64bit computing

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bdemenil

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Has anyone out there tried a 64bit PC - AMD's new processors for instance? Any interesting results?
 
They're not exactly realistically priced until the desktop/notebook versions come out in Sept.

But when they do, watch out!! I might try one, if they're more reasonably priced.

The thing is, is that neither XP nor any of the audio apps are coded for it yet, so I don't think you'll see much of a difference for awhile.
 
AMD's Opteron 240 is about $275 on pricewatch. That's expensive, but not out range for ordinary desktop users. I think in addition to being 64bit, it has 1GB of full-speed cache.

Many plugins calculate internaly at 48bit or 64bit. Seems like with a little tweeking, they would run like a dream on a 64bit processor.
 
The thing is, is that neither XP nor any of the audio apps are coded for it yet, so I don't think you'll see much of a difference for awhile.
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The Word on the Street® is that Microsoft is sitting on a 64-bit version of XP already. Really, the only thing that needed to be changed was the HAL. Regardless, it should be backwards compatible with 32-bit apps, but then of course you aren't getting the benefits of being 64-bit. Whether or not the benefits are going to equate to much of a difference in audio remains to be seen.
it has 1GB of full-speed cache
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Well, that would truely be incredible, but I think you meant 1MB.
 
elevate said:
The Word on the Street® is that Microsoft is sitting on a 64-bit version of XP already. Really, the only thing that needed to be changed was the HAL. Regardless, it should be backwards compatible with 32-bit apps, but then of course you aren't getting the benefits of being 64-bit. Whether or not the benefits are going to equate to much of a difference in audio remains to be seen.

Well, that would truely be incredible, but I think you meant 1MB.
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1gig of cache, it could happen :D just no time soon..
yes there is a 64bit version of xp, and theyre will be a 64bit version of Longhorn also. a lot of large companies have the 64bit versions of xp already, i know my dad's company does.

what mb's are out for the AMD Opteron's?
 
a lot of large companies have the 64bit versions of xp already
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You mean the version for IA64? I didn't think there was an x86-64 version out yet.

what mb's are out for the AMD Opteron's?
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There's this one from Asus. Pretty expensive though.
 
Tyan, MSI and now Asus I can actually see in a shop. Only the asus has agp, but that one only has standard pci, no 64bit or pci-x. So it looks like we need to wait a bit longer. The tyan K8W might be the one to go for when it comes out. The boards are from 240 to 720 euro.....

Other problem with the opteron: it only wants registered ddr in pairs. And at 333MHz that is expensive stuff. And you need a beefy psu!
 
Many plugins calculate internaly at 48bit or 64bit. Seems like with a little tweeking, they would run like a dream on a 64bit processor.
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I may be wrong here, but don't most good plugs use floating point math internally? Seems like good FP processing would buy you more than 64-bit integer math.
 
64 bit should be great for intense audio processing where memory bandwidth isn't the limiting factor.

It's not the processors that are expensive, it's the motherboards, or at least that's the way it is here in Canada. There's only a couple on the market, they are duallies and cost a fortune.

It's my next computer as soon as there are reasonable consumer systems available.
 
pglewis said:
I may be wrong here, but don't most good plugs use floating point math internally? Seems like good FP processing would buy you more than 64-bit integer math.
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You could be right, it depends if they use 32 or 64 bit floating point formats. I've never crunched the bits to figure out fp format and see if there's a difference mixing 24 bit waves in 32 or 64 bit floats. Seems to me there's one bit that may be in question.

Interesting question you raise, will some real time plugins that currently use floats invent 64 bit integer schemes for the possible performance gains? Maybe, but that would last as long as it takes for AD converters to start spitting out floating point waves.
 
64bit has more to do with datapaths and address range than math. Most fp units already use 80bit internally. To feed it now, you need 6 datatranfers (2 operands need each 2 moves, the result also 2 moves). In 64bit this becomes 3 moves, so you gain even if the fp unit itself stays the same.

Athlon MP's can and do use normal ddr. It is only when you want more than 2 slots that you need reg ddr. And they don't need it in pairs.

Other thing that bothers me a bit is that the memory controller sits in the cpu. It is a wise thing to do, but it means that when you want to upgrade the memory (like from pc2100 to pc2700) you need and a new MB and a new cpu (or 2). OTOH, whan you do that, do you really want to keep that old cpu as there are then certainly newer ones out there?

EDIT: what also bothers me is that those boards are offered with only usb1.1. Surely that is a bit dated by now. And no firewire. Why not a bit more HD connectors? That would make more sense.
 
Havoc said:
Most fp units already use 80bit internally.
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but do they have 64 bit registers? The whole cpu should be plummed for 8 byte data packets on the new platform.


but it means that when you want to upgrade the memory (like from pc2100 to pc2700) you need and a new MB and a new cpu (or 2).
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Crap, I sure hope not.
 
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