hardware decision: two processors or dual processor?

will.i.amn't

Hi computer people, this is my first post on this forum and I'm looking to the hardware sages among you for some CPU advice.

I want to buy a computer to run some numerical models and need a fairly high performance 64-bit system.

When I look at the Dell Precision T5400 I am offered the following CPU options (among others) :

• Dual Intel Xeon E5420 (2.50GHZ, 1333Mhz, 2x6MB,Quad Core) [add € 507.00]
• Two Intel® Xeon® E5430 ( 2.66GHZ, 1333Mhz, 2x6MB,Quad Core) [add € 809.00]

My question is, what is the difference between "dual" and "two" here? As you can see, both options are quad core. The Dell online help isn't much use, as you might expect.

Also, are there any other vendors out there who are good for this kind of stuff? Apple, maybe?

Spear

will.i.amn't wrote: »

Hi computer people, this is my first post on this forum and I'm looking to the hardware sages among you for some CPU advice.

I want to buy a computer to run some numerical models and need a fairly high performance 64-bit system.

When I look at the Dell Precision T5400 I am offered the following CPU options (among others) :

• Dual Intel Xeon E5420 (2.50GHZ, 1333Mhz, 2x6MB,Quad Core) [add € 507.00]
• Two Intel® Xeon® E5430 ( 2.66GHZ, 1333Mhz, 2x6MB,Quad Core) [add € 809.00]

My question is, what is the difference between "dual" and "two" here? As you can see, both options are quad core. The Dell online help isn't much use, as you might expect.

Also, are there any other vendors out there who are good for this kind of stuff? Apple, maybe?

Two and dual are the same thing here.

AlmightyCushion

Exactly, the second one is more expensive because it's clocked higher.

Khannie

will.i.amn't wrote: »

I want to buy a computer to run some numerical models and need a fairly high performance 64-bit system.

The others have answered your question, so I'll just pose one (which may save you some money)....Is your system something that can properly scale / compute in parallel?

Overheal

seems a typo only, OP.

Capt'n Midnight

if you use windows then you have to buy a more expensive version like business to recognise an extra processor. but even the home version will see both cores of a dual core procesor

real dual processor mother boards are a lot more expensive than single processor motherboards and unless you really need the speed or have other bandwidth reasons it's probably better spending the money on a better dual core, unless you have lots of money

will.i.amn't

Thanks for the useful replies, everyone.

I don't have much detail about the implementation of the codes. My guess is that they aren't properly scalable without considerable rewriting, which I don't have the skills to do. However, there would still be the possibility of running multiple instances of the code simultaneously, to take advantage of the dual (/two) processors. I'll probably be using Linux rather than Windows, which might have better options for scripting or scheduling to do this.

Looking at the Dell site again, for practically the same price you can have

• Intel Xeon E5440 (2.83GHZ, 1333Mhz, 2x6MB,Quad Core)

or

• Dual Intel Xeon E5420 (2.50GHZ, 1333Mhz, 2x6MB,Quad Core)

So given the Capt'n's comment above, is there an advantage to the dual processor here, as the single processor option has only marginally higher clock speed?

Spear

will.i.amn't wrote: »

Thanks for the useful replies, everyone.

I don't have much detail about the implementation of the codes. My guess is that they aren't properly scalable without considerable rewriting, which I don't have the skills to do. However, there would still be the possibility of running multiple instances of the code simultaneously, to take advantage of the dual (/two) processors. I'll probably be using Linux rather than Windows, which might have better options for scripting or scheduling to do this.

Looking at the Dell site again, for practically the same price you can have

• Intel Xeon E5440 (2.83GHZ, 1333Mhz, 2x6MB,Quad Core)

or

• Dual Intel Xeon E5420 (2.50GHZ, 1333Mhz, 2x6MB,Quad Core)

So given the Capt'n's comment above, is there an advantage to the dual processor here, as the single processor option has only marginally higher clock speed?

Which is more important to your app? Running 4 instances at 2.83GHz or 8 instances at 2.5GHz?

will.i.amn't

Which is more important to your app? Running 4 instances at 2.83GHz or 8 instances at 2.5GHz?

That's a pertinent question. I think more instances would probably be generally better (I will be running this code thousands of times in all) but then there are RAM limitations to think about as well.

Khannie

Windows may have processor based licencing limitations that Linux obviously wont. I have written scripts to take advantage of my quad core using 4 x single threaded app and you're right, I think linux is slightly better suited to this. It's not going to make a huge difference one way or the other.

In general it's hard to keep 8 cores active. Hell, it's hard to keep 4 cores active. If you think you can schedule properly and you're not going to be bottlenecked by ram (unlikely if it's a computationally expensive system) then your answer is 8 cores at the lower clock speed. It's a lot of ifs though.

SouperComputer

If what you are doing is CPU and RAM intensive then the Dual CPU (Ie Dual socket_ is a good way to go. MS decided that the windows licencing, for now, is by "socket" rather than core. So the dual CPU (Read 8 core, or 8CPU in old money) should be fine.

Dual socket, generally means dual RAM controllers, a big plus if what you are doing requires a lot of RAM throughput. Of course, having a second socket means that you may also have the ability to stick 12 or 16 cores in that motha in the future.

Im curious what this software is....

TheZenWithin

I'm sorry but as good as Dell may be they are just a little overpriced. Go to Komplett.ie.
You can get the exact computer you want including 64bt xp pro if u want. Or a quad core never mind a dual core. Depending on your setup it could cost as little as 450 but max 800. happy shopping!!!

AlmightyCushion

TheZenWithin wrote: »

I'm sorry but as good as Dell may be they are just a little overpriced. Go to Komplett.ie.
You can get the exact computer you want including 64bt xp pro if u want. Or a quad core never mind a dual core. Depending on your setup it could cost as little as 450 but max 800. happy shopping!!!

I really doubt you understand what he's planning on buying. He wants a computer with 2 quad core processors not a single dual core. As far as I know, Komplett don't offer anything with dual cpus.

will.i.amn't

The software is a distributed hydrological model. It will read in topographical and other data for an area from a GIS database, then solve the water mass balance and energy balance for each grid cell. The cells could be as small as 50 m x 50 m, over areas of 1000s of km2 so there could be up to a million cells.

I think dual, quad core CPU (so 8 cores in all) is what I will go for. I'd be reasonably confident that with a bit of smart management I can keep all the cores nice and busy most of the time.

I checked out Apple and Dell and Dell appeared to be a lot cheaper for a similar system, so Dell it is going to be. I couldn't find anything suitable on Komplett's site. Thanks for the advice everyone.