NEC-LIST: Suggestions for fastest Intel architecture

I am looking to upgrade my computer facility. I currently run a dual
processor PIII running at 600 MHz with 784 megs of 100 MHz SDRAM. I hear
conflicting information on how fast the PIV is compared to some of the
PIII's, but the PIV can run at up to 2 GHz, whereas I don't see any PIII
chips that can run, reliably, at much more than 1.2 GHZ. Granted, 1.2
GHz is faster than 600 MHz, but only twice as fast. Also, I don't see
any multiprocessor PIV's, at least not yet. I like using a
multi-processor unit because I usually have at least 7 or 8 programs
running at one time, at least one of which is often doing some intensive
number crunching. Thus, even though the number-cruncher does not run any
faster than it would in a single processor unit, I can use the machine
for multiple tasks without things slowing down. (I know the number
cruncher would run faster if it was multi-threaded, but I am not aware
of many programs that are multi-threaded, at least not yet.) It also
seems like the PIV motherboards use SDRAM, rather than RAMBUS, like some
of the PIII machines, and I would think RAMBUS would make a big
difference in crunching numbers, especially in EM type problems, where
the required memory can often grow very quickly. I would think the ideal
would be a multi-processor PIV using RAMBUS at, say, 1.8 GHz, but I
don't believe that configuration exists. I've also heard that the
Athelon is a better chip for number crunching, but I am very nervous
about going to anything but Intel, since I have been burned so many
times by "compatible" computer things. It almost always seems that there
is an obscure "gothcha" somewhere, and I always seem to find it!

Also, does anyone know a site that performs and publishes hard ratings,
in terms of speed, of the various motherboard/processor combinations?

TIA,
Ed

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