using multiple processors

I am considering getting a motherboard supporting multiple processors. First off what are some advantages of having two less powerful processor, the disadvantages. Secondly Can you just put one processor on the board for the time being and then add another one when you need more power. Third off do the two proccessors need to be of the same speed to take full advantage of the processing power. Is having a 1ghtzs and a 2ghts the same as two 1.5ghtzs. Also will having a computer with so much processing power mean that the other components will become obsoleat including my motherboard.

>First off what are some advantages of having two less powerful processor

true multi-threading.

>the disadvantages.

not a lot of things take full advantage of it, and a few things may fail to work.

>Secondly Can you just put one processor on the board for the time being and then add another one when you need more power.

depends on the motherboard, in most cases yes.

>Third off do the two proccessors need to be of the same speed to take full advantage of the processing power.

once again i think this is a board specific matter, though as far as i've researched( not far), they require the processors to be exactly the same.

> Also will having a computer with so much processing power mean that the other components will become obsoleat including my motherboard.

i doubt it, if the motherboard supports the processors then i doubt it's to obsolete.

second, many of your other components may become a new bottle neck, like your video card.

it all depends on what you put together.

it makes a true load difference which is why virtually all server run two or more processers. you can also play around with programming for them!

okay but how much power do I get out of having two, twice as much?

I'm not entirely sure... but I'd say no.

For example, in a benchmark between a 1ghz and 2ghz system, the 2ghz system isn't going to be twice as fast. Even more so as you get higher, a 1.5 and 3 ghz is going to be even less of a difference.

There will definatly be a boost, but like said, there are many other bottlenecks.

>okay but how much power do I get out of having two, twice as much?

though im not sure on the exact stats its less that 2x.

using MP gives you lots of power...

but generally have two processors doesn't add up to their sum.

ie. two PIII 500s will not add up to a 1 GZ cpu...it'll be slightly slower just from the overhead required for them to communicate with one another.

you definitely have quite a few advantages with MP like true multithreading....

also, generally two 1 Gz chips, is cheapter then buying one 2 Gz chip...in my experience.

also, from my understanding of it...you can pop in two different cpus of different speeds and it should still work but then again, it does depend on the board you get.

hope this helps,
Alien.

my experience using other people's MP systems is that its usally much faster than twice as fast, in mulittasking crap, like i have ~20 windows open right now, mp really is a lot lot better in those cases supposedly, and never have to worry about coasting a cd burn either

If your running windows xp theres a few things to consider;

1- XP Home doesn't support dual chips.

2- No version of XP can support dual pentium 4's @ 2ghz +; If someone tells you different, they're wrong. XP WILL NOT support ANY processor speed in dual chip status above 1.7ghz. This is due to when it was developed, and rumor is that a update for XP will be released to fix this within the next three - four months.

so what operating system I can use to support dual prossesors

I would reccomend Windows NT 4.0 or Windows 2000 Professional/Server, which will use all the power you give them.

what about 98 and linux?

Win9x (95, 98, ME), will NOT support multiple processors. Linux, for the most part: yes. But it really depends on the kernel version.

okay but with 98 will it just not use the second one or will it actually not work

>>okay but with 98 will it just not use the second one or will it actually not work

it'll install but its a waste of proc.