Buy a new computer

d2_racing · Posted: Sun Oct 12, 2008 5:47 pm Post subject: Buy a new computer

Hi, I have the possibility to buy a new computer.

I want to buy a Intel Quad Core, but since I'm not sure on what to buy, I need your help.

For exemple, do I need a P45 chipset or something else ?

I know that the ICH10 doesn't use the insane Jmicron Controler, but I saw only a lot of thread about the Asus P5Q motherboard.

So, can you help me to find a good motherboard that will run Gentoo on it ?

Thanks

platojones · Posted: Sun Oct 12, 2008 6:26 pm Post subject:

Well, you are in luck...just last month I upgraded to a P45 system..here's what I got:

ASUS P5Q Deluxe
Core2Quad Q9550
GSkill PC1000 DDR2, 4mb (only cost $75 for 2 sticks of 2 Gb).

Running stable OC at 3.4 GHz (though, you may decide not to go that route, I've stress tested it from here to hell with Linpack and Prime95 and back and it's rock solid stable).

Runs Gentoo perfectly...the only piece of hardware I've heard any problems with is one of the 2 nics...it uses that nasty marvell nic that requires the sky2 driver. I've never had a problem with it in a month though.

And yes, it is very fast!

[EDIT]Oh, the other option is to wait for Core i7 (Nahlem) and the X58 boards, which should be out in another month or 2...but those use DDR3 memory and will require super-deep pockets for the first year or so.[/EDIT]

d2_racing · Posted: Sun Oct 12, 2008 7:24 pm Post subject:

So if you have some luck, can you help the people here that have a P5Q like you, because I tough that I need to go with Gigabyte for a decent motherboard.

Also, can you confirm that your motherboard doesn't have the insane Jmicron chipset ?

d2_racing · Posted: Sun Oct 12, 2008 7:25 pm Post subject:

Did you compile your box with

platojones · Posted: Sun Oct 12, 2008 7:30 pm Post subject:

There are like 6 or 7 different models of the P5Q series, like the P5QE, the P5Q, etc...the P5Q Deluxe uses the intel ICH10, not JMicron...the lower end P5Q's may use it, but I'm not sure. No, I didn't recompile with emerge -e system. I'll try that and let you know though.

platojones · Posted: Sun Oct 12, 2008 7:37 pm Post subject:

here you go:

http://usa.asus.com/products.aspx?l1=3&l2=11&l3=709&l4=0&model=2257&modelmenu=1

platojones · Posted: Sun Oct 12, 2008 8:53 pm Post subject:

Here are the emerge -e system results for my system, fresh off the screen:

real 79m25.794s
user 75m33.723s
sys 18m22.710s

That's with 'make -j4' and ccache disabled. 144 packages, the longest being gcc at 18 minutes.

d2_racing · Posted: Sun Oct 12, 2008 10:38 pm Post subject:

Since insane... 79 minutes.

I will love my new box for sure

Also, did you run makeopts="-j5" just to stress your compilation process.

d2_racing · Posted: Sun Oct 12, 2008 10:38 pm Post subject:

Since insane... 79 minutes.

I will love my new box for sure

Also, did you run makeopts="-j5" just to stress your compilation process.

platojones · Posted: Sun Oct 12, 2008 10:46 pm Post subject:

d2_racing · Posted: Sun Oct 12, 2008 10:59 pm Post subject:

Hi, you have 2 network cards ?

Also, do you use the Intel High Definition Audio inside the kernel for your sound card ?

Finally, do you use the AHCI and ICHX option inside your kernel ?

Finally, what LiveCD did you use to install your box.

Thanks for the info.

d2_racing · Posted: Sun Oct 12, 2008 11:10 pm Post subject:

Do you have any suggestion for a Gigabyte motherboard, because I think that they build good motherboard.

platojones · Posted: Sun Oct 12, 2008 11:12 pm Post subject:

Yeah...I meant to say somthing about that....

If you hit that link I posted above, it has all the specs...

It has 2 Gigabit nics...one PCI(using skge driver) and one PCIE(using sky2 driver).

I don't use the onboard sound though (I've found those to be a PITA with linux sometimes and not worth the trouble), so I use an old Audigy2 board I've had for several years...sounds great, was really cheap, and is 100% supported by linux.

I don't use AHCI because I don't think it's supported for this chipset natively (I dual boot windows xp, and I don't have it their either, because I would have to completely re-install to get it and I spend so little time in windows, it's not worth the trouble), so I use the pata_marvell driver. AHCI support on linux is dodgy at best still, I would imagine it would really fly if I had a workable driver for it. Same with ICHX. I'll probably look into again after a while to see where that stands.

I didn't use a LiveCD at all (and I think some people have had problems with that)...I did a stage 3 install...actually, I didn't even install Gentoo on with this MB and chip. I've had this rig for 2 years with another ASUS Mb and a Conroe E6700, so I installed it on that rig, then just upgraded the MB and CPU and here I am.

platojones · Posted: Sun Oct 12, 2008 11:14 pm Post subject:

d2_racing · Posted: Mon Oct 13, 2008 3:12 am Post subject:

Hi, thanks for the info.

And just to confirm your kernel module with your hardware, can you post this

platojones · Posted: Mon Oct 13, 2008 4:21 am Post subject:

d2_racing · Posted: Tue Oct 14, 2008 2:23 am Post subject:

Hi, thanks for the info, I now can buy this box :

d2_racing · Posted: Tue Oct 14, 2008 2:44 am Post subject:

Hi, I found that the P5Q-Se doesn't run under Linux, because of the cheap Atheros Lan card.

d2_racing · Posted: Tue Oct 14, 2008 3:03 am Post subject:

I will buy a P5Q-E or a P5Q-Deluxe

Thanks for your informations platojones

d2_racing · Posted: Tue Oct 14, 2008 3:11 am Post subject:

I will try to boot with this LiveCD : http://sourceforge.net/project/showfiles.php?group_id=85811&package_id=88964

I hope that i will be able to boot with that.

platojones · Posted: Tue Oct 14, 2008 3:20 am Post subject:

Your welcome...enjoy it...make sure an check the QVL (Qualified Vendors List) for certified memory modules at Asus's site before you buy your memory modules...these P45 boards only take specific brands and models and if you get the wrong memory, even if it is the right specs...may not work at all. Just FYI. Each board has it's own QVL, so look at the one for the model MB you are going to buy and order a specific kit from that list.

d2_racing · Posted: Tue Oct 14, 2008 2:22 pm Post subject:

For the record, did you try the onboard sound card ?

I don't know if I will buy a Soundblaster Live audio card.

platojones · Posted: Tue Oct 14, 2008 10:25 pm Post subject:

Monkeh · Veteran Joined: 06 Aug 2005 Posts: 1656 Location: England

d2_racing · Posted: Wed Oct 15, 2008 1:17 am Post subject:

So the onboard sound card is better then the Sound Blaster Live

If I check this one : http://gentoo-wiki.com/Asus_P5Q-E

They have the same onboard card and everything is working.