Author Topic: Got my AMD X2! (Read 873 times)

eagl · « **on:** June 10, 2005, 03:18:32 PM »

In my dreams... Heh made you look.

Seriously, is anyone planning on getting one of these? If so, which one?

I'm looking at the A64 X2 4400 (2.2 ghz, 1 meg cache each) but not until after the price drops down to more reasonable levels. I don't expect an increase in gaming performance but I find it irritating to have to try to schedule virus scans and stuff like that when I'm not at my computer. I know subsystems are still shared but in my experience, I'm rarely waiting for the hard drive to thrash or the screen to update. Whenever I'm annoyed at my computer for being slow when doing multiple tasks, it's almost always due to cpu load.

So any reports will be appreciated

Eagler · « **Reply #1 on:** June 10, 2005, 03:36:07 PM »

check out thread: A8V owners below
http://www.hitechcreations.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=152200

Reschke · « **Reply #2 on:** June 10, 2005, 03:50:34 PM »

Agreed and yes I am going to be upgrading/building a bigger and newer system for just me.

To hell with printers, embroidery digitizing, Photoshop, Flash and all that other craptastic software that just clutters up the hard drives of what is meant to be "daddy's toy". Also once I do that I can permanently place joystick, rudder and chair back in front of the system 24/7.

Overlag · « **Reply #3 on:** June 10, 2005, 06:35:09 PM »

will be getting one... But i doubt the UK will have any stock before september.

eagl · « **Reply #4 on:** June 10, 2005, 08:15:07 PM »

I haven't checked for a new bios but in any case I'll wait until I actually need the bios upgrade 'cause my system is stable as it is now. I'm running a stable 12% overclock with no stability issues whatsoever, and in the current AH map my framerates are pegged at 75 above about 3000 ft, and I ran nearly 3 hours continuously without a crash, so I think I'll just not fuss with the settings until necessary.

Kev367th · « **Reply #5 on:** June 11, 2005, 06:18:46 AM »

Just read an article where they got the 4800 to 3.0Ghz on air coolong, so as I am gonna pick up a 4400 hoping for a good overclock on that also.

The 4400 looks the best bang for buck.

Want a giggle check out Tomshardware for a stress test - X2 vs P840

So far the X2 system has ran from the start (100+ hours) without a crash, the P840 is now onto mobo #3, and memory sticks #2, with 6-8 crashes. http://www.tomshardware.com/cpu/20050603/index.html

They have just 'reconfigured' both systems,rebooted and set the counters back to 0 lol.
Shame on ya Tom.

As for power usage, X2 under full load uses almost the same as P840 on idle!!!!

Live feed from stress test
http://www.tomshardware.com/stresstest/index.html

Overlag · « **Reply #6 on:** June 11, 2005, 10:34:20 AM »

too see how clever Tomshardware is (mr pro intel) he was running his dual core P4 at 90c......

now thats normal it will probably crash less, however it took him SOOOOO long to notice its just sad.

the motherboard damage was probably due to temp, and i would think that core is pretty well shot too.

Kev367th · « **Reply #7 on:** June 11, 2005, 11:50:22 AM »

Yup, if you include the results prior to the counters reset -

X2 is 196Hrs 0 crashes, 1 reboot after reconfig. Reconfig was to remove 2nd VGA card and disable SLI as the P840 setup couldn't run in this config.

P840 coudn't keep running for more than 10hrs, now up to a total of 9 to 11 crashes, including prior totals (before reconfig of both machines) from counters.

Sad thing is Tom has really screwed up bad on the stress test, and the figures are becoming more and more meaningless the longer it goes.

There is a suspicion that he has also lowered the vcore on the P840 as it is now consuming nowhere the power it was.

So what could have been an interesting and informative test has now become a huge farce.

Overlag · « **Reply #8 on:** June 12, 2005, 03:21:06 PM »

to be fair to Intel though, he should have used a Intel chipset board.

Sure, Nforce4 is good for AMD but the Intel version needs memory controlers and uses totaly different FSB system vs HT of the AMD system, so Nvidia are "newbies" and therefor the Nforce 4 Intel is rather poor and immature.

im sure if he had used a intel chipset from the start, and the right CPU cooler it would be 100% stable like the 100% stable AMD.

Isnt it funny how the first thing a Intel user says is that AMD are unstable crap........

Kev367th · « **Reply #9 on:** June 12, 2005, 03:31:24 PM »

Actually they did try 2 Intel boards with an Intel 955X chipset, it crashed twice and they changed it.

So far the scores have been reset twice after the P840 got to a point where it was showing too many crashes.
The test actually started on the 3rd, and the X2 based system has run SINCE the 3rd without a crash, the current uptimes are after the 3rd score reset.

As I said, it's a shame it has made what should have been an informative test nothing but a farce.
In reality this is test number 3, tests 1 and 2 already won by the AMD system.

It actually says "Both systems have been running without any problems so far, AMD since June 7, 8 pm", what it should say is that the X2 system has in fact been running without problems since June 3rd.

All they have managed to do is take what little credibility Tomshardware had left and flushed it.

Two interesting trends were revelaed PRIOR to the current single graphics card setup-
1) The X2 without SLI was as fast as the P840 with SLI
2) The X2 on full load uses the same power as the P840 on idle.

Overlag · « **Reply #10 on:** June 12, 2005, 03:38:54 PM »

Quote

Originally posted by Kev367th
Actually they did try a board with an Intel 955X chipset, it crashed twice and they changed it.

yeah i just did a ctrl f5 there and got the new page and noticed that.

Quote

Originally posted by Kev367th

So far the scores have been reset twice after the P840 got to a point where it was showing too many crashes.
The test actually started on the 3rd, and the X2 based system has run SINCE the 3rd without a crash, the current uptimes are after the 3rd score reset.

As I said, it's a shame it has made what should have been an informative test nothing but a farce.
In reality this is test number 3, tests 1 and 2 already won by the AMD system.

It actually says "Both systems have been running without any problems so far, AMD since June 7, 8 pm", what it should say is that the X2 system has in fact been running without problems since June 3rd.

All they have managed to do is take what little credibility Tomshardware had left and flushed it.

yup its laughable, reset the tests so intel look better, i mean AMD was in the lead on *ALL* tests because the intel system was down so much. I mean the intel is REALLY fast at that encoding task, but was down so much AMD was beating it at one point. Whats the point of being fast at something, if your down more often? lol.

However it was "user error" (stevie wonder should have noticed those errors) so maybe alittle unfair to blame Intel? i really dont know.

But then whenever its user error on a AMD system its AMD's fault.....

all i know from this, is if a server builder was looking at it... well theres only one choice....

Kev367th · « **Reply #11 on:** June 12, 2005, 03:46:32 PM »

The encoding thing- all it needs is the priority on the encoding app to be set to normal.

Look at it this way-
The P840 has two physical cores each with hyperthreading, in effect 4 cores. Therefore each of the 4 apps runs on seperate core, isn't it a surprise Tomshardware chose 4 apps lol.

The X2 has two physical cores and the encoding app by default has a low priority, so it only gets cpu cycles when they are available. By setting the priority to 'normal' it would then get equal time. Its a Windows scheduler problem.

Latest news - Tomshardware have said they are going to disable hyperthreading on the P840, if so watch for the encoding to drop on it due to the same problems with the Windows scheduler the X2 is having.

Personally IF I was going to spend $1000+ on a CPU I'd go for the P840, I don't think the X2 4800 is worth it.

Overlag · « **Reply #12 on:** June 12, 2005, 03:50:20 PM »

Quote

Originally posted by Kev367th
The encoding thing- all it needs is the priority on the encoding app to be set to normal.

Look at it this way-
The P840 has two physical cores each with hyperthreading, in effect 4 cores. Therefore each of the 4 apps runs on seperate core, isn't it a surprise Tomshardware chose 4 apps lol.

The X2 has two physical cores and the encoding app by default has a low priority, so it only gets cpu cycles when they are available. By setting the priority to 'normal' it would then get equal time. Its a Windows scheduler problem.

Latest news - Tomshardware have said they are going to disable hyperthreading on the P840, if so watch for the encoding to drop on it due to the same problems with the Windows scheduler the X2 is having.

thats true, i thought the "standard" Desktop Dual core P4 has HT disabled? so hes testing inte server vs amd desktop models????

Kev367th · « **Reply #13 on:** June 12, 2005, 04:04:46 PM »

Maybe so, but to be fair they are both almost exactly the same price.
Thats why I said if I was to spend $1000+ on a CPU it would be the P840, the X2 4800 isn't worth it.

Anyway just ordered my X2 4400, should be here next week

Overlag · « **Reply #14 on:** June 12, 2005, 04:07:07 PM »

Quote

Originally posted by Kev367th
Maybe so, but to be fair they are both almost exactly the same price.
Thats why I said if I was to spend $1000+ on a CPU it would be the P840, the X2 4800 isn't worth it.

Anyway just ordered my X2 4400, should be here next week

yeah although the heat of that thing is a problem it is a much better "offer".

ive put off ordering my X2 4400 (stock due about 29th june in uk). i really need to get a PCIx16 board and a gfx card first. my 9700pro is the oldest thing in my pc! lol