• Welcome to Overclockers Forums! Join us to reply in threads, receive reduced ads, and to customize your site experience!

help an AMD guy out with P4s

Overclockers is supported by our readers. When you click a link to make a purchase, we may earn a commission. Learn More.

Joe Camel

Senior Camel Kicker
Joined
Aug 6, 2003
Location
---> NEW HOUSE 7/17/09 !! <---
ive decided to set up 2x (personal) 24/7 Intel rigs...
but i dont really "know" intel very well at all.

tell me what you think (be nice please)

here are the core parts im looking @:

Asus P5GD1-VM Intel Socket 775 Motherboard / Integrated Video / 8-Channel Audio / 10/100Mbps Ethernet LAN / USB 2.0 / Serial ATA

Intel Pentium 4 630 3.0Ghz / 2MB Cache / 800 FSB / Socket 775 / HyperThreading / Processor with Fan

Corsair TWINX Dual Channel 1024MB PC3200 DDR 400MHz Memory(2x512MB)



was thinking of splitting the mem so 1x 512 stick for each rig
(you can get QMD's with 512 right?)
ill probly just get 2x "cheep-o" HDs and set them up as independent PCs
i should already have the rest of the parts ill need (quality PSU, CD, etc)

how are the STOCK HSF's that come with the CPUs?
(i can lap them and put a better fan on if needed)

these will not be in cases and will be kept in my basement PC room (never gets >70F, i use an AC unit in summer and an open window in winter)

THANKS for the help :)

PS if you have other suggestions please try to find them from Globalcomputer as this is where my work place deals with.
 
Last edited:
come on guys (and gals IF there are any here)

25 views, almost 5 hours and nobody has any comments? :shrug:

looks good, looks bad?
skip the socket 775 and go for 478?
get 2 sets of dual 256 sticks? (does intel need 2 sticks for dual channel mem...IS there dual channel for intel?)
get 3 Celeron's for the price of the 2 P4's?
that looks great wish i could get them?

please help me OPPS... help Team 32 get 2 (or more?) 24/7 dedicated FOLDing rigs going ;)
 
Last edited:
Joe, you will want 2 sticks of memory in each to get 800 memory bandwidth ... on my latest folding only rigs i got a dual channel kit of 512mb = = 2x256.

My experience is that the prescotts pump out more ppd than the northwoods i have even tho sandra told me i was getting similar memory bandwidth. But i also have different memory in each box and they overclock diferently so i haven't been too scientific about it yet.

If you plan to overclock you will need better hsf's and case cooling. I have zalmans on my northwoods (they are not so hot), my 3.2 e work rig is watercooled, my other pressie 520 runs at 3.5 ghz vs my 3.2e at 3750 and produces better ppd! (asus 478 socket vs 775 abit)

I have an xp-90c on the 520, which is olso a work rig.

am trying to get a 530j going as we speak but it won't come up after my build ... maybe a bad mobo or psu. I am going to try a thermaltake silent tower? on itwith several fans. May join it into a larger water system later.
 
I hope I have been spurring you on with my increase in ppd? I am hoping to crack the top twenty in ppd on tema 32 once i get my new rig going and fix an older slower one --- if i can keep my son from borrowing the better ones for lan parties i might be able to get about 3000 ppd,
 
I only run 1 qmd on my rigs as per nik's and chasr's recommendations. My somewhat unscientific but quick comparisons confirmed my 2 higher producing rigs with 1GB each produced more ppd running just 1 qmd on each. I have not tried swapping them with the 512mb kits yet since i use them for all my work and other stuff.

Also, running 1 QMD per machine also keeps the heat down a bit and uses less electricity.
 
Last edited:
excellent, 2x sets of 256's is the first change
thank you pscout! ;)

as for the OCing: ive never OCed an intel :eek:
(any basic advice is welcome)
im assuming that this mobo dosnt offer much OC options... if its anything like the on-board video mobo's AMD would have in this price range... :shrug:

cooling: think id be OK if i "rigg" a 90+ CFM fan on a lapped stock HSF?

dicecca112,
these are almost "farm" rigs (hence the on-board video) 1x will be 100% FOLD and 1x may get some "web-surf" use if i dont feel like fire'n-up the sig rig :rolleyes:

getting a 4port KVM ... (room for growth ;))
 
pscout said:
I hope I have been spurring you on with my increase in ppd? I am hoping to crack the top twenty in ppd on tema 32 once i get my new rig going and fix an older slower one --- if i can keep my son from borrowing the better ones for lan parties i might be able to get about 3000 ppd,
now dont you go gettn an eye on take'n my (future) spot in that top 20 list...thats what this whole spending spree is about :p

well, that and the CURE for CANCER and all....

and maybe a little of loosing my 1 and only "450 PPD QMD rig" @ work :(
 
I am not familiar with your asus board - i have one that i could only get to 235 fsb.

There are some excellent overclock threads to get u statred ... just need to change the bios setting to manual for fsb, and increase them until you can;t post or boot windows. then back off a bit and run prime95 torture test. To be more thorough run memtest86.

My rigs all have 865/875 chipsets ... I think it is better price/performance, and i am more likely to get a good deal on used systems that are not the latest.
Also, i like the abits better than asus for overclock, although i am still a relative newbie so i don't have a lot of asus examples ... but seems a fairly consistant opinion reading the various intel overclock threads.
 
Joe while what you have is respectable I would discourage you from getting that. If you are seriously considering going Intel go for the newer chipets. Preferably an i945P if you want something cheaper.

In addition try to pick up an 820 or an 830 on ebay for around the same price as the 630 you are looking to buy.

Also look at getting reasonably priced DDR2 PC2-5300. You can find 2GB for under $190 now-a-days.

Here are some motherboards to look at:

Abit AL8
Asus P5LD2
Asus P5WD2 Premium / Non-premium
Abit AW8
MSI (which ever the i945/i955 are)

If you need a cheap AGP board you can look at:

Abit AS8
Asus P5P800
Asrock (VIA PT880)

Also note that the i945G has an integrated GFX card.
 
Last edited:
like (2x):

ASUS P5LD2-VM Socket T (LGA 775) Intel 945G Micro ATX Intel Motherboard

and (4x):

WINTEC AMPO 256MB 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM Unbuffered DDR2 667 (PC2 5300) System Memory

never worked with DDR2... :shrug:

are those "cheep-O" sticks going to kill the added performance of DDR2?

or is it worth the extra $ to go with: GeIL 512MB 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM Unbuffered DDR2 667 (PC2 5300)
that would also make 1 gig per rig...

needless to say i would *really like* to keep these 2 rigs as cheep as possible without giving up too much performance (FOLDing not video)

as for ebay... i get screwed every time i use it and would rather just buy new than deal with it :(

THANKS for the input guys! :)
 
Last edited:
yeah ... another reason i have so many 865/875 boards is tham i am not a gamer so i am reluctant to invest more in pci video ... i have a ton of ati's from 7500 AIW to 9700 pro/aiw (my son has the 9800 for games in his non!!??-folding rig.

My best ppd producer is an as8 with ocz eb3500 and a 520.

My newest rig is a (dead) new AS8 mobo ... hoping the 530j oc's as well as the 520 and can run it with 512 of ocz eb3700 or ocz 4200 ... once i get the damn thing to post!

BTW joe, i notice on extreme oc stats tonight that i cracked the top 20 in 24 hr ppd average! ... that has gotta get us both going!
 
Sentential said:
Joe while what you have is respectable I would discourage you from getting that. If you are seriously considering going Intel go for the newer chipets. Preferably an i945P if you want something cheaper.

In addition try to pick up an 820 or an 830 on ebay for around the same price as the 630 you are looking to buy.

Also look at getting reasonably priced DDR2 PC2-5300. You can find 2GB for under $190 now-a-days.

Also note that the i945GM has an integrated GFX card.
I agree with Sen, 945 sug. 915 is just a 865 with PCI-e. Go with the DDR2 and pick your processor. ASUS boards have been rock solid but his other picks look good for 2nd choice.
 
Joe Camel said:
like (2x):

ASUS P5LD2-VM Socket T (LGA 775) Intel 945G Micro ATX Intel Motherboard

and (4x):

WINTEC AMPO 256MB 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM Unbuffered DDR2 667 (PC2 5300) System Memory

never worked with DDR2... :shrug:

are those "cheep-O" sticks going to kill the added performance of DDR2?

or is it worth the extra $ to go with: GeIL 512MB 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM Unbuffered DDR2 667 (PC2 5300)
that would also make 1 gig per rig...

needless to say i would *really like* to keep these 2 rigs as cheep as possible without giving up too much performance (FOLDing not video)

as for ebay... i get screwed every time i use it and would rather just buy new than deal with it :(

THANKS for the input guys! :)
DDR2 as a whole is much cheaper. Those Wintec sticks are just fine and are no better than what I am using for the most part. If you need to save on cash go with that. Also keep in mind you will probly need this RAM for your M2 setup.

As for the Asus that is a good decision. Its the same thing as the Premium except it is the mATX version.

EDIT: Wow... It has onboard video too? Did not know that
 
thanks Sent!!

ya, i *really* want onboard video, as the $ for a vid card can be skipped.

ok, i think im almost ready...1 more quick question:

do these mobo's need pairs of mem? ie can i have 3 sticks or is it 2 OR 4 only?
my guess is 2 or 4 but its worth a question...

well, maybe 2 questions... will i see much FOLDing performance gain with 1 gig over 512?
i know the rigs will "do other things better" with the gig but im not too worried about my web surfing performance ... this is about PPD :attn:
 
Joe Camel said:
thanks Sent!!

ya, i *really* want onboard video, as the $ for a vid card can be skipped.

ok, i think im almost ready...1 more quick question:

do these mobo's need pairs of mem? ie can i have 3 sticks or is it 2 OR 4 only?
my guess is 2 or 4 but its worth a question...

well, maybe 2 questions... will i see much FOLDing performance gain with 1 gig over 512?
i know the rigs will "do other things better" with the gig but im not too worried about my web surfing performance ... this is about PPD :attn:
Its just like the old S478 P4 boards. Any combo works fine.
 
AWESOME!!
so i can get 3 sticks (3x 256) per rig :attn:

that will keep the $ down and the performance up!

THANKS!!

now i just need to figure what went wrong with MY rig @ work...BSOD when i got there and wont send a vid signal now... :bang head
 
Joe,
Be sure you don't lose dual channel function with 3 sticks of ram. Using 256MB sticks means throwing them away if you ever have the need to go above 1 MB ram. If you go with 512MB of ram, with intergated video, you'll have to set the amount of memory shared with video to the minimum or you'll not report enough to the assignment server to get QMDs. The client must report >=504 MB to the AS.
 
Sen, I am going to try out a sonic tower as soon as i get my doa AS8 replaced ... based on your recomendation ... (it is not the first i have taken i think ... i was trolling here a lot when i built my first rig last xmas ) ... thanks!

One problem i see with this arrangement vs xp90/120 flow is that the mofsets don't get enough air ... do you duct your tower or have another air source? I didn't see anything in your rig's pic. Or do the newer mobo's have cooling for them built in?
 
Last edited:
Back