I’m curious whether or not you can run two AMD X2 processors unmodified on the same box to create a four core system. My current processor is a X2 3800+ and it’s fine for all of my desktop needs. But for my workstation needs, like rendering, a second would be an affordable solution. Did AMD open up the X2 for multi-processor systems?
I’m not sure if it would require somekind of a bios/firmware upgrade, but if your mobo can support dual processors it should work.
Actually, you could make an 8 core system (in theory) if you used the quad core Intel processors, but that may be overdoing it (or not)
You can have 2 Opteron 285s, which are dual core, which would be 4 cores. or 4 Opteron 885s which are also dual core, which makes 8 cores.
I currently am running two Dual Core Opteron 270s. With 6x512 MBs of DDR RAM. Runs like forest gump. FAST. Prepare to shell out some bucks. If you are just wanting some fast rendering then I would go with the opterons. They are mostly for rendering and server apps, but if you get a mobo with a PCI-E 16x then you can still put a great video card in and play games just fine.
I just need to know about the X2 family. When AMD released the original Athlons, they had 2 families: the XP and the MP. They were basically the same processor but the MP had slightly different wiring that allowed it run in mulit-processor systems. You couldn’t do that with the XPs unless you modified them with a little solder. (You can find out how all over the web.)
Here’s the deal. I’m buying a new Mobo very soon. I can get a second chip to match mine for under $150 dollars. If AMD will physically allow me to run more than one chip, that’s a small price to pay for a four core system.
AFAIK the X2 are not server chips, and do not have the required architecture to run multiprocessor (bar the dual core). Probably due to the memory access arrangement. The Opterons are designed to each have their own memory, and be able to access each other’s memory. Since the X2 can’t do this it would have to share memory between processors, and be able to handle that. The ability to do that would most likely degrade overall chip performance, and since the Opterons are designed to do multiprocessor, is a pointless exercise for AMD.
If you find a m/b that says it can support multiple X2 then go for it, but I am pretty sure they don’t exist.
Alex
The post that this replaced was wrong…
The simple fact that there exists no dual-Socket939 or AM2 mainboard makes it impossible to have 2 Athlon64 in one system. So it doesn’t matter if your AMD64 has coherent HT links to enable dual-CPU systems or not…
This will most likely not change, it’s AMDs policy. The “4x4” platform will actually use the socket of Opterons (Socket-F) too by all likeliness, that means you just buy a dual-Opteron board and two Opterons now called “Athlon64 FX” (doesn’t that sound familiar? Except that it comes in pairs now :p).
gurus,
i had a amd 3200+ which blew up on a asus a8n-vm board-939 pin. i purchased a new 3500+ due to work constraints on the same while the older one went through the warranty replacement process. the company replace the 3200+ with a 3700+. now i am in a fix:confused::(. is there a board which can accomodate the two different processors???:rolleyes: or is there any other combination? thanx in advance
chela69
How many processors can blender make use of? I know there is a much welcome ‘threads’ button on the render screen now, but it looks like will only try and run 2 at a time… does it count your procs?
Yup currently blender uses a max of 2 and it only really uses the dual core for rendering as far as I know, but there have been builds out there that use 4.
Phew… thats saved me a potential fortune… I know they have not been announced yet but, I was drooling at the prospect a Mac Pro running 2x quad-core processors. How cool would that be?
i hooked up two apple cores to a used tuna can with some twine and got a 56k internet connection:eek: 
I pressume you must have been using only standard POTS twine then Wu…
If you had used FIBRE-TWINE, you would have gotten much higher bitrate 
Blenders next release in roughly a months time uses as many processors as you can throw at it for rendering and compositing - ie it will handle 8 cores just fine.
So feel free to burn a large hole in your pocket when 8 core OS X becomes available 
LetterRip
Oh no…
that means that the only thing stopping me buying a 2xQUADCORE mac is apple :))
to be honest, I have been putting off buying a mac for too many years. I know that OSX is a fantastic platform for both the 3d stuff I do and the music stuff I do as well.
Either way though, I have order a new ATI x1600 and 2gb of ram to get my windows machine through until apple bring out the new big guns. And then, I am almost certain i will move in that direction, knowing that macs will run windows (do I have to?) and linux makes it a pointless argument.
J
you’ve been going to afrotechmods again haven’t you 
All-man
don’t get a mac. macs suck. ESPECIALLY for 3D graphics, compared to equal pcs. you can build easily 2X the PC for the (over)price of a mac. and I don’t buy that parallells runs windows as fast. AND AMD chips (at least current gen) are MUCH faster than intel, especially multi-cores. I should know, I have a quad-opteron. so yes, it’s possible. and yes, it kicks ass. I’m not even trying to flamebait, I swear. 
don’t get a mac. macs suck. ESPECIALLY for 3D graphics
indeed. you’re absolutely right
Have either of you priced high end workstations? From what I’ve read prices are actually better for mac workstations on the high end.
LetterRip
Can you qualify this statement?
What exactly makes you feel that macs suck for 3d graphics? What kind of macs have you used and where do they fall down?
Remember that if your not talking about the very latest MAC PRO’s (with ATI Radeon X1900 XT or NVIDIA GeForce Quadro FX 4500 graphics cards) your not talking about the same macs that I am!
I’m also very into makeing music, and I know for a fact that macs kick PC ass in that arena, so it really is starting to look like the sensible option, AND they can triple boot OSX, Linux and WinXP now which makes them the most compatible and option out there!!!