AMD Demonstrates 4x4 Enthusiast System

HardOCP ^ | July 25, 2006 3:00 PM (CDT) | Posted by Steve 3:00 PM (CDT)

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

Can Windows handle this?

[ShadowAce]

[coconutt2000]

Nice.

[Echo Talon]

affectionately referred to as the “Quad Father”

BWWWWHHHHAAAHHAAAA!!! :D

[Echo Talon]

Can Windows handle this?

Vista can :D

[aft_lizard]

XP Pro and Vista will be able to.

[Marine_Uncle]

"Can Windows handle this?"
Looks like you got your answer regarding Vista and XP PRO.

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

There are some Linux clustering variants out there,...but this might require something different. assuming there is a single cache, if separate, then I assume there would be many, particularly in the specialized Server distros....

[Echo Talon]

Linux runs on supercomputers... I'm sure it can handle this. :) with SMP. :)

[aft_lizard]

The cache would have to be off die, but this really in essence not that much more different than a current dual opteron setup, other than the fact you can use non-registered ram and a regular cpu.

Also I think this wont takeoff very fast due to the fact of the cost of purchasing cpu's and the mainboard will probably be in the 200+ range. I consider myself a budget enthusiast and frankly spending 1200+ just on the cpu's and motherboard is really asinine if they expect this to take off.

[Marine_Uncle]

If curerent Linux Kernels will not handle it surely if it is sufficiently popular some one will as usual crate a new kernel.
Of course everyone does not know how to make a new kernel. Last time I did it on a Caldera version Linux was some four years back. I assume some of the kernel remake tools have become all inclusive. Used to have to do some follow up configuration before the new kernel was ready for use.

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

Well, sounds like we need to form an enthusiast group.....

I want a Quad...I paid more than this for a Laser printer and a slow processor back in 1990...

[ShadowAce]

If curerent Linux Kernels will not handle it ...

Oh, they do--in fact ,the default kernel on my laptop is SMP...Linux sees two 3.2Ghz processors.

[RFC_Gal]

This isn't exactly SMP - it is more likely a NUMA based architecture

[Echo Talon]

im not exactly sure, but linux will be able to to handle it, with the right kernel.
dont worr the nerd will get it figured out :)

[RFC_Gal]

In a SMP system all memory is local to all processors.
In a NUMA (Non-Uniform Memory Access) system each processor 'owns' a section of memory.

This explains in somewhat. http://www.digit-life.com/articles2/cpu/rmma-numa2.html

Linux and Solaris already include optimization for better NUMA support - not sure about Windows (desktop) but I think Windows (Server) has some optimizations built in.

[Echo Talon]

ahh cool... :)

[Marine_Uncle]

" I want a Quad...I paid more than this for a Laser printer and a slow processor back in 1990..."
This has always been the way it is. Heck imagine me in 1976 purchasing a cabinet with a row of S-100 BUS Printed Circuit Card connectors, a 3 mhz Z80 CPU card, an I/O card, 4K RAM cards, all that I had to soldier all the sockets, caps, resitors and insert inline 14/16 pin integrated circuit packages into, as well as a 300 baud modem card, and a black and white monitor, for some $2000. Then through in another $1800 or so for a dual 8" flopply drive system for disk storage.
Yea I had Fortran level C, and a crude Basic package on it, as well as a relocatable macor assembler. Heck the keyboard alone probably cost me over a hundred bucks.
This was about the highest top line microcomputer combo one could then purchase.
I have been through a half dozen PC since. One must pay the pied piper as required most often.

[Marine_Uncle]

I figured the kernels would support this new chip set. As you are aware Linux kernels have for a few years been supporting multiprocessors, in fact a hell of a lot more then any windoze system has. I have been away from this stuff for a few years now, where I used to have to stay very current.
But some four years back Linux kernels with cascade symetrical multiprocessor capability where being configured as to tie dozens of cpu boards together. In fact on guy at Berkely if I remember correctly had build a system with around 100 cpu cards and had benchmarked it as back then competing rather favoriably with the fastest version Crays and Almdahs for certain type apps with heavy numerical calculations. At any rate. Do enjoy your Linux systems, which I am sure you do. The above verbage takes into account that in the sited case here we are speaking about a single motherboard with quad CPUs as apposed to literally connecting multiple mother boards which in each case could have had multiple processors on it. So Linux and some flavors of UNIX as usual give their users their cake and let them eat it to.