Pentium IV Xeon memory bandwidth. Any experience?

[Jean-Marie Teuler]

Dear Beowulfers,

We are studying various architectures for dong efficient Fast Fourier Transforms
(FFTs). As our algorithms can be easily split across many processors, we will
build a Beowulf system with as many nodes as needed to reach our performace
target.

So the only question left is deciding which is the best suited (i.e. with the
best performane/price ration) node for this type of calculations.

One of the problems of FFTs is that their computational efficiency decreases
dramatically as the length of the transform increases, due to "out of cache"
effects: it is a "momory-bounded" problem.

This is why we have been very interested by the announcement of the Pentium IV
Xeon processor, given that it is credited of a 800 MHz memory bandwidth.

Have some of you already have had experience with these processors (on mono- or
bi-processors boards) that would confirm this very attractive figure?

Jean-Marie Teuler

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: Jean-Marie Teuler              :                             :
: Virgo Project                  : Phone: (39) 050 752 528     :
: Traversa H di via Macerata     : Fax  : (39) 050 752 550     :
: 56021 Santo Stefano a Macerata : Email: teuler at virgo.infn.it :
: Cascina (Pisa)                 : Web  : www.virgo.infn.it    : 
: Italy                          :                             :
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