1. Partitioning will probably not make your HD more efficient. 2. "... no need [for backup]"... a dangerous thought. 3. I didn't mean "add a 2nd HD to present system", but rather have one handy to swap out should you catch a virus or HD failure... a 5 minute process. Even for those with 2xHD systems... a virus might corrupt BOTH of them before you can stop the carnage. That's why it's good to have a backup outside your machine. 4. Disconnecting any fan is probably a baaad idea. Just wondering, do you take the same type of risks with your trading capital as your trading computer?
I may use it for trading and right now it is still uncertain. However, if I use it for trading, I'll definitely considering your "clone" HD idea and I agree this is very cost effective. I have another question to those who use cable modem and dial-up as back up (this is what I'll do if I trade from home), can anyone explain how to set this up?
I'm thinking of building a Beowulf cluster for market modelling. Grateful if you could give me a bit more detail of your setup. There seems to be a lot of information on University clusters but little information for the enthusiast - or more likely I'm looking in the wrong place. Many thanks Not much more to tell. No exotic hardware setup to brag about. All pretty standard stuff. I developed it as a personal toy and then improved upon it as a demo platform for a client. It was never pressed into any trading duties however, with its ability for scaling and multitasking I see where it could be an asset. It has been an extremely good thoroughbred handicapper though.
I have been running this thing for about a month and very satisfied. I haven't run into any problem. This is summary of components. MSI mb $77 non bluetooth non raid(box) AMD xp 1700 $60 (box) Maxtor 80 GB 7200 $60 after rebates(box) Samsung 512 MB PC2700 $122 (OEM) Enermax 501w case w/ 300w power $59 (box) Pacific Digital CDW $35 after rebate (box) matrox g450 dual head video card $70 win2k pro (gift I got a year ago) Additionally, to disable password prompt, goto control panel -> users & password, uncheck users must enter a user name and password to use this computer. I did check the reg and looks like that window just reset reg entries.
I did a lot of digging before spec'ing my new system, and I am extremely pleased with the result: AMD +1800 (Intel is slow by comparison) ASUS A7X266 mobo (for reliability) 512MB RAM 40G HDDs x 2 (using Duocor's XactCopy backup) Win2000Pro OS (XP has some funnies I hear) Matrox G550 dual head video card Zalman flower cpu cooler & 92mm/40cfm fan another Zalman 92mm/40cfm fan as a case fan QuietPC.com Silent power supply & HDD silencers plus the usual - good keyboard, optical 5-button mouse. This thing is rock steady and fast! Cost a bit more but the reliability is worth it IMHO. I've bought cheap systems before and regretted it.
A few years ago I wrote a book on Handicapping Thoroughbreds (Handicapping Thoroughbreds With Confidence). Part of the task involved taking what I called the ultimate challenge, self-use. I took $400 and three days and followed the technique. I watched the funds grow to over $4,000 net during that stretch. I documented the whole episode in chapter 14 and proceeded to complete the writing. Chapter 20 is titled, "Making the Software." The book never came to market for I am not too sure that I'd like everyone to know how to pick the correct 7-1 shot regularly. For 12 years now, I have existed just under the radar. At the local OTB I am considered a freak who gets lucky and I am still virtually unknown by most of the patrons. Since the cluster was completed, online wagering has been added to the package and now I visit the parlor for laughs and generally entertaining with friends. Last week (Tampa, Jan. 28th, race 7) I took down a $9,584.80 superfecta without even leaving the house. That was for a $2 wager, I had a $10 superfecta investment along with a win investment of $200 and a place investment of $200. I love my job!