[svlug] Last Year's Supercomputer

[dpchrist@inreach.com]

For home desktop systems, I've always bought IDE -- better bang for the
buck vs. SCSI


I buy Intel motherboards because Intel has the best technical
documentation on the web, Intel is now providing GPL'd drivers for
Linux, and I've received full credit whenever there has been an issue
(including recall of the CC820 motherboard).


I am in a quandary about CPU's, CPU fans, power supplies/fans, chassis
fans, and cooling in general.  Let me preface the following by stating
that I don't overclock:

- I have an Intel P3 533B boxed CPU with fan and Voodoo3 PCI video in a
cheap mid-tower case with cheap power supply/fan doing ssh, cvs, apache,
mysql, and nwn server duty.  I have never had any temperature problems.

- I have an Intel P3 800EB CPU with aluminum aftermarket fan and
GeForce4 AGP video in a cheap mid-tower case with a 300W Sparkle power
supply/fan and 60mm chassis fan doing desktop and gaming duty.  The
temperature alarm goes off whenever I build or play games on a warm day.

- A friend has a AMD Thunderbird 1.4 GHz CPU with copper aftermarket fan
and GeForce 3 video in a full-tower case with big power supply/fan and 1
or 2 chassis fans doing desktop and gaming duty.  It works, but is very
loud.

- Another friend has an Intel P4 2.53 GHz CPU and GeForce 4 video in a
Shuttle 51G case that includes 200W power supply, CPU heat pipe, and
large dual-speed fan doing desktop and gaming duty.  It is both too loud
and too hot -- he's going to roast something.

For my next desktop system, I plan to go with an Intel boxed CPU with
fan and the following case/ power supply:

    http://www.antec-inc.com/pro_details_enclosure.php?ProdID=15138


David