[R] optimal hardware for computations in R?

[Prof Brian Ripley]

On Tue, 23 Mar 2004, Paul Y. Peng wrote:

> I recently ordered a computer which is intended to run both WindowsXP
> and Linux (of course both versions of R as well). Before placing the
> order, I discussed it with our system managers. They highly recommanded
> a system with one P4 CPU with Intel's so called "hyper-threading"
> technology over a system with two CPU's, and they claimed that both OS's
> can take benefits from the "hyper-threading" technology. I haven't got
> the machine yet and don't know how fast it is. At least this is another
> option available.

I do have such a machine as my home machine, so I already have experience
under Fedora Core 1 and Windows XP. The gain over a single processor is
small compared to a dual processor (at best 1.2x in my experience), and
many magazine tests have recommended turning hyperthreading off.  I know
that a dual Athlon 2600 (my office machine) compiles R about twice as fast
as a Pentium 2.6HT, for example.

-- 
Brian D. Ripley,                  ripley at stats.ox.ac.uk
Professor of Applied Statistics,  http://www.stats.ox.ac.uk/~ripley/
University of Oxford,             Tel:  +44 1865 272861 (self)
1 South Parks Road,                     +44 1865 272866 (PA)
Oxford OX1 3TG, UK                Fax:  +44 1865 272595