best processor for Postgre SQL client machines

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orangezero

Limp Gawd
Joined
Jan 4, 2003
Messages
211
Hello,

I'm new to this database stuff, and usually looked at benches for gaming. I'm using some office software that runs Java to access a postgre SQL server database. Any idea of what processor would be the best for this? They are providing the server, which is a pentium 4 524 3.06ghz 1mb cache, with 1024mb ram, 80gb harddrive, xpress 200 ati graphics. All I need help with is the client machines. They recommend 512mb memory and a pentium 4 2.0ghz or better.

I was wondering if a setup like this would benefit from dual core at all, or if this really is a waste. Also, and idea of AMD vs INTEL? I have usually gone amd in the past for gaming. I'd like to keep with something i'm familiar with and already have extra spare parts at home (in case something breaks I can fix rather quickly). I have a socket 939 opteron 144 at home, and a socket 754 sempron machine at home and they all use ddr memory. hope that makes sense.

I'm trying to decide between spending a bit extra and getting a decent opteron system, vs a amd x64 chip, vs a cheapo intel 2.0ghz+ system. I'm just wondering in real world performance if there will be really any benefit to spending the extra right now.

thanks for any insight.
 
is there another forum where this might be more appropriate? perhaps the amd or intel cpu section?
 
I think the insight is that you haven't provided any of the information necessary to even start analyzing the situation. Will this machine do one select statement every two hours to monitor some service, or will it be gulping down gigabytes of data every minute using two bonded 10-gigabit controllers which it then puts through CPU-demanding analysis?

See, there's quite some ground to cover here. Just saying it's a "PostgreSQL client" doesnt actually tell us anything, except that it will probably be making SQL queries :-\

Or to put it another way, the important thing isn't that it's a PostgreSQL client, the important thing is what it's actually doing with the data.
 
right, i keep forgetting that sql is used for so many different things.

I dont' think it will be used excessively. Its a doctor's office, so I'll be having patient info, medical history, and exam test results input into the computer. I will have to pull up the stuff and access it at different times throughout the day, but i doubt it will be the high end computing you describe. There may also be pictures that are stored with the database as well. Its a brand new office, so at the beginning there won't be much info in the database. Eventually, I'll be using it to do some calculations of inventory, demographics work, etc. But this doesn't have to be done on every client. The one at the front desk just needs to be able to look up a "chart" and perhaps input some data, none of the fancy calculations. The computers probably won't be doing much else other than the occasional word or perhaps quickbooks pro.

I've probably answered my own question, but thought I'd ask here just in case I'm missing something.

thanks for the help.
 
If your client software is worth a damn, it isn't executing any SQL at all. It's wadding up a request, sending it on the network to the server, then waiting for a response.

Since nobody here knows anything about the software you've got or its characteristics, the best apporach would be to benchmark the work yourself. Get one of each, and test 'em out.

I'm curious as to why you think this would matter, though. Client applications sit in front of a human. That human's interaction with the comtpuer is what drives the database reuqests, and they're going to be quite small batches. Do you expect one client processor vendor to have noticably faster response time than the other? Why?
 
From what you say, it doesn't sound like anything that requires heavy lifting; a mid-range computer would probably do nicely.
 
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