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Subject: Re: How many Quad users at CCC?

Author: Robert Hyatt

Date: 18:44:43 03/02/00

Go up one level in this thread


On March 02, 2000 at 19:22:12, Pete Galati wrote:

>On March 02, 2000 at 18:30:21, Robert Hyatt wrote:
>
>>On March 02, 2000 at 17:34:01, Pete Galati wrote:
>>
>>>On March 01, 2000 at 22:36:18, Eugene Nalimov wrote:
>>>
>>>>On March 01, 2000 at 22:17:30, Robert Hyatt wrote:
>>>>
>>>>>On March 01, 2000 at 20:48:05, Pete Galati wrote:
>>>>>
>>>>>>On March 01, 2000 at 20:22:09, Robert Hyatt wrote:
>>>>>>
>>>>>>>On March 01, 2000 at 14:43:39, Pete Galati wrote:
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>On March 01, 2000 at 07:37:55, Graham Laight wrote:
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>On February 29, 2000 at 17:32:29, Robert Hyatt wrote:
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>On February 29, 2000 at 11:40:46, Ed Panek wrote:
>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>On February 29, 2000 at 08:42:36, Robert Hyatt wrote:
>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>On February 29, 2000 at 01:13:38, Georg Langrath wrote:
>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>I tink that you can measure the speed of a analyze in nods per second. When will
>>>>>>>>>>>>>a pc be comabarable with Deep Blue with that increasing in hardware every year
>>>>>>>>>>>>>that is now? I think that it must be so some time in future.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>Georg
>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>Not easy to answer, but I would guess that the speed of deep blue is about
>>>>>>>>>>>>1,000 times faster than the fastest program of today, based on the fastest
>>>>>>>>>>>>program going 1M nodes per second, while DB could peak at 1B nodes per
>>>>>>>>>>>>second.  It averaged about 200M, but then it also had some complex eval stuff
>>>>>>>>>>>>that would slow that 1M nps program down by a factor of 5-10 probably
>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>If you assume 1000x, with a doubling of machine speed every year (which is
>>>>>>>>>>>>very optimistic) then it will take about 10 years to catch up.
>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>all of that analysis has lots of assumptions, however...
>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>Unless there is some incredible watershed breakthrough in processor technology
>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>Ed
>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>True.  But I have been involved in computing since 1968, and there has been
>>>>>>>>>>no "incredible watershed breakthrough in processor technology" for the past 32
>>>>>>>>>>years.  Nothing suggests (to me) that one is forthcoming within the next 10+
>>>>>>>>>>years.
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>There are companies out there making multi-processor machines in a low cost way.
>>>>>>>>>What is required is not so much a technology breakthrough, but a marketing
>>>>>>>>>breakthrough. Multi-processor computers needs to become both a big market and a
>>>>>>>>>competitive market.
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>Pentium processors are a big and competitive market. Trouble is, I don't think
>>>>>>>>>they're the best architechture to put together in large numbers on the same
>>>>>>>>>motherboard.
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>Hey people - lets all find good reasons to need lots of processing power, stop
>>>>>>>>>buying Pentiums, standardise on a multiprocessor archtechture, and start buying
>>>>>>>>>it in large numbers!
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>-g
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>Ok, you got a few extra bucks on you that we can all borrow?  Wouldn't I have a
>>>>>>>>Quad Xeon if I could afford one?  My 586 is old and slow because I don't have
>>>>>>>>the money to replace it, truth is I'd be thrilled to have a 350mhz computer
>>>>>>>>right now.  So there is that money factor.
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>But yeah, they don't put together large numbers of multi-processor machines
>>>>>>>>because most people have no use for one, and that "most people" is what pays
>>>>>>>>their bills.  Us computer Chess fans are just another flicked bugger to computer
>>>>>>>>manufacturers in general, but a good specialized market.
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>Pete
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>Actually the number of dual-cpu machines is quite enormous.  I have seen
>>>>>>>some eye-popping numbers quoted by MB manufacturers...  One day the quads
>>>>>>>will get 'there'.
>>>>>>
>>>>>>I'd like to see that day.  Any idea how many quad machines are in use by members
>>>>>>here at CCC?
>>>>>>
>>>>>>Pete
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>I have 9 quad xeons at my office, plus the quad p6.  :)  Bruce has one.  Amir
>>>>>uses one.  I just taught an undergraduate class in parallel programming, and
>>>>>out of 15 students, three had dual-processor machines.  You can put together
>>>>>a good dual for 500-700 bucks.
>>>>
>>>>Near my office there is a large hall filled with 4- and 8-way SMP systems, and I
>>>>regularly use one of them (usually to debug a program).
>>>>
>>>>Eugene
>>>
>>>Thanks, I'll have to ask my friend if her company is putting any quads together
>>>for the local companies, I'm guessing they don't, I wonder if they're missing a
>>>market.
>>>
>>>500-700$ for a do it yourself quad?  I'd probably have to get help with the
>>>assembly, I should take a look at what parts are needed.  Interesting post by
>>>Tom Kerrigan about IBM's CPU plans, hope it's more than just IBM talking.
>>>
>>>Pete
>>
>>
>>No.  500-700 bucks for a do-it-yourself _dual_.  Quads are still pricey.
>>Typical motherboard is over 2000 bucks and the only cpu choice is the xeons
>>which are going for about $1,000 bucks apiece.  About 6K to get a working
>>quad xeon up assuming you have a case, big power supply, and disks already.
>
>I wasn't paying enough attention, if I had more backround I would have noticed
>what you were talking about.  I assume that a dual would do smp with NT or
>Linux, but a quad would have all 4 cpus as smp.
>
>Pete


I had trouble parsing your last sentence.  The "but" is confusing. Either the
dual or the quad would work with NT or Linux.  Both machines are SMP.



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