RE: NONMEM and Windows NT.

From: jsabo@bi-pharm.com Subject: RE: NONMEM and Windows NT. Date: 21 Nov 1997 16:09:29 -0500 Jim - I'm running NONMEM on an HP Vectra XU6/200 with dual-Pentium Pro 200 MHz processors and 160 Mb memory. I've been so pleased with the performance of this hardware that I setup similar PC's for two other scientists in my group. When you install NT, it will detect a multiprocessor situation and automatically install the proper drivers, etc. If you upgrade a single processor machine to a multiprocessor machine, you'll have to do the NT update manually. Overall, I think that running NONMEM on a dual-processor PC is the best environment if you are going to be using a PC. Often times, I will have a NONMEM run going while I'm working on document prep, email, etc. What happens internally is that NONMEM will use 100% of a processor (you can see what is going on with the processors, memory etc. using the Windows NT Task Manager) and leave the second processor free for other things. If you want to run a second NONMEM job, the free processor will now be 100% devoted to that NONMEM job. After that, any more applications that are run, including additional NONMEM jobs will compete for processor time and cause NONMEM run times to increase accordingly and the other additional applications will be a little slower in responding. Please note that having dual-processors will not decrease the time of a NONMEM run compared to a uniprocessor machine; you can just continue to use your PC for other applications at the same time. NONMEM is not a multithreaded application so it will not be run on two processors simultaneously. Let me know if you have any other questions or if I can be of any help. Best Wishes, John P. Sabo Senior Scientist Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals, Inc. Ridgefield, CT Tele: 203-798-5355