July 22nd Intel price drops

[ddrueding]

Looks like a nice little box Will.

 

[CougTek]

If you don't mind, put in a word here when the price resumes it's downward slide.

Today was the first day since July 23rd on which I could buy a Q6600 for less than 300$CDN from my main supplier. I can't sell it for less than 300$ though (320$CDN).

 

[Will Rickards]

And mwave just dropped their price from 289 to 282.

 

[ddrueding]

$280

While Newegg is still $309

 

[Will Rickards]

That is the motherboard bundle one.
list

 

[Stereodude]

Oh gnoes!!! It's $2 more with $20 in free movie downloads!!!

 

[Fushigi]

My slow Folders have been replaced but I've got another problem. To avoid buying another Windows XP/Vista license or learning enough Linux to use it I used an existing W2K license from one of the decommissioned PCs. It appears W2K (with all updates applied) sees 2 cores and stops. I think the C2Q is basically running like a C2D.

So what options do I have?
- Find some undocumented W2K patch to recognize the C2Q.
- Buy XP OEM/upgrade (Will XP Home see a C2Q?)
- Buy Vista OEM/upgrade (which is the cheapest version I can get by with?)
- Go the Linux route.

The XP/Vista route will run a minimum of $100 or so. More than I'd care to spend but easier than learning enough Linux to use it. I know there are Linux people I can count on here but my time is really at a premium of late.

Ideas? Right now the SMP client is running but it's obvious that only 2 cores are being used as it's taking almost exactly twice as long as my main PC to complete a unit.

 

[Mercutio]

Windows 2000 Pro flat-out won't see more than two CPUs, real or virtual. XP
You could install TinyXP, XP Home and XP Pro.
The rule on XP is essentially that XP will support whatever fits in one or two physical CPU sockets.

You could install SuSE or Ubuntu. Depending on what your needs for this PC are, that could be a very good choice.

If you're going Vista, there's no reason to buy or use anything more than Home Basic, unless you need to join a domain or the Mobility Center.

 

[timwhit]

If you wanted to try out Ubuntu, try one of their live CDs or try it in VMWare, that would at least let you know if it will do what you want before you install it for real on your machine.

 

[Fushigi]

Thinking further, as I plan to eventually plop an X1950 for GPU folding into that machine I'll have to go the Windows route since Stanford doesn't yet have a GPU Folding client.

Vista Home Basic Upgrade is $56 + S/H; that should do the trick.

 

[mubs]

The rule on XP is essentially that XP will support whatever fits in one or two physical CPU sockets.

AFAIK, that's true for XP Pro; XP Home sees only one socket/two cores.

 

[Fushigi]

Mubs, is it one socket or two cores? This (bottom of page 3) just says multi-core.

 

[Mercutio]

It's based on the number of sockets, not the number of cores.
XP Home Supports ONE. XP Pro supports TWO.

 

[mubs]

I stand corrected, gentlemen.

 

[Fushigi]

My second C2Q, the one that replaced the slower Folders, blew the PSU a few days ago. So much for going the budget route. I just dropped an Antec SmartPower 500W in to replace it. So it's up again. Right now I'm converting the file system to NTFS as Vista requires that. Then I'll put Vista Home Basic on it and resume quad core Folding. I probably won't get it fully online until Saturday.

 

[P5-133XL]

C2Q at $243 shipped from Geeks.com via Bens Bargins. I certainly has taken longer than expected to get that low.