Linux for AMD64

[K]

So, do tell, what bus do they use? ISA perhaps? Of course they use the PCI
bus, how do you suppose all those integrated LANs, sound, video, etc
communicate with everything else?

Define 'integrated'. Integrated can mean that that devices are on separate
chips on the motherboard, or can mean they have all been placed on one
chip, usually the southbridge.

They don't need to use any bus if they're all integrated on to the
southbridge. The southbridge then communicates with the northbridge with a
proprietry interconnect (MuTIOL for SiS chipsets, Hypertransport for VIA,
V-Link for VIA). However if any of these devices are on their own chip
such as a SATA chip, then they have to make use of the PCI bus.

All AGP graphics cards are in fact PCI devices and are treated as such by
the BIOS. But they have their own bus, AGP. However AGP is not a 'bus' by
the true definition, it is a point to point interconnect that can't be
shared with other devices. Same for front side bus, this term is very much
outdated and today really only applies to Intel MP chipsets where two or
more CPUs share the same bandwidth.

Sheesh.
Indeed


Hellraiser..........>

K

 

[Satan's Little Sister]

PCI has moved beyond being just a physical/electrical specification to
being a communications protocol as well. As an example, hypertransport
uses PCI protocols (for compatibility and ease of driver writing);
software that doesn't check for hypertransport specific vendor/device
IDs will just assume it a genuine PCI bus (but really fast).

The question of whether integrated (as opposed to on board)
devices/controllers share bandwidth with the external PCI bus is
chipset specific. A southbridge could have its crossbar/switch set up
such that internal devices share a connection and bandwidth with
external devices, or it could switch packets for internal devices to
one or more separate interconnects (and if it does it NAT style, the
OS will be none the wiser).

If you want to find out which, get the chipset datasheets (under NDA)
or do some bandwidth tests on your own.

PCI clock frequency is a whole separate issue. It's entirely possible
to make a southbridge that supplies different clock signals to
different busses (internal or external). But it isn't worth the effort
when it's not needed (like with USB, SMBus, ISA, LPC, etc.) -- your
integrated drive controllers will likely get the PCI clock whether or
not they share bandwidth with whoever.

 

[Andy Yee]

adapter or adopter?

_ wrote in

Various current threads over in blahblahblah.storage newsgroup. Yes
many issues hotly debated, but one thing remains the same: never be a
first adapter.

------------------------------------------------------------------------
Andy Yee E-Mail: ayee AT mn dot rr dot com
President Home Page: http://home.mn.rr.com/andyyee
New Directions Engineering, Inc.

Godwin's Law: As a USENET thread grows, the probability of a reference
to Hitler or Nazis approaches 1.00.
Corollary: When such a reference is made, it is generally
recognized that the poster has LOST the argument.

 

[goblin]

_ wrote in

From what I've heard, you'd be better off staying away from SATA
entirely. Another Intel technological disaster.

It's fast as hell though

 

[Conrad J. Sabatier]

Does anyone know of a 64bit version of Linux
that works with the AMD64 CPU?

Ah, forget Linux; go with FreeBSD. They've been working on amd64 support
for quite a while now, and it's very good at this point. Just make sure
you start with either 5.2.1-RELEASE or 5.2-CURRENT (both of which are
quite stable and useable, and the performance is just spectacular), if you
want the latest, greatest amd64 support.

 

[merivale]

Ah, forget Linux; go with FreeBSD. They've been working on amd64 support
for quite a while now, and it's very good at this point. Just make sure
you start with either 5.2.1-RELEASE or 5.2-CURRENT (both of which are
quite stable and useable, and the performance is just spectacular), if you
want the latest, greatest amd64 support.

I'm running a Dual 240 AMD64's on a Tyan Tiger with Gentoo Linux. Go no
problems with it.

I'd say give each a try. No harm if you have the time available. If
stability and port are an issue I'd try the SuSE Pro 9.2. It has full 64
support right out of the box.

It really is up to your needs. Do some googling etc... to see what issue
each of the choices has then pick to and give them a whorl.