64 bit processor for FPGA workstation?

We had some problems with Modelsim on 64 bit versions of Windows. (USB keyed licenses didn't work.) Installing a different version of XP fixed that.

I assume you've read this benchmark thread:

Regards, Allan

Ray/Allan,

I am running a dual 3GHz P4 with 3GB RAM with XP x64. ISE 7.1.03i works no problem. As does Office etc.. Pretty much everything works but some things need a little persuasion. Also, Acrobat is not supported the last time I checked. Also, compatible virus scanners are limited (Avast is one however).

I have been able to get Modelsim running under x64 using a USB dongle based license. Firstly, to install Modelsim, I needed to restart in diagnostic startup mode (start->run->msconfig to do this).

The problem with the USB dongle is that Macrovision don;t seem to have got around to x64 yet. However:

Based on the info at

I got a USB wireless network adapter and then used a driver directly from the chipset manufacturer (Ralink) which supports x64 (that was the tricky part) to install it.

For the driver:

Driver:

11g-RT2500 USB 2005/07/26 Drv2.0.3.0 XP x64

Before installing, follow the instructions starting on p7 of:

to add a line to the .inf file so that the Ralink section has a USB\VID_050D&PID_7050 entry:

[Ralink.NTamd64] ; DisplayName Section DeviceID ; ----------- ------- -------- %Ralink.DeviceDesc% = RALINK.ndi, USB\VID_148F&PID_2570 %Ralink.DeviceDesc% = RALINK.ndi, USB\VID_050D&PID_7050

I then got my Modelsim disti to rehost my license to the MAC of the USB network stick and hey presto I am in business and can move my license about...

I like my system though - it flies and now everything works as it should.

Cheers,

Dave

At work I use a linux cluster of dual processor Opterons (2.6GHz). They are really fast for simulation work. They completely dominate the Ultrasparc IIIs and the Xeons (memory bound apps go to the sparcs though).

This may seem like a dumb answer, but it seems to me that you should be running all of your book keeping things on a separate machine. It doesn't take much horsepower to do that. Anything that doesn't require drivers should run on Windows x64 just like it did on Windows XP, though, so unless your backup software (or quickbooks) needs drivers, you should be ok.

All this said...unless you're breaking the 4GB limit on memory, running in 32 bit mode might be the better idea. It's a bit more mature, the hardware is just as fast (if not faster) and it really doesn't present memory limitations.

-Arlen

Thanks guys. I think I've settled on an Athlon 64 X2 4800+ system. I was considering building, but am so short on time these days that I'll likely just buy one of the high end gaming systems such as the alienware alx or voodoo omen.

--
--Ray Andraka, P.E.
President, the Andraka Consulting Group, Inc.
401/884-7930     Fax 401/884-7950
email ray@andraka.com  
http://www.andraka.com  

 "They that give up essential liberty to obtain a little 
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                                          -Benjamin Franklin, 1759

I wonder if you might be better off running Linux on a 64-bit development machine. Linux 64-bit support generally seems much better than Windows 64-bit support. Sure, you wouldn't have MS Office, but OpenOffice is a good replacement and the price is right ;-) No need for virus scanners (someone else mentioned that they don't work on 64-bit windows). Most all of the rest of the software you mention is available on Linux (except for quickbooks).

Seems I also recall seeing posts here where people compare simulator speed on comparable machines running each OS and the Linux-based HDL simulator runs a bit faster. Anyone got numbers?

Phil