Link 2 Pc's Share processing power?

[bunion]

Hi, Im going to be buying a new pc in the next few months, and i was wondering if there is a way I can connect my old to pc to it so it can use its processing power? Similar to cluster computing I think.

Ive read about some linux cluster computing, but I would like to use Windows Vista and move onto Windows 7. Is there any feasible way this could be done? My old pc is 3.2 Ghz P4 2GB ram and i would really like to add the power of it to my new machine. I dont mind installing a server OS - whatever it takes to get it done. If its not possible now will it be possible in the future?

Thanks for help.

 

[djcoolmasterx]

Clustering is only ever usefull for server type processes like running a database.

 

[Devastator_uk]

Well it's not gonna happen with a desktop OS for a start. Linux is more versatile in the clustering arena but even then, as djcoolmasterx said, it's mostly only viable for databases and similar.

 

[Wisecracker]

A good place to start ---> Google "grid computing" "distributed computing" "render farms" "render nodes"

Depending upon your favorite software you may investigate possible plug-ins which will establish worker nodes across your network.

There is everything from Freeware to licensed software costing 100's of dollars depending upon your applications.

You should also study up on gigabit routers and 1000Mbps managed switches if you intend to build upon your ""grid"".

You might even start scavenging

 

[roadrunner197069]

Buy a good i7 rig with 6-12g of ram and an intel SSD, and you wont need to add the little tiny power of the old system.

You greatly under estimate todays technology if you think that puny P4 needs to help your new rig.

 

[The_Blood_Raven]

Ignoring roadrunners first comment I will agree that todays tech will be more than enough to blast that P4 and for cheap. A good Phenom II or Core 2 quad will destroy it for cheap. Post up your budget bro and we will see what we can do.

 

[roadrunner197069]

Ignoring roadrunners first comment I will agree that todays tech will be more than enough to blast that P4 and for cheap. A good Phenom II or Core 2 quad will destroy it for cheap. Post up your budget bro and we will see what we can do.

Don't be a hater because your mommy wont buy you one.

We all know i7 is the most powerful desktop solution out, theres no reason not to get the best especially when you dont upgrade often.

He has a P4, he obviously doesn't upgrade often.

Obviolsly hes looking for some major power and core 2 quad and P2 cant come close to the raw power and the huge memory bandwidth of a i7.

 

[TheGuitarist]

Buy a good i7 rig with 6-12g of ram and an intel SSD, and you wont need to add the little tiny power of the old system.

You greatly under estimate todays technology if you think that puny P4 needs to help your new rig.

Greatly underestimate? Maybe it's that he doesn't fully understand how it all works and is just trying to get a foot in the door of computing. He had what he though was a neat idea, so even if it comes across at stupid to you "pros" doesn't mean his idea is a product of underestimation. Unfortunately, I stumble upon your "posts" every once in a while, and I think you greatly overestimate your intelligence.

Are all 4500+ posts of yours just troll bait?

 

[roadrunner197069]

Greatly underestimate? Maybe it's that he doesn't fully understand how it all works and is just trying to get a foot in the door of computing. He had what he though was a neat idea, so even if it comes across at stupid to you "pros" doesn't mean his idea is a product of underestimation. Unfortunately, I stumble upon your "posts" every once in a while, and I think you greatly overestimate your intelligence.

Are all 4500+ posts of yours just troll bait?

Oh, another hater that cant afford the best. Good to see you tightwads stick together atleast.

2 bad PCs dont equal one good one, sorry about your luck.

Also never once did I call his idea stupid. I suggested he spend his money and actually get the performance he desires. I for one dont like to waste my money.


After reading your post here: http://www.tomshardware.com/forum/257520-28-best-socket775-processor

I think it is fair to say shut your pie hole when it comes to PCs and stick to the music forums.

What a noob, you buy a PC just recently and it has a P4. LMAO, you got butt raped.


You obviously have no idea of the power of a pimped out i7 so shut it.

He has a P4, and you have a P4, my i7 can outperform both of your P4 rigs and run circles around them

http://www.tomshardware.com/forum/258117-31-roadrunners

 

[djcoolmasterx]

Not everyone can afford the best, maybe you should come back down to earth.

 

[roadrunner197069]

Not everyone can afford a new crap PC every year either.

All you idiots act like a i7 rig costs $1000s, lol. Do some home price research and get a life.

 

[djcoolmasterx]

Bad day?

 

[The_Blood_Raven]

Roadrunner your a fool. He is looking to hook his P4 PC to a new PC he wants to build, that does not speak of a large budget. So you go and recommend a $1500 setup to him that excludes GPU(s). The reason your an idiot is because, as usual, all you are here to do is brag up your god damn system. You make up numbers and act like i7 is so much better than it is just to justify yourself. You are the biggest a$$ hole on this forum and your a fool that can't get to grips with reality.

Oh and for the record I could buy your rig twice over with the spending money I have in the bank and I ordered a new system a few days ago with i7. Even though I now own an i7 system and have built and used an i7 system I am not such an a$$ hole that I have to spread misinformation to people to make me feel superior. Why don't I? My current system is 90% as fast as your system and nothing most people do will benefit from going i7 over a decent C2Q or Phenom II.

New parts on order:
I7 920
MSI Eclipse
2 4870 X2s in crossfireX (the reason I can benefit from i7)
6GB of G.skill 1600Mhz DDR3
another Danger Den 4870 X2 waterblock
Danger den MCP 1336 waterblock

Total: $1400

Oh and it is me who buys my mother PC parts, not the other way around.

 

[The_Blood_Raven]

bunion please make a new thread if you need help picking out parts. We will help you and if you want then fell free to PM me for anything. Ignore roadrunner, I'm sorry about him.

 

[roadrunner197069]

Not everyone can afford a new crap PC every year either.

All you idiots act like a i7 rig costs $1000s, lol. Do some home price research and get a life.

 

[roadrunner197069]

Roadrunner your a fool. He is looking to hook his P4 PC to a new PC he wants to build, that does not speak of a large budget. So you go and recommend a $1500 setup to him that excludes GPU(s). The reason your an idiot is because, as usual, all you are here to do is brag up your god damn system. You make up numbers and act like i7 is so much better than it is just to justify yourself. You are the biggest a$$ hole on this forum and your a fool that can't get to grips with reality.

Oh and for the record I could buy your rig twice over with the spending money I have in the bank and I ordered a new system a few days ago with i7. Even though I now own an i7 system and have built and used an i7 system I am not such an a$$ hole that I have to spread misinformation to people to make me feel superior. Why don't I? My current system is 90% as fast as your system and nothing most people do will benefit from going i7 over a decent C2Q or Phenom II.

New parts on order:
I7 920
MSI Eclipse
2 4870 X2s in crossfireX (the reason I can benefit from i7)
6GB of G.skill 1600Mhz DDR3
another Danger Den 4870 X2 waterblock
Danger den MCP 1336 waterblock

Total: $1400

Oh and it is me who buys my mother PC parts, not the other way around.

Looser with lies. Why dont you go buy another Dell.

 

[TheGuitarist]

Bunion, my apologies for feeding the troll. Every forum has one so I apologize for ruining the thread.

 

[skittle]

x264 has a render farm application under linux

 

[gamerk316]

Not effiecent, as nothing will give you enough bandwith between PC's to ever give any significant gain in anything. Heck, I would expect a LOSS in performance, simply due to the PC's waiting on eachother half the time.

 

[Wisecracker]

Not effiecent, as nothing will give you enough bandwith between PC's to ever give any significant gain in anything. Heck, I would expect a LOSS in performance, simply due to the PC's waiting on eachother half the time.

Actually, it's typically more efficient with ""equal GHz comparison"" with the greater number of nodes and slower clocked CPUs - less wasted clock cycles.

I'm sure there is a good explanation for it but I'm not the one to answer it. IIRC there is an article about it at ARS or Extremetech ...

 

[Shadow703793]

Not effiecent, as nothing will give you enough bandwith between PC's to ever give any significant gain in anything. Heck, I would expect a LOSS in performance, simply due to the PC's waiting on eachother half the time.

Infiniband can help with the bandwidth. After all that's what HPCs use.

 

[Devastator_uk]

I agree, Roadrunner is an idiot. You suggest buying a i7 rig with 6-12g of ram and an intel SSD and then say it doesn't cost $1000s.

Yes i7s start at $300 but if you're getting 6+gigs of RAM plus a SSD you're probably gonna not go for the cheapest i7.
Even for just the cheapest i7, the cheapest 6GB and the cheapest Intel SSD your looking at over $700 (and we're missing the other half of the PC).
Add the cheapest possible other components (DVD burner, motherboard, PSU, ATX case, 7300GS) we're looking at $1000, at that's with a **** GPU and not keyboard, mouse, monitor, speakers or OS.

 

[Reynod]

Roadrunner you have violated ToS about 5 times in one thread ...

I think an apology is in order.

Otherwise your getting reported ... simple.

In actual fact the most limiting issue with a desktop is the OS and the constraints of the I/O system we are forced to deal with in terms of backward compatibility.

No matter how good your new system is just watch it sit there and spin while your copying / moving files / data from the HDD across to something else.

That's when you realise nothing has changed in 10 years.

Benchmarks fail to mention this small detractor.

As for the OP's question I don't recall reading that Windows 7 has any magic woven into it's software that will allow clustered computing.

You could keep the old beast for a server (declock it a bit as you don't need the extra speed) and fill it full of drives ... could be a decent NAS ??

 

[rodney_ws]

The old's old P4 system would do fine as a media server or a Linux play box... but as far as directly assisting a new system... that just ain't practical.

 

[roadrunner197069]

Roadrunner you have violated ToS about 5 times in one thread ...

I think an apology is in order.

Otherwise your getting reported ... simple.

In actual fact the most limiting issue with a desktop is the OS and the constraints of the I/O system we are forced to deal with in terms of backward compatibility.

No matter how good your new system is just watch it sit there and spin while your copying / moving files / data from the HDD across to something else.

That's when you realise nothing has changed in 10 years.

Benchmarks fail to mention this small detractor.

As for the OP's question I don't recall reading that Windows 7 has any magic woven into it's software that will allow clustered computing.

You could keep the old beast for a server (declock it a bit as you don't need the extra speed) and fill it full of drives ... could be a decent NAS ??

LOL, obviously you know nothing, my PC has no problem copying, moving Huge files @ warp speeds. Maybe you should look into a new hard drive and a i7 rig instead of that AMD crap you use if your having issues.