My current computer is beginning to show its age and I am considering buying a new workstation. I get flyers from Dell and HP all the time and keep noticing the new Xeon processors running quite a bit faster than the current Pentium 4 processors (though more expensive). Some offer an option to add a second Xeon processor.
Alf Toy and maybe a couple of other people could probably give me a few answers here. Besides going from 3 GHZ on a high end P4 processor to a 3.2 to 3.6 GHZ on the Xeons, is there much else gained with the new Xeon machines? Additionally, would dual processors help much on programs like Photoshop, Corel, and the other DTP programs?
Any advice would be appreciated.
Mike
Welcome to The Hand Lettering Forum!
This is an interactive Bulletin Board on the topics of Sign making, design, fabrication, History, old Books and of coarse Letterheads, Keepers of the craft. The Hand Lettering Forum features links to resources, sign art history, techniques, and artists profiles. Learn more about Letterheads at https://theletterheads.com. Below you'll see Mchat has been added as a live communication portal for trial, and the Main forum Links are listed below.
This is an interactive Bulletin Board on the topics of Sign making, design, fabrication, History, old Books and of coarse Letterheads, Keepers of the craft. The Hand Lettering Forum features links to resources, sign art history, techniques, and artists profiles. Learn more about Letterheads at https://theletterheads.com. Below you'll see Mchat has been added as a live communication portal for trial, and the Main forum Links are listed below.
Computer Question: Xeon Processors
Moderators: Ron Percell, Mike Jackson, Danny Baronian
-
Mike Jackson
- Site Admin
- Posts: 1705
- Joined: Tue Apr 06, 2004 11:02 pm
- Location: Jackson Hole, WY
- Contact:
Computer Question: Xeon Processors
Mike Jackson / co-administrator
Golden Era Studios
Vintage Ornamental Clip art
Jackson Hole, WY
Photography site:
Teton Images
Jackson Hole photography blog:
Best of the Tetons
Golden Era Studios
Vintage Ornamental Clip art
Jackson Hole, WY
Photography site:
Teton Images
Jackson Hole photography blog:
Best of the Tetons
-
Guest
Computer Question: Xeon Processors
The Intel Xeon is designed for servers and especially multi-processor servers so it is probably a good decision if you are running a local network and this is to be a server for that network. Multi-processors are only significantly faster if you have a lot of independent "threads" of work going on at the same time so they can run at the same time and that's why they help out with database servers and file servers.
On a desktop, most programs have been designed around a single processor and therefore a single thread and don't take advantage of this hardware. If you happen to have a program that does, the manufacturer will leave you in no doubt about it as it would be a big selling point. Graphics programs benefit more from lots of RAM, fast, single processors and high-speed graphics adapter cards.
You also have to be careful with compatibility - making sure that your software will actually work on this new hardware.
Checkout http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Xeon for a definition of the various kinds of Intel processors - quite an alphabet soup!
Mike (the other one)
On a desktop, most programs have been designed around a single processor and therefore a single thread and don't take advantage of this hardware. If you happen to have a program that does, the manufacturer will leave you in no doubt about it as it would be a big selling point. Graphics programs benefit more from lots of RAM, fast, single processors and high-speed graphics adapter cards.
You also have to be careful with compatibility - making sure that your software will actually work on this new hardware.
Checkout http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Xeon for a definition of the various kinds of Intel processors - quite an alphabet soup!
Mike (the other one)
Denver Chapter of the Letterheads