Dual-core versus Quad-core processors

[jerzy]

I work with some people who use CFdesign to aid in pump design. They are looking to upgrade their computer (currently dual-processor 2.5 Ghz Xeon CPU's with SCSI drives).

What would run analyses faster: two Dual Core Intel Xeon 5160 3.00 Ghz processors or two Quad Core Intel E5320 1.86 GHz processors? Can CFdesign utilize all 8 CPU cores of the second alternative?

They are using 32 bit version of CFdesign. Does 64 bit version cost more, and what kind of boost would it give to speeding up run times?

Thank you

Jerzy

 

[JKEngineer]

I don't think that the 64 bit version is out yet.
Jack

Jack M. Kleinfeld, P.E. Kleinfeld Technical Services, Inc.
Infrared Thermography, Finite Element Analysis, Process Engineering

http://www.KleinfeldTechnical.com

 

[rtmpxr]

The question is : does CFDesign knows how to use multiprocessor chips? You must ask CFDesign team to answer to this question. Simply put, if CFDesign is not "programmed" to get advantages from dual or quad cores then nothing will important will happend.
From the 64 bit point of vue, yes, the scientific people will get the most. It means PRECISION and MEMORY. Now you have only Windows XP 64 you can use.
Conclusion?
-upgrade to 64bit hardware (take care how to do it)
-wait for Vista operating system
-hope that CDDesign has a version for 64bit Windows Vista
-hope that CFDesign has parallel computing (to use duo or quad processor)
Again, 64bit will be the most important forward step for the scientific community (Windows users). Linux has already this.

HTH

 

[JKEngineer]

I have watched the Windows Task Manager as CFDesign runs on my dual core processor. It does use both cores for some of the processing, but not for all. I think that is a limitation of the calculations being performed -- some are linear.
Jack

Jack M. Kleinfeld, P.E. Kleinfeld Technical Services, Inc.
Infrared Thermography, Finite Element Analysis, Process Engineering

http://www.KleinfeldTechnical.com

 

[jerzy]

Thank you for the replies. My client has talked with CFdesign, and they recommend using 64 bit systems as definitely the way to go. The specific question (two dual-core versus two slower quad-core) was not answered I believe.


jerzy