Dual processors? Please advise

[David Tolsky]

I was reading in my software Bible for Adobe Premiere 6.0 that it takes full advantage of two CPU's in the same computer. Has anyone done this? The software is for video editing and I want to get the best possible performance from my HP P-IV. How do you do dual processors?

 

[Jesse Leonard]

You will need:

• A new motherboard that supports dual processors
• Another P IV that is the same speed as the one you already have
• An operating system that allows dual processors (Windows NT, 2000, XP Pro...)

Once you install all of this, you will be up and running

[Edited last by Jesse Leonard on October 27, 2001 at 09:52 AM]

 

[AndyVX]

I'm guessing you'll need a new case/power supply for your computer. I seem to doubt that you'll just be able to pop a new motherboard into that HP computer.
Dell computers are like that(motherboard is nonreplaceable unless it's another motherboard from Dell) and seeing as though HP's are even more of a proprietary design then Dell's, I'm guessing you'll need a new case also.
This is all assumptions on my part though.
Andrew
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[Mike Voigt]

Yup, HPs are a PITB to mess with. Not as bad as some Compaq's though!
Best thing is to get a new mobo, processor, and case. You should be able to reuse everything off of the other machine - unless, of course, it has built-in whatevers. Then you get to replace those with separate cards, too (video, network, audio...).
You may want to get a new HD also. It is perfectly possible to update the OS kernel to use dual processors, but it is a pretty significant change, and if it gets hosed, so are you.
Still, it is nice to have. I am typing this on a dual-processor machine, and it cranks!
Mike

 

[Colin Dunn]

When you get to be enough of a "power user" to want dual processors, a DIY clone box is THE way to go. No more hassles with proprietary motherboards and cases. You can swap any ATX motherboard for any other while keeping your case and power supply. Makes upgrades a lot easier.
Intel dropped the ball with the Pentium 4 with respect to SMP. The current Pentium 4 chips on the market don't support SMP. They will support it when the Pentium 4 XEON chips are out, but those will be expen$ive.
To build your own SMP system, get two identical speed AthlonXP or (Socket 370) Pentium III chips. Then get a motherboard that has dual CPU sockets and SMP support.
The home version of Windows XP only supports one processor. Windows 95/98/ME also can only use one processor.
To use two or more processors, you need Linux, NT 4 (workstation or server), Windows 2000 (workstation, server, or advanced server), or Windows XP (professional or server). Other OSs, including Solaris 8, FreeBSD, BeOS, and OS/2 Warp 4 also support SMP on the Intel/AMD platform.
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Colin Dunn

 

[Jeff R.]

I also thought Intel made a mistake when it designed the P IV without SMP (Symmetric Multi-Processing) support.
If you want the fastest multi-procesor machine, you'll have to go with a pair of Athlon XPs. Also, the last I heard, Tyan was the only company with dual Athlon boards out.
Also, keep in mind that because of overhead and software design, you will probably not get any more than about a 50% increase in speed. It will probably be even less than that with most applications. The high end apps which are processor intesive, i.e. CAD, photo and video editing, 3D modeling, etc. are where you will get that 50% increase.
Multiple processor machines are very cool. I'm probably going to set up a dual Athlon system myself by the end of the year.

 

[David Tolsky]

Wow, I had no idea it would be that complicated. This is the passage from the Adobe Premiere Bible:
For both PC's (Windows NT and Windows 2000) and Macs, two CPU's are better than one. Premiere, ulike many computer programs, takes full advantage of computer systems with 2 or more processors. Preview rendering speeds should be dramatically increased.
Is sounds to me that it isn't absolutely necessary but would help out a lot. I am currently running ME and it seems like I would have to go through a lot of hassle and expense to set this thing up (I am not that computer savvy)What I will do is increase my RDRAM and add another 60-80 Gig HD so that I can have storage for video footage only.
Still, I'll keep it on the back burner for future interest.
Thanks for the input guys!

 

[Darren Lewis]

http://www.2cpu.com has lots of info and reviews for people wanting to set up a dual CPU rig. They have an active forum too.
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[Mike Voigt]

Actually, David, building a PC is a pretty easy task, once you wrap your mind around it.
Buy a case - get one with a large power supply.
Buy a mobo - most all are pretty decent, I personally prefer ASUS, but there are tons of others.
Buy a hard drive - they're not quite a dime a dozen, but you can pick one up at Best Buy fairly cheap.
Buy processors and fans - find one you like, match the motherboard to it speed- and type-wise. Use the same type for both of them.
Buy memory, if you can't use your old one.
After that, really, it is pretty much just a careful assembly job. You already have everything else - floppy disk, CD-ROM, old HD, sound card, video card, OS, software...
Then, install it piece by piece. Mobo into case, add processors and memory, add new HD, floppy disk, CD-ROM, hook up cables. Add video card.
Boot, install OS.
Install rest of stuff, piece by piece. Reboot after each piece, let OS reconfigure to match.
It will take an afternoon, perhaps, but then you're set.
You can save some moeny by re-using the old HD, but you risk losing your data that way. Sometimes, the new OS can be installed on top of existing installations (upgrades) and then reset to use a multiprocessor setup. Me, I prefer to work from scratch, but that has other reasons.
If you like fiddling with computers - this can be loads of fun!
Mike

 

[David Tolsky]

Mike, thanks for the info on building the custom computer. This is something I would like to do in the future, have a dedicated computer for video editing.
Darren, cool website! Lots of good info on dual processors.
Something I will definitely consider when I build my custom computer.