@Jean said:

When was the last time you put together an AMD machine though? [:D]

6 months? let your machine run at 100% CPU load and watch the onboard temperature sensor ...
christianYou're not telling me yours gets over 80 degrees? [[;)]]

I've run some cpu stressing programs (Prime, etc.) way back when I set up these systems, stressed they remain around 60~65 degrees. That's with rather crappy cooling too, slow fan with emphasis on silence. [:)]

i didn't let it get 80, slightly above 75 i've canceled the operation (after 7 minutes) and since then the machine is only allowed to do simple mapping and other easy tasks. oh, i forgot to tell: the room where it is located is airconditioned to 20 C ...
christian

@cm said:

i didn't let it get 80, slightly above 75 i've canceled the operation (after 7 minutes) and since then the machine is only allowed to do simple mapping and other easy tasks. oh, i forgot to tell: the room where it is located is airconditioned to 20 C ...
christian

That does not sound healthy indeed. [:D]

What kind of athlon cpu is on that thing anyway? XP or older model?

@Another User said:

Thanks for the info. Actually, I was looking around on the giga website, and according to them, giga's ram limit is restricted by the cap limit in the windows kernel. In windows XP, this would be 2GB. In windows Server 2003, the kernel's limit is 32GB, so I don't see how running giga on windows server 2003 would have problems accessing the ram up to 4GB and more.

Putting a finer point on what cm says about real world tests, I'll start by repeating point blank that "this would be 2GB" means precisely nothing; you will load 1.05GB maximum on a 2GB or greater XP machine if you follow Mattias' tweaks (if you don't, it'll be about 20% less). Period.

The internet is chock-full of BS computer specs, and they sound impressive because the words are big. They usually have little to do with reality. If you think you can load 4GB in a dual Opteron machine, best of luck to you. My hunch is that you risk loading nothing, because Giga isn't designed to run on those machines.

I hope I'm wrong, but I sure wouldn't want to be the one to run such an expensive experiment. For my money, I'd buy three cheap machines that you know will work well and a KVM switch. If portability is an issue, put them in 2U rackmount cases and then buy a roll-around rack case (SKB, Gator).

@Jean said:

What kind of athlon cpu is on that thing anyway? XP or older model?

i don't have it in front of me now, but IIRC an XP1800
christian

@Jean said:

What kind of athlon cpu is on that thing anyway? XP or older model?

i don't have it in front of me now, but IIRC an XP1800
christianWeird, one of the systems here has an XP1800. Just did some checking and with full load it hovers around 58 degrees. This is in a reasonable hot room too.

Perhaps the temp measurement on the mobo you are using is screwed up?

CM, with all respect, i have to say, that i never got higher then 70 degrees on my dual 2800MP, with 80% load in Nuendo. I never had more stable machine (may be becouse Windows become better).

eclect, i'm glad to hear this - i've strongly considered to get a dual opteron for fun and testing (not only audio) but have been kept away by some not so positive reports and my own experience with AMD. i would be happy to run a 64bit SQL server on such a beast instead thus really expensive HP machines.
maybe i'd have to add the predecessor of the machine i mentioned burned because the brackets of the processor fan melted and - well, milliseconds later the board was scrap. i've only got the XP1800 to avoid a new install of the system.
christian

@Another User said:

Thanks for the info. Actually, I was looking around on the giga website, and according to them, giga's ram limit is restricted by the cap limit in the windows kernel. In windows XP, this would be 2GB. In windows Server 2003, the kernel's limit is 32GB, so I don't see how running giga on windows server 2003 would have problems accessing the ram up to 4GB and more.

Putting a finer point on what cm says about real world tests, I'll start by repeating point blank that "this would be 2GB" means precisely nothing; you will load 1.05GB maximum on a 2GB or greater XP machine if you follow Mattias' tweaks (if you don't, it'll be about 20% less). Period.

The internet is chock-full of BS computer specs, and they sound impressive because the words are big. They usually have little to do with reality. If you think you can load 4GB in a dual Opteron machine, best of luck to you. My hunch is that you risk loading nothing, because Giga isn't designed to run on those machines.

I hope I'm wrong, but I sure wouldn't want to be the one to run such an expensive experiment. For my money, I'd buy three cheap machines that you know will work well and a KVM switch. If portability is an issue, put them in 2U rackmount cases and then buy a roll-around rack case (SKB, Gator).

Yes, 2GB on it's own would not mean 2GB loading into giga, I'm aware of that. However think for a second. It's the DIFFERENCE in cap limits that interests me, and should everyone.

May I also remind you that "those machines" are designed to run XP software, and hence are designed to run giga. So there is a possibility that either it will, or won't work. I'm already aware of all these facts you've brought up. You still haven't been able to answer my question- will it work?! This is ultimately the only thing I'm interested in.

You might do a search on Northernsounds.com (the forum). I faintly remember reading a post from someone at Tascam about Opterons there.

Again, though, it's very likely that you won't get more than 1.05GB (or whatever GS3 gets) by putting more memory in an Opteron.

The reason I put it strongly is that it sounded like you didn't understand, and as you can see, a lot of people have been butting their heads against this for a long time! We all want a single-machine solution.

Coincidentally I ran into the guys from BYC Vision today at a gathering (they make very good custom DAW PCs) and they told me that Tascam says no Opteron for Giga. These guys put together Opteron machines for Nuendo, so I would be inclined to believe them.