Need some advice on better linux x64 setup for performance

tomazN · 03-01-2009, 05:23 AM

Hi!

I need some advice since i am upgrading my 5 years old "server".
It runs a MYSQL and POSTGRESQL databases.

So i would need good cpu performance and disk spindles.

For HDD i have already made up my mind. I will get WD Velociraptor SATA 10k rpm.
I will be getting 8GB 1066MHZ DDR2 RAM from corsair.

Now my dilema is what cpu is best for my database performance and some vmware machine virtualization as well.

What do you think ? Core2 Quad or Core 2 Duo ?

Intel Core2 Duo E8400 3GHz, 775
Intel Core2 Quad Q8300, 2,5 GHz, 775

Which one of those two will perform better. Will linux utilize all 4 cores ?

Or do you suggest some other cpu ?

Thank you for your input!

Tinkster · 03-01-2009, 02:41 PM

How long is a piece of string? If the machines primary function
is going to be serving up data from RDBMS' you'd be better of investing
in 4 HDD's in a RAID-10 rather than in 4 CPUs.

tomazN · 03-01-2009, 03:29 PM

Ok. So i will make a nice RAID 0 with two 10k velociraptors.

And i will have a scheduled midnight backup of database to another drive.

I still need a cpu for my rig

Tinkster · 03-01-2009, 04:02 PM

Ummm ... RAID-0? You're not that attached to your transactional data?

Is the OS gonna reside on your RAID-0, too?

And as for the CPU ... it still depends. How much work on the box will
be going towards your VMs? How much toward the database(s)? What's the
current hardware, what kind of CPU utilisation do you see now, what are
the current load averages?

Cheers,
Tink

tomazN · 03-01-2009, 04:23 PM

No i am not that attached to transaction data

Databases are not so cruical so once a day backup will suffice totaly.

No. OS will be on separate hdd.

Well VM will have some heavy use i think. Will be running some sort of data mining service there that eats up quite some of cpu and ram.

I am not running that mining now since my box would probably catch on fire

My system now is an old Athlon XP 2,2GHz on 2GB DDR and a 74gb WD raptor where Suse 10.2 x64 resides.

About load on the box ... box is heavily loaded during database operations and some programs i use for calculations that are scheduled once an hour. So during that time just that service loads cpu to 100% for some time (this time would be heavily reduced with good cpu ...)

And than there is a vmware on which 1 guest OS is 24/7 running as well.