LinuxSA Mailing list archives

  From: Toby Corkindale <tjcorkin@steadycom.com.au>
  To  : Matthew Mills <Matthew.Mills@santos.com.au>
  Date: Mon, 08 Mar 1999 00:08:49 +0000

Re: Advice required re Motherboard and CPU purchase

Matthew Mills wrote:
> 
> Hi, I am considering upgrading my Linux System from a 486 DX4 100 with 64mb
> of Ram to something a bit more modern. I am wondering if someone might be
> able to tell me a wise purchase in regards to Linux compatibility.  I was
> tossing up between a PII 300-400 or an AMD K6-2 300-400.  Also are there
> certain motherboards which are more compatible and video cards which are
> more compatible with Linux?
This is true, that some hardware is better supported than others. As far
as CPUs go, both K6-2 and Pentium II/Celeron processors seem to be fine.
I run linux on an AMD K6-2-350 and an Intel Celeron 412MHz, and it's
fine. However, I'm not sure which is fastest...There's no 3DNow! support
in linux, unfortunately. (Correct me if I'm wrong, anyone?). So, if you
intend to run a lot of heavy-duty math on your linux machine, I'd
reccomend the pentium 2 or an overclocked celeron. If you're just doing
'normal' work then the AMD may be for you. (the late model K6-2/3 's can
outperform pentium 2/celerons in "win95 office apps", but tends to
underperform in "highend Windows NT apps". What that means when applied
to linux, I am not sure. Linux is closer to NT than win95 though, but I
think it's the apps you are running that makes the big difference.
Has anyone out there done linux benchmarks on different CPUs and
motherboards? I'm curious now ;)

As for motherboards, I'd only get one with an intel chipset - although,
my K6-2 is running on an MVP3 board fine, but support for these boards
was only introduced recently. (Although you can run without any m/b
support, but then you don't get the benefits offered by that MB)
For videocards, you've got a pretty wide choice, but 3D accelerator
support is negligable. Permedia Glint and 3Dfx support is about it.
For a listing of 2D support for X Windows, go to the relevant site.
You'll most probably going to run XFree86, so check www.xfree86.org, or
it's closest Australian mirror.

Yours
Toby

> 
> thanks in advance,
> 
> Matthew Mills
> 
> Disclaimer: The information contained in this email is intended only
> for the use of the person(s) to whom it is addressed and may
> be confidential or contain legally privileged information. If you are
> not the intended recipient you are hereby notified that any perusal,
> use, distribution, copying or disclosure is strictly prohibited. If you
> have received this email in error please immediately advise us by
> return email and delete the email document without making a copy.
> 
> --
> Check out the LinuxSA web pages at http://www.linuxsa.org.au/
> To unsubscribe from the LinuxSA list:
>   mail linuxsa-request@linuxsa.org.au with "unsubscribe" as the subject

-- 
...Veni, Vidi, VC++. (I came, I saw, I kludged)

-- 
Check out the LinuxSA web pages at http://www.linuxsa.org.au/
To unsubscribe from the LinuxSA list:
  mail linuxsa-request@linuxsa.org.au with "unsubscribe" as the subject