Hi Peter,

Thanks for the clarification.

Not quite clear how the installation of RAM-OS will work in my case -
1. just disconnect my OS disk and pop in the RAM-OS disk, boot and repeat the steps(??) I performed on my original OS disk?
or 2. with current OS disk running, plug in RAM-OS disk and?? (can't figure out yet)

I don't think I fully understand what is going to happen...    definitely up for trying, but what if I cannot make the RAM-OS to work for me?

Best Regards,
George

Hi Peter,

Now I have Windows 10586.0 running on my computer with all proper device drivers (verified in device manager). I have only one hard drive (the OS drive) on the computer. I tried removing the hard drive when windows is running, my mouse and keyboard stopped responding. Same test in running RDC, it just dropped the RDC session. Since it's not a RAM-OS, I thought this is an expected behavior. What should be my next step to setting up RAM-OS?

BTW, Richard's method (http://www.phasure.com/index.php?topic=3747.0) works - it limits all network activities to local area. Since windows activation needs internet connection. I ended up following all suggestions from googling, including disabling the update service. There maybe other hidden connections Windows is doing. We just have to see... 

Best Regards,
George

Hi Peter,

I don't mean to make you anxious towards the end of your relaxing vacation.   Hope it is still relaxing for you. And enjoy the rest of your vacation. 

George

Thank you all for your valuable input and insights.


DiskPart, comes standard with Vista and W7, is a very useful tool to perform the above task and beyond.



Bert,

Great advise! To reduce the variables, I will also try to disconnect all HDD and, of course, the Juli@ card. So I will install the additional OS (on a clean HDD without any partition) as if I am installing a brand new machine with nothing on it, right?

From what I understand, XXHE is not a CPU intensive program in a multi-core dedicated music server. Therefore, XXHE will not benefit from OC. (I am an OCer. Too bad for me) However, XXHE will benefit from more "cores" plus Intel's HT. Theoretically, when using a multi-core laptop as a dedicated music server and stripping out all the unnecessary programs and processes, I believe one can get an equally good result with XXHE.

I don’t think 1366 or even 1156 will become obsolete (like a normal PC would) serving as a dedicated music server. Many of us still have some 10-year-old or older CD players lying around which can play music better than an iPod. How old are the technologies inside of those CD players?

Of course, if you are like me who am thinking of using the music server as other general purposed PC, then you do have more to consider.

Just my 2 cents,
George

Thank you, Praphan, for the detail description.

For the 1366 installs:

1. After the Vista install, do Vista co-exist with W7 under the same partition? Or Vista overwrites the existing W7 install? And how many boot options did you see after Vista install? W7-W7-Vista or W7-Vista? I am sure you must have validated the multi-boot by booting into each OS successfully, correct?
2. You had two W7 installs (dual-boot) before Vista install. Did you have Juli@ driver installed on both W7s (meaning you can connect to NOS1 and play XXHE)?
3. Prior to the Vista install, did Juli@ driver already exist on that partition?

Thanks
George

   I feel for you, PNCD.

I have yet to experience the same level of support like what Peter has provided in the stereophile/audiophile market without paying $$$ for their products first.

Yes, I know. Even temperature and humidity can all influence. 

But some scientific facts first please...

Hi Praphan,

I am currently running W2008 server and thinking of installing W7 with dual boot. Could you elaborate what problem you have encountered or SQ degradation you have experienced particularly with NOS1 when configured with dual boot? Which OS(es) have you tried dual booting with? In your configuration, did you dual boot from the same (physical) HDD or two different HDD?

Thanks

 
Hi Peter,
I am probably the minority here who is running on 1366 socket mobo and I am OCing my i7-950 @4.2GHz on air.  I was targeting multi-tasking / multi-purpose workstation, instead of dedicated music server, when I decided on the components.


Use i7-980X (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819115223) for example, it is $250 less than 2 E5645s and easily OCed to 4.2 GHz and beyond. While the higher CPU speed may not boost XXHE’s performance, it helps A LOT for running tasks like photoshop, video transcoding, WinRAR/file compression or even iTunes (for iPhone and iPad lovers). It sounds like XXHE can benefit “more” from increasing processer cores (and Hyperthreading) than increasing CPU speed.
Talking about overdoing things , I am wondering which CPU configuration is better for XXHE:
* dual Xeon @2.4GHz w/ Hyperthreading (which makes it 24 cores  @1.2GHz)
* or single i7-980X OC to 4.4GHz (on water cooling) w/ Hyperthreading (which makes it 12 cores @2.2 GHz  )?

Regards,

George