[SunRescue] Re: OT: dual PPro mb's...

[Robert Novak]

On Thu, 29 Mar 2001, Greg A. Woods wrote:

> > On Ebay, dutch auction for TYAN dual Ppro motherboards, $100 ea with
> > CPU's.  Tempting to build a low-end linux box... :-)
> 
> With only 256KB cache they are *NOT* going to out-perform any 500MHz
> Pentium-II or similar, especialy not with any older linux or FreeBSD
> which can only get about 50% or less extra power out of the 2nd CPU.

My 200/256 chip matched an Ultra 10 300mhz (same Linux kernel release
number--obviously the appropriate architecture version on each--and same
gcc version) with identical memory. I've heard several people report that
a 200/256 will match a P2-400 on some cpu-intensive tasks.

A dual ppro 180/256 or 200/256 with Linux 2.2.x or higher should make a
fine server. FreeBSD 3.5-STABLE seems good with smp; I'm running it on a
dual P133 Tyan Tomcat 4D motherboard. My experience with the socket 7
Tyans has been good; haven't used Tyan socket 8 or newer. 

I have an odd board around here somewhere actually that is combo slot
1/socket 8 (either-or), onboard ultrawide scsi, some other stuff...
supermicro board I picked up at a swap meet. Also have a pair of what I
believe to be FIC AT-based dual ppro (they look like the ones on this
auction, but with onboard vrm, if I recall correctly).

But anyway, I wonder if you can get a dual P2-500 board with processors
for $100 anywhere. If so, let me know please! :-)

--Rob



-- 
Robert Novak, Indyramp Consulting * rnovak at indyramp.com * indyramp.com/~rnovak
        "And it's been a long December and there's reason to believe
           Maybe this year will be better than the last...." -- counting crows