I mis-spoke re:Dual-Core. This is a Pentium 4 Hyper-threading CPU - two (2) CPUs' show up on the 'Performance' window, but two instances of FAH can't be started even if the CPU Affinity (0,1) is set.. I did try.
Regarding the Linux suggestion - just not as geeky as I once was; tried Linux long ago and got messed up for weeks! Sooooo..."If it ain't broke....."!
Think the GPU is my answer...
I saw an X1650 512 mb card at Frys for $160 after rebate.
I will probably hold out for the new cards to be announced in March from ATI that support Direct X 10. At the very least they will be cheaper when the new chipsets arrive.
I have an HP a730n with hyper threading 3.0 Intel that I run two instances with. It is not as fast as a true dual core but it seems to work ...
Here is a post from a forum speaking to the points [er day with a new card:
I've posted the specs in other places, but here goes:
P4 3.0GHz hyperthreaded
4 Gb ECC ram (which shouldn't be all that important)
8x AGP
Hardware RAID-5 array on PCI-x
Results I'm getting are about 8min14s to do a console "block" of about 250 frames or 2.0 to 2.1s/frame in GUI mode. Probably about 13h to do a WU in console mode, so 600ppd. Both execution units run at about 60-65% capacity.
Someone else posted that on 4x AGP 2.0GHz P4 they were over 10min per block or about 500ppd - still pretty good. My guess is that without hyperthreading the CPU will be running full out, and that you really want the 8x AGP.
I only mention the RAID as it's the reason I don't want to upgrade for another 2 years or so - that was expensive and a very nice feature to have. I feel like I'm becoming a champion of retrofitting tired, out-dated old hack machines, which wouldn't be so bad, but up until I joined FAH I *thought* I had an awfully good system....
For comparison a normal desktop is pegged at about 110 ppd, as compared to 500+ ppd for a system with a new graphics card.