I'd go for 600 to 750W)

One thing to keep in mind; most computers are fine with <500W (brand name, not generic).

My Q6600 on a p965 mobo, 2gb, 8800gts, 4hdd draws ~230W with 4 cores@100% (BOINC - mainly SETI); 300W with the 8800gts maxed out as well (rthdribl). With everything idle, around 150W.
(the q6600 is at 3.0ghz).

Swapping boinc for Prime95 to load the CPU, and running TAT as well (TAT will only load 2 cores, I heard the 4-core version was cancelled as it lead to temps >100oC on the stock cooler!) draws ~285W, while running rthdribl as well adds another 60W, to 345W. The GPU may have been drawing less this time because it was CPU-limited (ie, rthdribl couldn't get the CPU time it needed from TAT/p95 to be able to run to its maximum).

That's all running on a Corsair hx520, so I've still another 150W+ to play with...

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Crunching SETI@Home as a member of the Whirlpool BOINC Teams

How about something like this?

That config doesn't look bad to me, but if it were me, I'd get a better power supply (I like Seasonics, but maybe a Corsair or PC Power and Cooling- I'd go for 600 to 750W), and I'd get the Q6600 at somewhere like ClubIT where you can get a G0 stepping one specifically for about the same money. Also, I have a spare Zalman 9700 lying in a box right now, but the best cooling I've personally seen is with a Thermalright Ultra 120 Extreme and a Silverstone FM121 fan. The page referenced doesn't have any added cooling, so if there's no OC'ing involved, that's OK.

-Dave

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Spin 'em to the bubs Captain, spin 'em to the hubs.

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"Learn from yesterday. Live for today. Hope for tomorrow." Albert Einstein
"With cats." kittyman

How about something like this?

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I am getting to the point where I need to build a new computer. While it will be used for other things too, my primary focus would be to crunch SETI data.

Also, I want this to be as energy efficient as possible. So, with that in mind, what processor would be best for SETI crunching?

Secondarily, what memory size, hard drive type, etc. would be best to include? I very much appreciate your input!

With SETI, it's all about FLOPS (floating point).

CPUs:
AMD chip (based on Windsor core)
e.g., Athlon 64 X2
Intel Core 2 Duo (L as first letter of model)
e.g., L7500, L7400, etc.

Quad cores don't have the low power consumption you're looking for, but you'll do twice the work. Look for the biggest L2 cache you can find. Just give it plenty of memory, preferably CL2.5 or CL2 DDR2 RAM. The rest is gravy. Also, for a CPU cooler, the bigger the fan, the better (as long as it fits in your case).

However, if you're planning to do any video editing, then you'll also need:
1) video editing board (or fast video card at minimum)
2) lots of HD space, 2 x SATA 10,000 RPM with RAID 0 controller.

I personally think that any, (even low end) core 2 is a good idea. The low end ones can be overclocked like crazy. Also, you would want to go for a high efficiency power supply (80% efficiency plus).

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I am getting to the point where I need to build a new computer. While it will be used for other things too, my primary focus would be to crunch SETI data.

Also, I want this to be as energy efficient as possible. So, with that in mind, what processor would be best for SETI crunching?

Secondarily, what memory size, hard drive type, etc. would be best to include? I very much appreciate your input!

With SETI, it's all about FLOPS (floating point).

CPUs:
AMD chip (based on Windsor core)
e.g., Athlon 64 X2
Intel Core 2 Duo (L as first letter of model)
e.g., L7500, L7400, etc.

Quad cores don't have the low power consumption you're looking for, but you'll do twice the work. Look for the biggest L2 cache you can find. Just give it plenty of memory, preferably CL2.5 or CL2 DDR2 RAM. The rest is gravy. Also, for a CPU cooler, the bigger the fan, the better (as long as it fits in your case).

However, if you're planning to do any video editing, then you'll also need:
1) video editing board (or fast video card at minimum)
2) lots of HD space, 2 x SATA 10,000 RPM with RAID 0 controller.

No doubt that liquid cooling is more effective, but IMHO overkill.
I got Zalman 9700s on these quads, and they reach their overclocking limits well before temperature becomes a worry.
I'd spend the money on trying to get an extra 5% out of it on 50% of an extra machine....

That's a nice configuration!

Carlos, I'm sure you know this, but a reminder to everyone...
if you're going to use Raid1, then make sure it's only for temporary processing and that you keep originals backed up elsewhere - don't keep all your life's work on it! 2x500Gb is probably overkill as a temp drive, but they're almost the smallest you can get nowadays! :-)
RAID 10 is better for important stuff but still not a substitute for backing up!

Yep, Q6600 is unbeatable right now on price performance... can't get enough of them! I got two last month and may get another two soon, ostensibly to build a mysql cluster... :-)

I'll throw my 2 cents worth. I asked the same question about 6 months ago and got several suggestions. My question was “what would give the most RAC for the Buck”. Since then I have build about 15 computers trying to get the answer to my question. The most recent one is the best so far. Here what I put together on earlier this week.
ASUS P5K Deluxe WiFi. It has the newest Intel Chipset and memory speed booster. It also overclocks easily.
2 Gig of Corsair XMS DDR-2 800 ($100 at Newegg) You said that you plan to use a 32 bit op system such as Vista or XP the most memory you can use is 3 Gig. But 2 will do nicely.
As far as Hard drive SATA is the only way to go now days. If you plan to do video editing you will need a fairly large drive. I have started using Western Digital Caviar SE 500 GB drives. ($105 at Newegg) Video editing needs fast hard drive access too. To accomplish this I use 2 hard drives in a RAID 1 (stripped) configuration. The one I just put together actually had 5 500 GB hard drives in a RAID 10 configuration. This give you not only speed but also data redundancy.
The CPU of choice is the Q6600. Can’t beat the performance for the buck.
For video editing the best graphics card for the price is the PNY GeForce 8800 GTS. It’s fast and reasonably priced.
Here is the full list of the computer I just put together. Went over your $1,000 budget, but you needn’t put in everything I did.

XION Onyx XON-303 Black/Blue Steel ATX Mid Tower Computer Case, $69.99
XION Supernova XON-600F14R-201 ATX12V 600W Power Supply, $119.99
ASUS P5K DELUXE/WIFI-AP LGA 775 Intel P35 ATX Intel Motherboard, $214.99
Intel Core 2 Quad Q6600 Kentsfield 2.4GHz LGA 775 Processor , $277.99
CORSAIR XMS2 2GB (2 x 1GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 800 (PC2 6400) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory Model TWIN2X2048-6400C4 - Retail, $100.00
Western Digital Caviar 500GB 7200 RPM SATA2 Hard Drive, $105
Thermaltake CL-P0310 120mm CPU Cooling Fan, $54.99
PNY VCG88GTS32XPB GeForce 8800GTS 320MB 320-bit GDDR3 PCI Express x16 HDCP Ready SLI Supported HDCP Video Card, $277.99
LITE-ON 20X DVD±R DVD Burner with 12X DVD-RAM write and LightScribe Technology Black E-IDE/ATAPI Model LH-20A1H-185 - OEM, $31.99
MITSUMI Black 1.44MB 3.5" Internal USB 2.0 digital card reader with Floppy Drive$37.98
Microsoft Windows XP Professional With SP2B 1 Pack - OEM, $139.99

Total for all this was just over $2,000., but that was with 4 hard drives and 2 optical drives.

Like I said I have gone thru about 15 configurations in the last 6 months and this is the best I have come up with so far. Hope this helps.

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for cooler is liquid thing trustworthy? I heard some leakage problems and pump problems on liquids. I wonder those zalman fan coolers might be better than liquids?

Because of cooling a few months ago I lost my first creation desktop for crunching but of course that was totally worth it. This time any better cooling wisdom will be greatly .. ;)

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Mandtugai!

For q6600 types which ram is optimal 2gb or more? my intention is to use for both seti and video render. And I am guessing for mainboard asus is the best choice?

Jumpin yiminy.......if you got a q6600, it don't matter much. Seti only needs one stick of ram. It doesn't use any more. If you have a lotta other applications that need ram, buy it. I use only Asus mobos, but I am not the only OCer on the planet. Advise you to get the best heatsink for your cpu that you can afford.

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"Learn from yesterday. Live for today. Hope for tomorrow." Albert Einstein
"With cats." kittyman

For q6600 types which ram is optimal 2gb or more? my intention is to use for both seti and video render. And I am guessing for mainboard asus is the best choice?

---

Mandtugai!

And the kitties say......
Core 2 is the simple answer. Crunch crunch crunch........if you need kittiespeek, crunch.....................meowwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww.

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"Learn from yesterday. Live for today. Hope for tomorrow." Albert Einstein
"With cats." kittyman

C2Q on an overclock-friendly board. Get 2gig ram, since it's so cheap now; ddr2/800 probably (you could go higher, but you'd be pushing even a g0 to get past 3.6 on air cooling).

Should come in under $1k all up, depending on your case, psu etc. If you want quiet, get a ninja/thermalright120 or similar, corsair hx520 psu and some quiet 120mm case fans. Should do the trick.

---

Crunching SETI@Home as a member of the Whirlpool BOINC Teams

Well, the thread title is 'best computer for crunching'...... there is only one answer for that.......the best Core 2 rig your budget can afford. When you bring video editing into the equation, you are no longer asking about the best computer for crunching. But the question is.......do ya' feel lucky? Or do you wanna listen to my advice? Well do 'ya?

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"Learn from yesterday. Live for today. Hope for tomorrow." Albert Einstein
"With cats." kittyman

In order for the more educated folks who frequent this board to be able to best answer your query, I think you may need to further describe your intended uses.

I know you want this box to do a lot of crunching, but what else? Do you plan on doing any video editing maybe? What about gaming?

[edit] Oh, and how much do you plan on spending? [/edit]

Anyways, I'll leave your reply to the experts!

To elaborate on what I would use the new computer for, most of what I do on my computer is web surfing and word processing. So, pretty low impact!

I do want to work on high-definition video editing. Although, I think that any configuration that will work for SETI crunching will work for the video editing. All I need to throw in is a good video card.

As for the processor, I am wondering what processor works best with the way BOINC/SETI crunches data. Does a certain processor architecture work best?

Since I'm building it myself, I am willing to spend a decent amount. I would say $1000 or so. And, that cost is parts only. I will build it myself.

Thank you again for all of your input, fellow crunchers!

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John Miller
SpaceLinks.net
SpaceLinks.net News Page - Latest Headlines!

In order for the more educated folks who frequent this board to be able to best answer your query, I think you may need to further describe your intended uses.

I know you want this box to do a lot of crunching, but what else? Do you plan on doing any video editing maybe? What about gaming?

[edit] Oh, and how much do you plan on spending? [/edit]

Anyways, I'll leave your reply to the experts!

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Keep on crunching, all...
SETI@Home Forever!

___Tklop (Step-Founder, U.S. Air Force team)

Hello, fellow crunchers!

I hope you can help me. I appreciate any and all assistance in advance.

I am getting to the point where I need to build a new computer. While it will be used for other things too, my primary focus would be to crunch SETI data.

Also, I want this to be as energy efficient as possible. So, with that in mind, what processor would be best for SETI crunching?

Secondarily, what memory size, hard drive type, etc. would be best to include? I very much appreciate your input!

Don't think you would be far out if you were looking at a Core2 Quaddy with a couple of Gig of PC6400 RAM (preferably matched pair for dual channel) and a decent sized SATA hard drive.

Best of luck.

F.

Hello, fellow crunchers!

I hope you can help me. I appreciate any and all assistance in advance.

I am getting to the point where I need to build a new computer. While it will be used for other things too, my primary focus would be to crunch SETI data.

Also, I want this to be as energy efficient as possible. So, with that in mind, what processor would be best for SETI crunching?

Secondarily, what memory size, hard drive type, etc. would be best to include? I very much appreciate your input!

---

John Miller
SpaceLinks.net
SpaceLinks.net News Page - Latest Headlines!