Computer for CC?

[TonyRo]

Hello all,

I've been getting more and more into Correspondence Chess, and have come into a bit of cash lately, so I thought I'd upgrade from a laptop to a stronger desktop for a boost. I know a bit about computers, but I was wondering what you guys thought would be a good way to go. Is it better to just buy something, or build your own. What kind of processors should I be looking at, and does anything else matter? Thanks....

-Tony

[yanquis1972]

there's a brand new chip coming out, the gulftown, which is easily going to be the best on the market, in just a couple weeks. so this is a great time to buy if you're interested in super-high-end. from what i know it will rock the block for the next year or so.

of course it's cheaper to build your own, it's simply a question of whether you want to put the time & energy into it, or your budget vs performance needs.

[TonyRo]

Thanks for the response!

Let's say I don't have the cash to shell out a grand for a 6-core 3.33 GHz beast like this. I mean, I can buy 2 4-core 3.3 GHz processors for half or three quarters that. How many cores should I be looking for? Are there any already built computers that would be quite good for something like this? Does anything but processor speed matter?

[Hood]

Hello all,

I've been getting more and more into Correspondence Chess, and have come into a bit of cash lately, so I thought I'd upgrade from a laptop to a stronger desktop for a boost. I know a bit about computers, but I was wondering what you guys thought would be a good way to go. Is it better to just buy something, or build your own. What kind of processors should I be looking at, and does anything else matter? Thanks....

-Tony

Hello,

my 2 cents, i am not much experienced in chess programs but

I think that the main point is not in the computer strength for time being but in the analysis skills and the knowledge where the computers programs can be weak.

The wins at c. chess on high level are based on the exceptions not served by programs. . imso.
at longer time control the the gap between the programs strength narrows.
Important matter is proper GUI which allows to analyse specific paths.
rgds
chris

[TonyRo]

That in general, can be true. However, if hardware wasn't an important part of Computer Chess, which is closely related to Correspondence Chess, then computer competitions wouldn't care what hardware was used. I'm no expert here, but I am under the impression that in computer chess tournaments, the hardware is strictly enforced, or open to anything, when competitors will run engines off of a huge network of computers, correct?

I'm just trying to squeeze every drop out of every advantage I can muster, and so far, no one has completely answered my questions.

[mariaclara]

That in general, can be true. However, if hardware wasn't an important part of Computer Chess, which is closely related to Correspondence Chess, then computer competitions wouldn't care what hardware was used. I'm no expert here, but I am under the impression that in computer chess tournaments, the hardware is strictly enforced, or open to anything, when competitors will run engines off of a huge network of computers, correct?

I'm just trying to squeeze every drop out of every advantage I can muster, and so far, no one has completely answered my questions.

yes. in computer chess tournaments, hardware does count.

"squeezing every drop out of every advantage I can muster.."

then, you have to go beyond hardware alone.

when I was still into correspondence chess 10 or so yrs ago,
I noticed aside from hi-tech hardware, to squeeze every drop of advantage, you need several good chess engines, updated tablebases, the latest databases (correspondence games, tournament, etc), experience, constant communication with other Correspondent chess players ( I was even logged onto a corr chess website then) .

Most impt of all, you can't just leave your hardware alone to work out your Corr game. You still had to constantly monitor the lines to select which ones you preferred.

[Hood]

That in general, can be true. However, if hardware wasn't an important part of Computer Chess, which is closely related to Correspondence Chess, then computer competitions wouldn't care what hardware was used.

correspondence chess are related to computer chess, only
the better hardware makes many matters easier but it is not guarantie of the win.

rgds
chris

[TonyRo]

I feel as though you guys are purposely avoiding my questions at this point. I know all this. I own various engines and generally understand what each one is good at. I understand that computers are sometimes wrong. I own the Nalimov Tablebases and use them. I play on various sites, constantly check my openings for interesting novelties and ideas not yet found, and so on. Like I said, I want to get better hardware and I'm looking for some suggestions! How many processors? How much do # of cores and speed matter, respectively? Does any other part of my computer matter? And so on....

[brianr]

A key question is are you comfortable running an overclocked system.
If so, most seem to prefer the i920 these days.
In years past, the Q6600 was a good choice.

I have been running an OC'd Q6600 (going from 2.4 to just 3.1 GHz) for a couple of years with no problems (granted 3.1 is hardly pushing things).

If you want top CPU speed without OCing, my guesstimate is that it will add about $1,000 to your system cost for the fastest chip, which still might actually be slower than a good OC'd system. On the other hand, some are simply not comfortable with an OC'd system, period.

After the OC question, do you want to wait for 6 or 8 cores (with new premium pricing), or are 4 fine?

I run the 4 core Q6600 with 8GB of RAM (plenty for 4 matches at once with 8 engines, no pondering, Windows Vista 64bit). I'm thinking with Windows7 I could get by with 6GB.

Moving up to an OC'd i920 would roughly double my speed and quite a nice system is pricing out at about $900-$1,200 if I build it from components (several hundred more if pre-built). This is without massive storage and no monitor, and a modest graphics card (highend graphics not needed for CC, but if you want to also play WoW or other games then upgrade that too).

[jwes]

I feel as though you guys are purposely avoiding my questions at this point. I know all this. I own various engines and generally understand what each one is good at. I understand that computers are sometimes wrong. I own the Nalimov Tablebases and use them. I play on various sites, constantly check my openings for interesting novelties and ideas not yet found, and so on. Like I said, I want to get better hardware and I'm looking for some suggestions! How many processors? How much do # of cores and speed matter, respectively? Does any other part of my computer matter? And so on....

For long analyses, memory may matter even more than processor speed. You may want a server so you have enough memory slots. Of course, a 64 bit operating system.