantify things, you need to look at the minutia of 
how the processors are interconnected, bandwidth, and a host of 
very hardware oriented details. From a commons sense approach,
better performance must be achieved  from the smaller sizes
of the transistors and such on the new 65-nm processes that are
used to build such multi-processor semiconductors. You can spend
a huge amount of time drilling down into these details, if
you want to. My experience is all that performance requires
and extra premium in costs from the purchaser to make the 
suppler rich (or at least enough money to design the next chip).
Intel extracts a bit more profit from the user than AMD, because
they can. Just like Nvidia make more money than ATI.....

That said, I like AMD products, but, it is a choice.


The better questions to ask are:
1) Does the linux kernel run on this processor?
2) Does the extra cost seem reasonable for my needs?
3) Ask any minutia questions to some kernel experts
(for example maybe kernel.org or Intel have some
published benchmarks)
4) Look for relevant benchmarks (benchmarks are like
statistics, folks publish what promotes their position.
5) Just by the dam thing and enjoy the hell out of a smokin
box that the rest of us only dream about....


(don't forget to purchase generous amounts of the fastest
ram the machine supports, or your pissing away your money.
Large L2 cache and the fastest memory available for your
processor dollars are usually the best choices, in my experience.

Also look into heating issues and possible using a water cooling
system to extend the life of the processors and keep the
dB level down to something reasonable....

Personally, I put off purchases as much as possible, but when the
time comes I get a 'one off' of the latest and newest, to stretch
my limited dollars (or those whom I work for).


hth,

James




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