The Computer
All of the computer’s components are yet to be bought, but the core features are be an ASUS P5AD2 Premium motherboard and an Intel Pentium 4 550 processor initially operating at 3.4 gigahertz. The P5AD2 Premium uses DDR2 system memory, so the computer will have one gigabyte of that memory, operating initially at 533 megahertz.
The motherboard was chosen for two reasons. Having just been released, it uses the new LGA775 processor socket, the device on the motherboard to which the processor attaches. LGA (lowered grid array) sockets have communication pins in the socket instead of on the processor, making the connection more delicate but simultaneously more conductive. This increases the speed of communication between the processor and motherboard, one of the most inhibiting factors in today’s computers. Also, it is said to be fit for overclocking (“power modding”), the finessed process by which a computer owner increases CPU and system memory voltage, boosting performance. The effects of overclocking will be tested on Seti@home, and it is expected to provide a serious advantage.
Overclocking will probably push the processor to at least four gigahertz in the time provided for the experiment, likely higher. The CPU was chosen as the most powerful Pentium 4 aside from the six gigahertz model, which was not chosen due to its price of approximately $500. Intel’s Pentium 4 line was selected over AMD’s Athlon processors for two reasons: Athlons sacrifice raw clock speed for clever data juggling techniques, which can be hard to manage. Also, the fastest Athlons (the Athlon 64 series) use 64-bit architecture, a technology that is wasted on 32-bit operating systems and applications.The machine will probably be assembled by December, and it is then expected to complete a Seti@home work unit every three to five hours, possibly faster with different settings enabled.
The machine is currently nickname "Project Epsilon" for no good reason. The Lambda was already taken. I will be playing HL2.
The motherboard was chosen for two reasons. Having just been released, it uses the new LGA775 processor socket, the device on the motherboard to which the processor attaches. LGA (lowered grid array) sockets have communication pins in the socket instead of on the processor, making the connection more delicate but simultaneously more conductive. This increases the speed of communication between the processor and motherboard, one of the most inhibiting factors in today’s computers. Also, it is said to be fit for overclocking (“power modding”), the finessed process by which a computer owner increases CPU and system memory voltage, boosting performance. The effects of overclocking will be tested on Seti@home, and it is expected to provide a serious advantage.
Overclocking will probably push the processor to at least four gigahertz in the time provided for the experiment, likely higher. The CPU was chosen as the most powerful Pentium 4 aside from the six gigahertz model, which was not chosen due to its price of approximately $500. Intel’s Pentium 4 line was selected over AMD’s Athlon processors for two reasons: Athlons sacrifice raw clock speed for clever data juggling techniques, which can be hard to manage. Also, the fastest Athlons (the Athlon 64 series) use 64-bit architecture, a technology that is wasted on 32-bit operating systems and applications.The machine will probably be assembled by December, and it is then expected to complete a Seti@home work unit every three to five hours, possibly faster with different settings enabled.
The machine is currently nickname "Project Epsilon" for no good reason. The Lambda was already taken. I will be playing HL2.
posted by Zak Rogoff at 3:55 PM
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