[KLUG Members] Re: New machine - Linux hardware?

[Bryan J. Smith]

Tj wrote:
> i would recomend a smp(multi prosser) computer

First off, see my previous "TheBS' Hardware Guide" here:
http://www.zepa.net/hypermail/elug/hardware/2001/04/0055.html

For SMP and Intel, I highly recommend ServerWorks chipsets for
servers (not for workstations since the AGP and IDE are piss-poor
implementations).  For workstations, a few of the ViA Pro/133A and
even Pro266 implementations are out there with dual-CPUs (be sure to
get recent revisions of the boards).

If you can hold off, the "killer SMP chipset" is the AMD 760MXP, as
AnandTech found out first hand:
http://www.zepa.net/hypermail/elug/hardware/2001/06/0008.html

> abit-ve6 or better will support p3s and bp6 will use
> s370 cellerons and p3s up to 866

Wrong!  The Abit BP6 only supports PPGA Celerons -- which means only
upto 533MHz.  It supports no FC-PGA processor I know of, which
includes all non-Slot PIIIs.  [ Unless they changed the BP6
recently, but I have not heard so. ]

In addition to CPU compatibility issues, you have worry about memory
compatibility on SDRAM sizes 256MB+.  I have talked quite a bit
about this here:
http://www.zepa.net/hypermail/elug/hardware/2001/02/0008.html
http://www.zepa.net/hypermail/elug/hardware/2001/06/0019.html

> any 10/100 nic card will work good
> dont get an ati-radeon if u want to run linux the only
> drivers that are out are beta

nVidia GeForce2 MX cards are excellent and cheap.  If you go through
the ELUG-HARDWARE archives, I have numerous posts on my LeadTek
WinFast GeForce2 MX DH Pro (dual-headed) board which runs just over
$100 now):
http://www.zepa.net/hypermail/elug/hardware/2001/

> i cant think of any thing elce at the momnet so look up some
> of those sounds

Again, read my hardware guide and follow-up with questions.  I will
have that hardware guide in extensive HTML format soon (see here:
http://www.smithconcepts.com/hardware/#tth_sEc2.1.2)

-- TheBS

-- 
Bryan J. Smith   mailto:b.j.smith@ieee.org   chat:thebs413
SmithConcepts, Inc.           http://www.SmithConcepts.com
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