Message boards :
Number crunching :
Intel Atom 330 - 4 thread CPU
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Dirk Sadowski Send message Joined: 6 Apr 07 Posts: 7105 Credit: 147,663,825 RAC: 5 |
O.K., for the most around here.. maybe not a well pure crunching rig.. ;-D But maybe for home use and Inet surfing..? Dual Core and HT @ 1.6 GHz. It's new for me this 4 thread CPU. When was the release? http://processorfinder.intel.com/details.aspx?sSpec=SLG9Y Only a TDP of 8 W !! How much wattage for complete CPU/RAM/mobo bundles and/or complete rig? ~ 40, ~ 50 W ? AFAIK, Atom CPUs you can't buy.. only in combi with mobo. Correct? Current [or maybe in future] which mobos are out there with this CPU? EDIT: BTW. 64 bit also.. ;-) |
Allie in Vancouver Send message Joined: 16 Mar 07 Posts: 3949 Credit: 1,604,668 RAC: 0 |
There was a thread in PrimeGrid a few days ago about using the Atom over there. Intel Atom? The general consensus over there was that it wouldn’t make a very good cruncher. Pure mathematics is, in its way, the poetry of logical ideas. Albert Einstein |
Dirk Sadowski Send message Joined: 6 Apr 07 Posts: 7105 Credit: 147,663,825 RAC: 5 |
... But, current I think about to buy a new home pc.. with less wattage.. ;-) Only Word/Inet and so on.. EDIT: And if I could support well my one and only loved project SETI@home in the same time.. why not? ;-) |
Dirk Sadowski Send message Joined: 6 Apr 07 Posts: 7105 Credit: 147,663,825 RAC: 5 |
How it will be with Inet surfing, web tv, and so on.. With this - all 4 threads will be used - or only one thread will be used? [Every task only to one thread?] Or finally I would have a 1 x 6.4 GHz CPU? [4 x 1.6 GHz] |
1mp0£173 Send message Joined: 3 Apr 99 Posts: 8423 Credit: 356,897 RAC: 0 |
It is nearly impossible to find a motherboard with the lowest power Atom (i.e. the Z530 w/US15W chipset). A system with those parts should be under six watts total. The only board I've found that is available is $660. I've got an N270 (single core CPU) running, complete, at 18 watts total, including the hard drive. I don't think it'd crunch well, though. EDIT: it's not easy to find a case with a small power supply -- 60w is about right. |
OzzFan Send message Joined: 9 Apr 02 Posts: 15691 Credit: 84,761,841 RAC: 28 |
Most typical applications still only use a single thread, so having a CPU that is capable of more than one only helps with multitasking. Newer apps may eventually get released to change this, but until then it holds true. Also, because it runs four separate threads (each logical CPU is a separate entity to the OS), it does not stack the power on top of each CPU, so it will not be the same as having 1x 6.4GHz CPU. Its like having 4x 4-cylinder cars: you don't have a single 16-cylinder car, you have exactly 4x 4-cylinder cars. |
Dirk Sadowski Send message Joined: 6 Apr 07 Posts: 7105 Credit: 147,663,825 RAC: 5 |
Ohh.. a pity.. ..hmm.. maybe 'stupid' question.. ;-) I could look well Inet TV with 1 x 1.6 GHz CPU-Core speed? Stream.. I found as example this mobos from Intel: http://www.intel.com/Assets/PDF/prodbrief/320096.pdf [.pdf file - 1.84 MB] With and without TV-out. TV-out is the small yellow cinch-port or? But they have also 'normal' VGA ports? This mobos would be well? Or is the onboard GPU not well? 'Intel Graphics Media Accelerator 950'? |
SoNic Send message Joined: 24 Dec 00 Posts: 140 Credit: 2,963,627 RAC: 0 |
Intel Atom procesors are NOT doing code out-of-order like the other processors since Pentium. So, it looks like it is a great deal, but actually is not that good today, when almost all the software it is optimized for out-of-order code execution. Performance is below a dual core Celeron. And, yes it is avail only on a combo with an Intel MoBo. For now. http://www.pcgameshardware.com/aid,661196/PCGH-Review-Intel-Atom-330-dual-core/Reviews/ |
Dirk Sadowski Send message Joined: 6 Apr 07 Posts: 7105 Credit: 147,663,825 RAC: 5 |
I would like to have: 1st.. a nice home PC with less wattage.. And I can do all my Inet, Word and so on.. But also Inet-TV.. current on my Athlon 600 :-D it's very slow.. not smoothly.. So I'm curious how much MHz/GHz are needed for well Inet-TV.. 2nd.. support for SETI@home.. |
SoNic Send message Joined: 24 Dec 00 Posts: 140 Credit: 2,963,627 RAC: 0 |
Well, maybe wait for this baby: http://www.anandtech.com/video/showdoc.aspx?i=3509 |
Dirk Sadowski Send message Joined: 6 Apr 07 Posts: 7105 Credit: 147,663,825 RAC: 5 |
Well, maybe wait for this baby: When available? How much the prize? I could let run CUDA on it? :-) |
OzzFan Send message Joined: 9 Apr 02 Posts: 15691 Credit: 84,761,841 RAC: 28 |
Unfortunately the answer isn't so clear cut. The amount of processing power needed is completely dependant on the video (quality/bitrate/refresh rate), e.g. HD video requires more processing than standard video. Since I do not know much about INet TV, I cannot give you a better answer than "it depends" (and not usually by what connection is used; i.e. VGA/Composite out/DVI). The Intel GMA 950 is a pretty old graphics chip for video and basic (non-gaming) graphics. Also, the Atom processor itself is designed for low-power, low performance apps such as basic Word documents, so I'm sure a 1.6GHz CPU would be plenty, but I still can't comment on how well it would be able to feed the GMA950 the streaming video at 30 frames per second for smooth quality watching. [Edit] Edited to reflect that I am not running a GMA950 in my HTPC, but the Intel 4500HD graphics chipset. The GMA950 may be under-powered for streaming video (again, depending on quality). The nVidia Ion seems a much better option for what you are looking for. |
1mp0£173 Send message Joined: 3 Apr 99 Posts: 8423 Credit: 356,897 RAC: 0 |
Well, maybe wait for this baby: It's cute, but the nvidia chip is kind of power hungry. |
Jerry Send message Joined: 29 May 99 Posts: 3 Credit: 1,775,981 RAC: 0 |
Ned, If you can wait until May. http://fit-pc2.com/wiki/index.php?title=Main_Page A lot less then $660.00 |
1mp0£173 Send message Joined: 3 Apr 99 Posts: 8423 Credit: 356,897 RAC: 0 |
Ned, I'm not sure I'd classify "half" as a lot less, and while the size is nice, my applications need another ethernet port. |
Dirk Sadowski Send message Joined: 6 Apr 07 Posts: 7105 Credit: 147,663,825 RAC: 5 |
@ all Thanks a lot! @ OzzFan It's not like this, that I have a HD flat TV on this I want look.. ;-) If - I look only on the 'old' 17" PC screen with 1024 x 768 resolution. And not cinema movies or others.. :-) Only reports or similar shows from the TV-sides, if I missed a show. So I guess - this don't need a high GPU, or? But - if I remember back.. I have a mobo with AMD Athlon XP-M 1.400+ [also like the Atom, fixed on mobo] and onboard GPU. But - can't remember which GPU this was. And if I surfed the Inet and wanted to look to pictures.. huuuu.. very bad.. so I needed to buy a extra GPU.. So the onboard GPU [which come with the Atom] would be well for example to look 1024 x 768 resolution pictures? [And stream from TV-sides?] Or I would get headache if I look this pictures then? ;-) |
shortbus2 Send message Joined: 4 Mar 01 Posts: 1 Credit: 217,994 RAC: 0 |
I have both a single core and a dual core Atom PC running BOINC. D945GCLF - Single Core - WinXP - Kitchen PC with TV Tuner (SD) D945GCLF2 - Dual Core - OpenSUSE - Utility PC I have BOINC running on both and it runs fine. It isn't impressive compared to my other systems, but considering each PC is pulling about 40W under full load (~35W idle) and are always powered on, it isn't so bad. My gaming PC pulls over 300W at idle (closer to 400+ under load) so I do not leave it on very often. As for how much power for day-to-day use these systems offer? Well the 945 chipset is fine for basic stuff like browsing. Under Windows, it can play standard def video just fine. Under Linux, video is pretty choppy. Assuming the driver within OpenSUSE just isn't as optimized. Now if you added a PCI video card (not PCI-e), I'm sure video quality would drastically improve. However that kind of kills the whole point of the system. Easier to build another semi-low power system if you are going the Media Center route. Using a low power AMD dual-core with an on-board nVidia chipset would get you close to 50W idle. However at full power it will be well over what the Atom board is. |
Ianab Send message Joined: 11 Jun 08 Posts: 732 Credit: 20,635,586 RAC: 5 |
Personally I wouldn't bother with the Atom for a desktop or media machine. They aren't really cheaper, and they aren't really lower power (relative to processing power anyway) My current machine is a basic Q6600, all in one system board with Intel G31 chipset and 1gb of ram. It runs XP just fine, crunches like a quad core should (RAC 5,400 at the moment) and has no worries with any internet / office / multimedia / photographic work. Best of all, power use is approx 50w at idle, 80w crucnhing. So no big expensive PSU, or loud cooling fans needed. If I wanted to use it as a gaming rig, then I could slot in a basic passive cooled graphics card and another stick of ram and have a decent game rig. But for what I do now it would just be a waste of $$ and power. There is a tendancy to look for the ultimate performance and overclocked systems, extra heatsinks, more fans, double overhead chrome plated grease nipples etc. But you can just quietly slot a grunty CPU into a standard box, standard cooling, and just let it run. It might only run at 80 or 90% of a more expensive rig, but thats still plenty of grunt for little $$ and power use. Ian |
1mp0£173 Send message Joined: 3 Apr 99 Posts: 8423 Credit: 356,897 RAC: 0 |
Personally I wouldn't bother with the Atom for a desktop or media machine. I'm amazed and disappointed by Intel's initial motherboards using the 945GC chipset. If you look at the board, it's easy to see why. There is a great big heatsink with a fan on the 945, and a little tiny passive heatsink on the CPU. All of the efficiency of the Atom goes up in heat on the 945GC. Get a board with the 945GSE (and use an Atom N270) and you go from 40w or so down to 15w. Look for the Intel D945GSEJT motherboard, or MSI IM-945GSE-A. An Atom "Z" family with the US15W chipset should be much lower. Why, Intel, why put a nice low power processor with a power-hogging chipset? |
ML1 Send message Joined: 25 Nov 01 Posts: 21221 Credit: 7,508,002 RAC: 20 |
... Why, Intel, why put a nice low power processor with a power-hogging chipset? Yes, I was also shocked when I first saw that setup. Pretty much an exercise in futility for "low power" operation. Must be a "time-to-market" and profits thing... Aside: Note that for number crunching, you get more RAC per Watt with a Core2 or Phenom system than for the Atom. Happy crunchin', Martin See new freedom: Mageia Linux Take a look for yourself: Linux Format The Future is what We all make IT (GPLv3) |
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