The ultimate processor upgrade

luca

<a href="http://www.totalimpact.com/G3_MP.html"; target="_blank">http://www.totalimpact.com/G3_MP.html</a>;



OMG, you could have 21 G4 processors inside a PCI PowerMac! Cost a pretty penny, too, but seriously! Let's see, 800 MHz G4 as main processor + 20x500 MHz G4 PCI processors = 10.8 GHz! And you could have more than 3 GB of RAM.

ebby

So, this would work on games to boost speed, right? <img src="graemlins/bugeye.gif" border="0" alt="[Skeptical]" />

thinkingdifferent

Seems like the PCI bus would be a big bottleneck with these cards. Also, these appear geared more for custom applications rather then general computing.

smithjoel

Wow, who would use this?



I don't get the math though. You could a dual CPU machine to start with. Plus 4 CPUs for each of the 4 PCI slots. --&gt; 18 CPUs.



[ 09-24-2002: Message edited by: smithjoel ]</p>

hotboxd

deosn't the PCI bus have a total throughput of like 100mB/s?

ghost_user_name

For starters, the only macs that are supported are the Power Macintosh 8600, 9500, and 9600. Secondly, you have to recompile to kernel to get it to recognize the CPUs, and they only make mention of doing so in linux, so it sounds like Mac OS X is out the window, as would be Windows unless someone can create a working driver for either OS.



Don't get too excited

macubus

those are better than my computer.... <img src="graemlins/hmmm.gif" border="0" alt="[Hmmm]" /> <img src="graemlins/embarrassed.gif" border="0" alt="[Embarrassed]" />

ebby

Use that card to fill up one of these!

<a href="http://www.magma.com/pci/index_main.html"; target="_blank"></a>



60+ Processors :eek:



(OK, I know. I am getting a little childish. Wishful dreams) :cool:



[ 09-25-2002: Message edited by: Ebby ]</p>

luca

Well, it's not really practical... they do cost a few thousand dollars just for one of the cards.



I don't see why getting an expensive card and putting it on the PCI bus would be better than just spending the same amount of money for a more modern computer designed to run fast throughout the system, or why it would be better than using a ton of non-upgraded old computers. Whatever, it just looked cool.

whisper

[quote]Originally posted by Luca Rescigno:

<strong>I don't see why getting an expensive card and putting it on the PCI bus would be better than just spending the same amount of money for a more modern computer designed to run fast throughout the system, or why it would be better than using a ton of non-upgraded old computers. Whatever, it just looked cool.</strong><hr></blockquote>



Have you no concept of bragging rights?



PCI has significantly more bandwidth than gigabit ethernet. So if your app needs the extra processing power, this is the fastest (if not cheapest) way to get it. Personally, I'd rather have more full computers though. I think the advantages of faster CPUs and more (and faster) memory outweigh the lower latency of having the CPUs on PCI cards.