os, processor, and mobo recommendation for heavy multitasking programmer

  • Thread starter Thread starter jamesd
  • Start date Start date
J

jamesd

I am a programmer, i work from home alot, and it is time to build a new
pc. I don't keep very up to date with the latest processor
technologies, so need a hand in purchasing my parts. Please help.

I am expecially interested in hearing about what OS to use and what
processor, and whether to go 64bit with the processor. BUDGET: $1000.

I am NOT a gamer. I just do programming, lots of it! It is typical to
have about 10 to 15 programs running simultaneously. In order of
importance:

Visual Studio .NET 2005 (usually 3 windows open) - I REALLY want this
HOG to be snappy
sql 2005 Server and its client tools
sql 2000 server and its client tools
firefox (usually 3 windows open)
ie (usually 3 windows open)
Outlook 2003
Remote Desktop
msn messenger
x1 desktop search

I will keep my geforce 6600 vid card, keyboard, mouse, monitor from my
old pc. If you can recommend all the other parts to get I will be
eternally grateful to this great group. Thanks.
 
jd> I am expecially interested in hearing about what OS to use and
jd> what processor, and whether to go 64bit with the
jd> processor. BUDGET: $1000.

jd> I am NOT a gamer. I just do programming, lots of it! It is
jd> typical to have about 10 to 15 programs running
jd> simultaneously. In order of importance:

jd> Visual Studio .NET 2005 (usually 3 windows open) - I REALLY
jd> want this HOG to be snappy sql 2005 Server and its client
jd> tools sql 2000 server and its client tools firefox (usually 3
jd> windows open) ie (usually 3 windows open) Outlook 2003 Remote
jd> Desktop msn messenger x1 desktop search

I'll take a stab at this, but others will have more complete and
accurate responses.

I advocate 64 bit hardware, unless 32 bit is way cheaper. That way
you'll be ready for 64 bit Windows when it has more device drivers.

Which OS? Sounds like your only choices--since you program with VS
..NET and SQL Server--is either Windows XP Pro or Windows Pro x64. I
have the latter for just general use, and am already annoyed at the
lack of device drivers, like my scanner (Canon LiDE60), and a USB/PSTN
VOIP gizmo to make/receive Skype calls on my phone. So normally I
would recommend 32 bit Windows, but in your case, you might want to
carefully inventory your current and expected peripherals and see if
they would work with x64. Reason is, if the programs you mention
above have 64 bit versions, you might notice better performance with
everything 64 bit.

Obviously you'll want lots of fast RAM. 2GB of DDR2 at the
appropriate speed.

Finally some good disk drives will be much more important to you than
to a gamer. Consider a 2-disk RAID0 (in hardware, either the mobo or
a controller), with a good backup system; perhaps a large external
HDD, speed not necessary, that you can backup to every night. Do you
use CVS or similar for versioning? If not you'll really want the
backup system to allow easy rollback to prior versions of files.
 
jamesd said:
I am a programmer, i work from home alot, and it is time to build a new
pc. I don't keep very up to date with the latest processor
technologies, so need a hand in purchasing my parts. Please help.

I am expecially interested in hearing about what OS to use and what
processor, and whether to go 64bit with the processor. BUDGET: $1000.

I am NOT a gamer. I just do programming, lots of it! It is typical to
have about 10 to 15 programs running simultaneously. In order of
importance:
Click to expand...
I will keep my geforce 6600 vid card, keyboard, mouse, monitor from my
old pc. If you can recommend all the other parts to get I will be
eternally grateful to this great group. Thanks.
Click to expand...

I just went through a similar upgrade scenario myself. My main requirement
was to compile stuff really ****ing fast. In my humble opinion the E6300
Core Duo is a champ for this kind of work.

I have one of them with 2GB of DDRII RAM and it is very happy to run the
following *concurrently* on a plain old XP SP OS.

- Two instances of Visual Studio 2003 (C# and C++ projects for .NET 1.1).
- A Visual Studio 2005 instance (C# and C++ projects for .NET 2.0)
- Windows 2000 Server (guested under VMWare Workstation) in order to support
compilation of a very large Visual Studio 6.0 C++ project)
- A VNC window connection to Linux server
- Open Office (large document (i.e a book sized document)) using
extended-PDF output macros)
- Mono
- MSDE

I am using an MSI 965 F Neo motherboard, and just for the heck I have
overclocked it 20% so the E6300 is running at 2238MHz. Absolutely stable,
normal CPU temps, no fancy cooling just the stock Intel retail fan.

Its plenty fast for programming work.
 
Very few quality motherboards are still available tha contain an AGP slot
for your 6600 video card. They are all based on PCI-E now. I would
seriously consider saying good bye to your video card.
 
DW> Very few quality motherboards are still available tha contain
DW> an AGP slot for your 6600 video card. They are all based on
DW> PCI-E now. I would seriously consider saying good bye to your
DW> video card.

Dare I suggest that he simply use his new mobo's video output? That
would avoid a costly component.
 
That's humor.

Buying a faster computer to compile faster LOL.

We Delphi programmers don't have any compile speed issue's ?!

C/C++ <- only needed for kernel driver stuff because of different object
code and embedded processor stuff.

Bye,
Skybuck.
 
Skybuck said:
That's humor.

Buying a faster computer to compile faster LOL.

We Delphi programmers don't have any compile speed issue's ?!

C/C++ <- only needed for kernel driver stuff because of different object
code and embedded processor stuff.

Bye,
Skybuck.
Click to expand...

You are a twit. It is perfectly reasonable to upgrade a machine to compile
code faster.

Not all of us are hobbyist wankers who follow someone else's how-to scripts
in order to re-compile someone else's code (i.e kernel recompile).

I mentioned running VS 6.0 on a virtual Windows 2000 server to recompile a
large commercial C++/MFC application. That legacy project alone consists
of over 3000 source files, and compile time _is_ a very important factor.
Especially when you are instrumenting the code for debugging. Stuff I
presume you don't have any clue about.

Go back to your script garden kiddy.
 
jamesd said:
I am a programmer, i work from home alot, and it is time to build a new
pc. I don't keep very up to date with the latest processor
technologies, so need a hand in purchasing my parts. Please help.

I am expecially interested in hearing about what OS to use and what
processor, and whether to go 64bit with the processor. BUDGET: $1000.
Click to expand...

<///>


Just some general thoughts for you, James. dual-core CPU (I like AMD),
nice hefty pwr supply with an intake vent directly over your processor,
big rear exhaust fan, a few extra of the newer-type slots and some good
compatible RAM. If you were going with Linux, I'd have some particulars
on board components, but that's it for now. Good Luck.
 
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