Dual Processor motherboard

[Anubis]

i am starting to build my own pc
if any one knows where i could purchase a motherboard with two processor slots it would be greatly appreciated. an online store would be preferable

Thanks

[plenderj]

You'd want to make sure you have an OS that will support 2 physical processors. If you're using a CPU that supports HyperThreading, then each physical CPU will appear as 2 logical CPUs. So if you have 2 physical CPUs, you'll have 4 logical CPUs.

Windows XP Professional only supports 1-2 CPUs....

[Dave Sell]

1) Try http://www.pricewatch.com

2) You can buy versions of WinNT that supports more than 2 CPUs but you will have to pay M$ extra. I believe the same should be true for WinXP.

[plenderj]

Not that I know of... the 64bit edition might do it, but the only windows editions that support more than cpus, that I know of, are the server editions...

[Dave Sell]

Originally posted by plenderj
Not that I know of... the 64bit edition might do it, but the only windows editions that support more than cpus, that I know of, are the server editions...

Yeah, that sounds about right...

[dglienna]

I'm pretty sure that you need an OS for each processor. I saw some W2K dual-processors that were set up. They needed 3 connections, one of them being the 'heartbeat' between the two.
Maybe you won't need the connections if the two processors are on the same board, but I think that you'll still need 2 OS's

[plenderj]

Originally posted by dglienna
I'm pretty sure that you need an OS for each processor. I saw some W2K dual-processors that were set up. They needed 3 connections, one of them being the 'heartbeat' between the two.
Maybe you won't need the connections if the two processors are on the same board, but I think that you'll still need 2 OS's

'eh
All you need is a MultiProcessor OS - e.g. Windows 2000 Professional or Windows XP Professional, or a Server edition.
The one OS can control multiple CPUs etc.

[Anubis]

Thanks i only wanted to know where i could purchase a board from. i do have some knowledge of PC's(i have been using a computer for the past ten years of my life) so i do know some things.

I will have to check out that site that you recommended Dave Sell

Thanks

[Ideas Man]

If you look for server motherboards, you should find some. I know Intel makes them for their Pentium 4s.

[plenderj]

Originally posted by Anubis
Thanks i only wanted to know where i could purchase a board from. i do have some knowledge of PC's(i have been using a computer for the past ten years of my life) so i do know some things.

I will have to check out that site that you recommended Dave Sell

Thanks

Most people wouldn't know what HT was, let alone the effects on multi-cpu editions of OSes.

[Dave Sell]

Originally posted by plenderj
Most people wouldn't know what HT was, let alone the effects on multi-cpu editions of OSes.

Agreed. I have been putting together PCs for 12 yrs, and I could use some pointers on HT. I've never used a P4 with HT, and I wouldn't even know if 2 CPUs show up in task manager. Do they?

[plenderj]

Yup - its as though there are 2 physical CPUs. If you go into performance you see both CPUs listed, and you can also change the affinity on processes to use either CPU0 or CPU1.

Confused the hell out of me one time. We built a Dual Xeon Server w/HT for a customer of ours. I went into task manger and into performance and there are 4 CPUs listed.

I was totally confused. I kept looking at the motherboard, seeing 2 CPUs, and then looking at the screen and seeing 4

[Dave Sell]

Originally posted by plenderj
Yup - its as though there are 2 physical CPUs. If you go into performance you see both CPUs listed, and you can also change the affinity on processes to use either CPU0 or CPU1.

Confused the hell out of me one time. We built a Dual Xeon Server w/HT for a customer of ours. I went into task manger and into performance and there are 4 CPUs listed.

I was totally confused. I kept looking at the motherboard, seeing 2 CPUs, and then looking at the screen and seeing 4

Back to Anubis' original post, wouldn't one be better off getting a single CPU mobo with HT enabled than buying a way more expensive dual CPU system?

[plenderj]

It would be easier in terms of finding an OS anyway... though, given his attitude, I would imagine he's going to install some strange flavour of linux

[Anubis]

hey whats wrong with my attitude???

and concerning the need for dual processor mother boards!!

well i am interested in trying new things. iu have already built many normal computers and was after a bit of a challenge.

And there is nothing wrong with linux(i prefer unix over linux though) there is nothing wrong with experimenting with new things

[Dave Sell]

Originally posted by Anubis
hey whats wrong with my attitude???

No one ever said anything was wrong with your attitude. plenderj was just commenting that the attitude you project reminds him of peeps who prefer linux.

[dglienna]

I haven't tried 2 cpus, but was just stating what someone told me when they were. Didn't know if it was correct, but I guess you know otherwise.

[ThePCMan]

To answer Anubis's question, www.planetmicro.co.uk sells duel processor motherboards.

U don't need 2 os's 2 run it, n all versions of Linux and Windows XP, r able 2 cope!!

I know this cos i am using a motherboard with 2 processors in it at the mo, i have a duel boot, Fedora Core 3 and Windows XP Pro.

[dglienna]

M$ flip-flopped on this. What's going to happen in a few years when you can get 24 OS's on a MB. Are you going to have to pay 24x as much? Other software vendors are doing this, pay-per-processor thing. I hope M$ wll not change their stance.

[System_Error]

Wouldn't two "physical" processors, as in having two processor slots have worse results than one physical processor with HT technology?

I think I read somewhere that it is, but not sure.. I could be wrong.

[dglienna]

not if the OS and the programs can use them.