I hope this is not too far OT for the list ... I teach chemistry at a local community college and am seeking grant monies for the creation of a hub of high power PC's to perform heavy quantum mechanical calculations using GAMESS and the like (for you chemists out there .. ;). I really need some input on system design in order to quote intelligent prices for this proposal. I have some thoughts, but don't know about Linux support (our school is a Windoze repository of ineptitude). Can anyone advise me about these? (I want to implement Linux, if it isn't obvious. But I'm still at the early stages on the learning curve.)
1) CompUSA is NOT the place to go ... 2) the Pent. II 400/450 with a 440BX MB is the obvious choice for this very intensive FPU stuff now, but I'm reading about AMD's K7 and the "better" DEC-based MB's. Anyone have ANY thoughts/knowledge about the K7/MB and Linux? 3) SCSI absolutely. AHA2940UW quoted constantly, but I've heard others on this list complain about them. ??? yes/no/alternatives? 4) Good SCSI drives? I know nothing about these. 5) Is a second drive the best backup device? (using its 1st partition as swap?) 6) A number of the apps I am considering are OpenGL/Mesa. From Tom's Hardware page it seems that the Diamond Fire GL 1000 Pro (3DL Permedia 2 chip) is an "obvious" choice. Linux and this card? 7) DVD drive?? Linux drivers? 8) can I run a localized _ethernet_ group which is "IP masqueraded" into a token ring LAN (ultimately-->Net)? This would be either Linux or OS/2 as the middle-man. Good card?? 3Com? something else? 9) Please don't shoot me, but is anything bigger than a 17" monitor worth it? With limited $$ (I want 3 PC's for =<$10K) is there a good 19" monitor within reach? I appreciate any input here. Thanks very much! Kenward Vaughan
