Toaster Motherboard

[JonnyGritt]

Hello,

This kind of post has probably been asked loads but as I'm new and hardware changes frequently I'll ask anyway.

I'm going to build a mid range PC suitable for the Video Toaster in the coming month. Any advice particularly for the motherboard (as in which ones work) would be very useful. Also, will it make any difference buying a VT2 with the upgrade or waiting for the VT3?

Many Thanks

[SBowie]

Originally posted by JonnyGritt


I'm going to build a mid range PC suitable for the Video Toaster in the coming month. Any advice particularly for the motherboard (as in which ones work) would be very useful. Also, will it make any difference buying a VT2 with the upgrade or waiting for the VT3?

Many Thanks Mid-range these days, I suppose means either AMD or single P4 vs. dual-Xeon. Frankly, given the reduced priced diferrential, I'd recommend saving a little longer and spending the extra bucks for the dual-Xeon option. In that case, the SuperMicro 7505 boards are quite popular, but many are using boards from IWill hapilly.

[dwiener]

The new Intel 875 chipsets will be out soon, these will give you 64bit pci slots with a single p4 processor, and 800mbs FSB memory!

[tmon]

http://www.hwextreme.com/reviews/processor/opteron/

http://www.tomshardware.com/cpu/20030422/index.html

Opinions? Anyone going to take the jump on this one vs. Intel?

[Dan Hong]

Come on Taiji,
Do you really think I can resist the temptation?

[tmon]

Bleed on, brother, bleed on!

http://www.amdboard.com/hn08290202.html

[Prosprctor]

Don't know if I can trust those numbers....
seems that they are intent on getting Intel on the top...

Why not do a CPU to CPU test ???


Why is Opteron a 1.8 and Intel a 2.8 and a 3 GHz

Do some equal tests !!!


Size for size, AMD ALWAYS wins that's why


And no setup test prices either

so for the few less seconds in time how much extra do I need to spend ??

[JonnyGritt]

Judging by these posts and other post regarding the VT 3, most people seem to be recommending Intel (Xeon x 2 preferred), with scsi (160 or 320) raid drives for video. What about a mid-range system that doesn't need all this kit? A single Intel or AMD chip using the Escalade IDE controller and a generic firewire card (or on board). I'm looking to get into this bit by bit. I can always build a much faster system and move the Toaster!

Any ideas what motherboards are good for this kind of set up?

Also how complicated Toasters are to configure? Any links to hints and tips would be very useful.

Cheers

[SBowie]

Originally posted by JonnyGritt

A single Intel or AMD chip using the Escalade IDE controller and a generic firewire card (or on board).

Also how complicated Toasters are to configure? Any links to hints and tips would be very useful.

Cheers Single P4, sure - single AMD, not at the moment at least. This may change with Opteron, but it's untested as yet. Single P4 systems work just fine, but the dual-Xeon solution is now so much more affordable than previously that the differential is not so great. The latter are SO strong that most find the extra cost worth it.

As to setting up, anyone can do it really, but there are lots of little things that help. When you get to it, we can readily mention out some specifics here. I had some guides on my site, but am doing a refit right now ... I probably won't redo that part until T[3] appears. Don't overlook the VTNT forum at yahoogroups.com as a great resource, too! :(

[JonnyGritt]

Thanks for that. Sounds good sensible advice. With that in mind is it worth considering the wait for good 875 chipset boards then?

Also are you of the opinion that IDE are out of the question?

[SBowie]

Originally posted by JonnyGritt
Thanks for that. Sounds good sensible advice. With that in mind is it worth considering the wait for good 875 chipset boards then? Oh, I don't know - there's always something on the horizon ... the 7505's have only been out for a little while, haave been thoroughly tested, and absolutely rock. My money is on them for a while yet. I never like to be on the atomic-thin white-hot part of the bleeding edge, but that may just be me.

Originally posted by JonnyGritt
Also are you of the opinion that IDE are out of the question? By no means. Having said that, while EIDE still holds the edge for volume capacity, the blistering test speeds available with even three good U320's make that choice much more affordable than previously.

[dwiener]

I agree with Steve about the U320's. I just built a new dual xeon system (2.4's) I bought 3 73gb seagate cheatahs. Cost me $300 more than a new 4 channel escalade and 4 ide drives, but autoconfigure gave them a 178mbs rating and disktest topped them out at around 195mbs. I do intend to add my old esclade 6804 to the system but it was 32bit ata66 so I don't expect to see more than the 70mbs I was getting on my old p3 setup. FWIW if you can get U160 73gb drives for under $200 now. Just take a look at prices at www.pricewatch.com

Dennis

[JonnyGritt]

Anyone have any idea how much the performance drops if you only add 2 scsi hard disks?

Also, does anyone know if a generic firewire card will work with this system? Seems that the rest of the system needs to be high spec, and I guess the firewire card would too!

BTW the Supermicro E7505 mobos are pretty pricey! Are they worth paying the extra?

Cheers,

John

[dwiener]

I thought the SuperMicro boards weren't that much more than the IWill's. And they seem to be the board of choice around here. The X5DA8 was under $600 last time I looked, and that has an onboard dual u320 SCSI, and gigabyte lan. Take a look at the combo prices at pricewatch.com. You could always by the mobo with a single processor and add the second later.

Dennis

[tmon]

http://www.eweek.com/article2/0,3959,1038001,00.asp

http://news.com.com/2100-1006-997827.html

[JonnyGritt]

Ok,

It would make sense for me to get a Toaster sooner rather than later, and stick it in another computer. I have a dual processor Athlon 1900+ mp using a Tyan Tiger motherboard, with 1Gb ram and a nice Wildcat graphics board which is currently used for LightWave work. If I stick in an Escalade IDE controller a couple of hard disks and more fans it should get me up and running. If multi stream uncompressed work starts flooding in then I can capitalise and build a new box when it happens but in the mean time get to grips with the Toaster. Also seems a good time to purchase, as there are good Newtek incentives. Its not a fantastic system but will get me off the ground.

I'm kind of assuming also that the Toaster hardware will not change when the Toaster 3 arrives. Does anyone know any different?

John

[dwiener]

Originally posted by JonnyGritt
Ok,

I'm kind of assuming also that the Toaster hardware will not change when the Toaster 3 arrives. Does anyone know any different?

John

The current build of T2 includes a firmware upgrade that automatically installs if needed. I know that when I upgraded my FrameFactory to T1 I had to send the board back to NewTek for a hardware upgrade, but that was part of the upgrade price. I suspect that T3 might require at most a firmware upgrade.

Dennis

[Paul Lara]

Correct.

Upgrading your suite from VT[2] to [3] is as simple as dropping in a new CD, and installing! :D

[tmon]

Could this be the new "Low End" T[2]/VT[3] motherboard?

http://www.abit-usa.com/news/2003/20030411.php

[dwiener]

Originally posted by taiji
Could this be the new "Low End" T[2]/VT[3] motherboard?

http://www.abit-usa.com/news/2003/20030411.php

I wonder if any of their boards have a 64 bit slot? The one pictured didn't appear to, thought the 875 chipset allows for it.

Dennis

[tmon]

Yeah, I was looking for that 64-bit slot too....can't see it.
Probably means that it doesn't have one?