That's too simplistic. Maxing the CPU does not necessarily cause a problem,
especially not with this chess analysis software from chessbase.com. The CPU
is always maxed at 100% with this software on any machine. That's the way it
is designed, which maximizes its chess playing strength. My computer
generally works OK for multitasking while it's running, albeit somewhat
sluggish. If there are major op system response problems then the
software's process priority can be lowered, but that's not usually
necessary.
However apparently most people don't have my problem of a serious slowdown
when this software accesses the 7GB of tablebases on the hard drive -
especially the university-professor types who designed and created the
tablebases, and who run the software on their unix-related op systems with
SCSI hard drives. Some people running windows with IDE drives apparently
don't have the same serious slowdown problem associated with the tablebases
that I'm experiencing, but some do.
-E
"Tom Scales" wrote in message
...
If your CPU is maxed at 100%, then your problem is NOT disk access. It's
CPU. If your CPU was NOT pegged at 100% then it could be CPU access.
Tom
"Euclid" wrote in message
ink.net...
Well, I have a "home use" that my 7200rpm drive can't handle properly...
It's a 7GB chess endgame database of 290 files ranging up in size to
about 150kb. The drive can't keep up with the software as this database
is accessed, so it slows down things greatly. So the hard drive light
remains on constantly, while the processor is running at 100% capacity
constantly - for many hours, constantly.
As a little background...
The game of chess has now been solved for all combinations of 5 pieces
remaining on the chessboard. These perfect & complete solutions go into
the 7GB database in a format known as Nalimov EGTB Tablebases. As the end
of a game of chess approaches, chess analysis engines will begin to
access these Tablebases, which is a lot faster and more reliable than the
engine calculating all of those possibilities again. That would be wasted
effort, because they have already been calculated - i.e. they constitute
the Tablebase data.
How many Tablebase accesses are involved per second? A lot! A lot more
than 7,200 rpm IDE drives can handle. The experts say that 15,000 rpm
SCSI drives can keep up with the access demand OK, but nothing else can.
Now, the 6-piece chess endgames are in process of being solved completely
too, so the chess endgame Tablebases are increasing towards the order of
a terrabyte of data when that task is completed (probably within a year
or two). That makes the little 7GB Tablebases look puny by comparison,
and the problems involved in accessing them will be correspondingly
enormous.
-E
"HH" wrote in message
...
Hmmmm. I cannot think of any home use a good 7.2K ATA 100 drive cannot
handle, especially one with an 8MB cache. You are right SCSI priced
itself right out of the consumer market at the same time IDE drives got
faster and more reliable.
HH
"Euclid" wrote in message
nk.net...
I sorta figured that out after a little googling, but thanks for
confirmation of my suspicions. If I decide to buy a special adapter card
and cables, I might as well get a SCSI anyway...or so my mind works.
After doing some reading, I'd really prefer a 15K rpm hd, which only
comes in SCSI. Of course you'd have to be a university professor to
afford one, I suppose. (I'm not.)
-E
"HH" wrote in message
...
You would likely have to buy a PCI SATA controller card, since your
Presario onboard controller is an IDE controller. The SATA cable is
round and uses a much smaller connector. New Egg has the controller
cards and cables, too. Try he
http://www.newegg.com/app/ViewProduc...124-101&depa=1
HH
"Euclid" wrote in message
nk.net...
Thanks. It looks like only Western Digital makes the 10K IDE drives,
and calls them Raptors...
Western Digital Raptor 74GB 10,000RPM SATA Hard Drive, Model WD740GD,
OEM Drive Only
Specifications:
Capacity: 74GB
Average Seek Time: 4.5 ms
Buffer: 8MB
Rotational Speed: 10000 RPM
Interface: Serial ATA
Features: High Performance SATA Interface
Packaging: OEM Drive Only
Reading the reviews brings up several possible technical problems.
For example a SATA cable is required. I have no idea what that means,
nor how it will modify my computer. At present I have a cable which
has a middle connector for the slave drive, and would want the same.
They also talk about needing different drivers, and that the SATA
drive won't work with some motherboards or will require a special
BIOS. That creates another big research project, I suppose, which may
put it beyond my capability or interest. I'd like to have the speed,
but can't stomach too many technical uncertainties out of the gate...
-E
"HH" wrote in message
...
Try he
http://www.newegg.com/app/ViewProduc...roperty&DEPA=1
HH
"Euclid" wrote in message
ink.net...
If you need real speed, get a 10,000 RPM IDE drive and put it on a
separate
controller Better yet, get a SATA controller and 10K drive.
I've looked but can't find anyplace to order 10K IDE drives. I see
them mentioned in reviews only, so they must be very new. Got any
links to retail suppliers?
-E