Anyone using VISTA or a Duel Core CPU yet?

[crash]

Anyone using either VISTA or a duel core CPU have any negative experiences with either? I know Vista needs power grunt and at least 1G [2G is better] of ram to work efficiently, so I'm more interested in negatives apart from the obvious power or ram issues.

Anyone using either Vista or a duel-core CPU having any program issues?
IE: they wont work or are unstable etc? Or negative issues with Vista operation itself?

[AngryPixie]

Crash

No prob's with Pentium D, Core 2, Dual Core Opteron x 1 CPU, and Dual Core Operteron x 2 CPU. Have been using all (especially Opterons) for some time and absolutely no drama's with stability or app compatability under, XP, W2k3SRV. Pentium D's run hot. Am using a watercooled one to write this.

Have Vista Enterprise running on HP Core 2 notebook, and a Pentium D desktop in the office. No problems yet, but I don't use them to do anything other than officey stuff. More important than RAM is the video card although as you say 1GB should be the starting point for RAM.

[crash]

Thanks for that AngryPixie,

I've just ordered an AMDX2 4600+ duel core 65dn low watt [low heat] model. I know the specs. say that similar Intels across the range are a bit better performance wise [unnoticeable in the real world] but gee, the low prices on AMD at the moment are amazing due to the rush on Intel and the recent release of the quad cores. $160 for the 4600 so prices have plummeted to a 1/4 of original prices.

I'll go with a nForce 570 ultra mobo for the AMD and a 7600GT video card [a little bit of gaming gets done on my rigs :-)) ].

I'm still unsure if Vista is worth the bother and expense. I had heard there were some stability problems with certain programs. Sounds like there might be some heat issues due to the extra power draw needed.

[AngryPixie]

Lowering your carbon footprint then Crash. Me too. The machine I use 95% of the time is a little Sony Vaio TX notebook with a Core Solo CPU and 1GB RAM. Goes along really nicely and I can get 9 hours battery life out of it. More if I use an extended battery.

[Chrome Prince]

There is nothing negative to say about the dual or quad core processors apart from the price of the quads at the moment. Prospective purchasers of quad core processors would do well to hold off as in a few months they will be up to 50% less in cost.

The positives are that the price on the duel cores have dropped and single cores up to 3.60Ghz are now within almost anyone's price range.

Users can now upgrade their old machines to something really fast at a fraction of the previous cost.

A word or two on Vista...

There really isn't a great deal of advantage in upgrading to Vista at this stage, in fact there are more disadvantages than advantages.
The bugs have not been addressed
Service Packs not released
And a lot of software has compatibility issues and cannot run on it.
It is more eye candy and developed for media enthusiasts and eats cache like there's no tomorrow.

I would suggest anyone that wants to use it, have a standard PC running XP and a Vista PC until various compatibility issues are ironed out.

I have used Vista and will be sticking with XP for quite some time.

[crash]

Thanks for that Chrome. I 've just been reading an article about Vista and your saying pretty much the same. There are issues with it and after all apart from the eye candy [at my age?], program use is more important than OS. The other PC here is still running 98 just fine [Zoe likes it].

The AMD4600 duo [65w] I've ordered is 2.4Ghz for $160 compared to the 3500 single core [90w] it's replacing, which was 2.2Ghz and cost me $350 [now $100].
As for Quad cores, apparently they are noisy[?] and really, I can't see many rushing out to get a new mobo platform to run one and what applications would benefit? Anyone need to do 4 things at once?

[Chrome Prince]

crash,

Windows 98 performs like a rocket on a single core P4 processor ;)

What's happening is they are building PCs to run the operating systems which are getting more and more system intensive. So older operating systems run like rockets on the new technology.

98 on a P4 is incredible as is XP on a quad core!

Unless you're a gamer or a media enthusiast, then the older platforms will do all you require at twice the speed (up to 4 times the speed and more).

Haven't had reports of noisy quads to date, but if the power supply is not adequate it will sound like a chainsaw :D

Ever wondered why Vista is so much cheaper than XP ever was (full versions)?
Because the retailers make money out of supplying the new PCs to run it and Vista is still very much Beta.
As we speak, hundreds of hackers are working overtime to reveal the flaws and bring it down to it's knees, which is another reason to hold off.
Wait for the announcements within the next two months.....
A quick browse of the underground newsgroups, shows a flurry of activity :(

[Shaun]

I am using vista as a test system for some software and have had problems with AVG, if you are upgrading your os you will need to reinstall under administrative options.

As for hacks i have seen one that keeps your system in the 30 day activation period permantly, all updates are available and runs fine.

[AssumeTheCrown]

I have just purchased 3 new systems with quad core CPU's. I initially had windows vista installed but found a lot of the betting software i was using wasnt supported by windows vista so i have had to revert back to windows xp. Another interesting observation was that claculations i perform using excel arew much faster on the 2000 version than the xp version. Something to do with multi/single threading i am told. In recent years i have had problems with cpu's being overcooked because of the multitasking i have been taking on. I have now spread the tasks over each system so the speed is enhanced. I run two robots for my betting and since the new systems have been put in place the process is running up to 50% faster.

[crash]

A bit of a warning to anyone thinking of upgrading to duo chips and the latest motherboard sockets. Unless you are VERY tech. savvy DON'T. A lot of this new stuff is just not retail ready.

Example: Just built a new system based on an AM2 socket platform. [MSI K9M Platinum AM2 platform /Amd 64 x 2 4600 2.4Gtz / Antec Neo HE 500w PSU / 7600GT PCI express video card / Corsair Twinx matched low latency RAM / etc. ] Apart from having to flash a new CPU bios [don't even think about it unless you know what your doing] and upgrade all the motherboard chip drivers etc. etc. nothing is really retail ready.

Everything in my system is now Sata cabling yet the latest Pioneer DVD optical drive [sata] needed a 'flash' firmware upgrade [don't even think about it unless you know what your doing] to work properly and the motherboard needed all sorts of chip upgrades and XP had a hissy fit trying to install!

I'm still woking on everything and it's coming togeather fine, but if your on a stable system at the moment ... stay there!

[Chrome Prince]

Good advice crash, I wouldn't even think about flashing a bios or firmware upgrades without the computer hooked up to a power backup device, seen way too many boards rendered useless, by power surges or system reboots, and then there's the issue of accidentally flashing with the wrong revision.

A top of the range single core unit with adequate ram should more than do the job until the new technology and software is thoroughly patched.

And they want to release quad core to the market here shortly :(

[Mancunian]

Example: Just built a new system based on an AM2 socket platform. [MSI K9M Platinum AM2 platform /Amd 64 x 2 4600 2.4Gtz / Antec Neo HE 500w PSU / 7600GT PCI express video card / Corsair Twinx matched low latency RAM / etc. ] Apart from having to flash a new CPU bios [don't even think about it unless you know what your doing] and upgrade all the motherboard chip drivers etc. etc. nothing is really retail ready.

! And to think my first computer was a Tandy CoCo which was 4K......repeat 4K
Phew !.........manc