What would be my best PPD for $500, assuming it would probably be a wintel machine, I would procure the OS separately. Would GPU folding be the way to go,with a slower CPU and minimal memory? Ideally a small SSD would be the OS drive, but a small laptop drive would suffice in a pinch. If that's the case, I have a new laptop drive sitting around I could use, but the SSD would obviously be better on power and noise. It would have to go into a case, but the least powerful power supply I can get away with. I'm counting on you [H]orde to help me out!
![[H]ard|Forum](/styles/hardforum/xenforo/logo_dark.png){kind=logo}
Best bang for the buck $500?
- Thread starter Buckus
- Start date
I know the egg has become unpopular here, but amazon is just to horrible to navigate.
if you decided to use Linux for folding, you could save a bundle by running it off an USB stick.
55$ mobo: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813130655
19$ mem: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820148499
73$ ssd: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820148441
45$ PSU: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820148441
50$ case: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811146077
That leaves you ~$250 for DVD drive, CPU, tax and shipping.
EDIT:
If you want to keep the noise down, you probably have to get an aftermarket cooler.
if you decided to use Linux for folding, you could save a bundle by running it off an USB stick.
55$ mobo: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813130655
19$ mem: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820148499
73$ ssd: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820148441
45$ PSU: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820148441
50$ case: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811146077
That leaves you ~$250 for DVD drive, CPU, tax and shipping.
EDIT:
If you want to keep the noise down, you probably have to get an aftermarket cooler.
Does anyone have numbers on 650/650ti video cards? I'm looking at the 23K ppd I am getting with my 460 and thinking that you aren't going to beat a couple of GPUs with SMP even without the QRB for GPU units for your budget. FM1 may actually be the way to go here
A4-3300 dual core - $40
Asus SLI mATX board - $60
Memory - $20
PSU (~500W) - $50
Case - $40
HDD - free (use your lappy drive)
$210 total, leaving you $290 for a pair of video cards of some type.
I think that a setup like this will be more future-proof than some socket 1155 SMP machine.
A4-3300 dual core - $40
Asus SLI mATX board - $60
Memory - $20
PSU (~500W) - $50
Case - $40
HDD - free (use your lappy drive)
$210 total, leaving you $290 for a pair of video cards of some type.
I think that a setup like this will be more future-proof than some socket 1155 SMP machine.
Good point, a GPU will probably pump out more PPD than an equivalent priced CPU.
I though the motherboard had to offer SLI support to allow folding on both GPU's and A75 did not support SLI?
Last edited:
Brother John
Limp Gawd
- Joined
- Oct 30, 2012
- Messages
- 283
Folding on multiple GPU's isn't done in SLI mode.
Each GPU runs as a separate client.
D
Deleted member 12106
Guest
GPU if you want low. upfront cost-will be more to "feed" in the long term
CPU if you want higher upfront cost, can be lower to "feed" in the long term.
A s775 box with some 660's or whatever gpu can make some good ppd, but you will be consuming electricity. Someone on irc was saying they had a xeon that was pulling in some nice numbers with low draw, might have been kendrak.
CPU if you want higher upfront cost, can be lower to "feed" in the long term.
A s775 box with some 660's or whatever gpu can make some good ppd, but you will be consuming electricity. Someone on irc was saying they had a xeon that was pulling in some nice numbers with low draw, might have been kendrak.
With single CPU boxes and GPU points adjustments, this is no longer true even without GPU QRB. A pair of 460s will do 46K ppd for 220W - I don't think you can get more efficiency with any single proc smp folder. If you don't have enough of a budget for a multiple processor bigadv-capable machine, I wouldn't bother with CPU folding at all right now.
Do you need a case for this build? Or would you be okay with folding naked?
I kind of want to suggest an i7-3820 has they can be found in the mid-low $200's in the FS/FT section, and you would have to keep your eyes peeled for deals on X79 mobos (sometimes they are $100-150, but right now they're all $200).
Other then that, hit up an i7-3770 for $300 on newegg, $62 mobo, $20 in ram, or use runs2far's suggestion, $40 PSU, only $20 after MIR, and use that laptop drive you were mentioning, it would only use a few more watts and shouldn't be THAT noisy. = $422, so you could even get a case if you wanted (and a Cooler Master H212+ to keep things quieter and cooler!) You could borrow an optical drive while setting up linux and run w/o it while folding.
You could try to do a GPU-oriented build, sticking with cheap processors and dual graphics cards... but I'm not sure of/familiar with the PPD situation with them right now.
I kind of want to suggest an i7-3820 has they can be found in the mid-low $200's in the FS/FT section, and you would have to keep your eyes peeled for deals on X79 mobos (sometimes they are $100-150, but right now they're all $200).
Other then that, hit up an i7-3770 for $300 on newegg, $62 mobo, $20 in ram, or use runs2far's suggestion, $40 PSU, only $20 after MIR, and use that laptop drive you were mentioning, it would only use a few more watts and shouldn't be THAT noisy. = $422, so you could even get a case if you wanted (and a Cooler Master H212+ to keep things quieter and cooler!) You could borrow an optical drive while setting up linux and run w/o it while folding.
You could try to do a GPU-oriented build, sticking with cheap processors and dual graphics cards... but I'm not sure of/familiar with the PPD situation with them right now.
No single socket Xeon.
But heck Ebay it littered with L or HE versions of chips that many do not want because of low clock speed and thus are cheap. Grab one (or two) and stack GPUs in the rig. Isn't a bad way to go.
A 660ti is getting 37k ppd (stock because of noise) easy 40k if OC-ed. This is WITHOUT the QRB put in place.... that should be here shortly after everyone at Stanford comes back from winter break. The likely probability for a mid to upper end card will go up.
I might suggest going with a 6XX card because of lower power and higher shader count. The only way the 5XX cards will out preform (with power consumption factored in) is if the WU stay super small.
D
Deleted member 12106
Guest
Well....
I can see it two ways (have no clue on what one)
We have a relative steady PPD on GPU and it looks something like the beta run, but probably a bit lower on PPD.
The other is variable. The size of the WU is different and how it acts on a 660ti vs a 580 because of shader count and speed result in PPD that is all over the place depending on if you get a fast or chewy WU for your type of GPU.
Maybe a bit of both?
So in short: F if I know.
I have to say that this is an unacceptable answer from the DAB - what is the point if we can't get something this basic from Stanford? This is ridiculous IMO.
(I'm not blaming Kendrak personally - more a comment of utter disappointment and disgust of what I hoped to be a major move in the right direction with the DAB.)
If you want my guess.....
We will see some variance but it will be like we have now and I think if there is an extra chewy WU they will pad the k factor or such to keep it somewhat in line.
I think it will be much as it has been with "good" WU and "bad" WU. Just with GPUs making more than what a solid i7 can do on its own.
If you OC the cards from 927MHz to 1097MHz, the GTX 650 Tis get about 20-21K/day on 762x. In a single GPU box with no CPU folding, the draw for the entire system is about 120-125w. I have dual GPU box that draws 224w with no CPU folding.
D
Deleted member 12106
Guest
Do we actually have a list of ppd/watt on some of these cards? I have a killawatt at home and could do some testing. I got a c2d box that does nothing but gpu fold I could pull some data on.
The problem is that testing methodologies are all over the place. To get useful numbers, we would need a standard way to determine power draw. PPD at least is pretty easy to calculate.
In theory, you would have a baseline power draw with no GPU, then a full load power draw including overclock. The difference would be power draw per card, and you would have to factor in your PSU efficiency somehow.
True.
After the 3rd visit this month from electric company meter readers, I finally got a replacement kill-a-watt and checked my rigs. Then, after drinking and cussing, drank some more and checked rigs.
After finishing or just quitting my CPU wus, I just tested my different rigs for GPU-only folding.
I have two identical Quad A6 Llano rigs except for the PSU, and the gold PSU actually pulls 4 more watts than the cheap PSU that is due to be changed out, 115w vs 119w.
Then I have a Sempron system system that pulls 125w.
Then, I have a dual GPU rig that pulls 224w.
But, then I have a Phenom II x4 system that is drawing 170w, and an older AMD quad system drawing 150w.
All were tested as GPU folding only,. Two look like candidates for a teardown and software wipe and/or retirement.
After the 3rd visit this month from electric company meter readers, I finally got a replacement kill-a-watt and checked my rigs. Then, after drinking and cussing, drank some more and checked rigs.
After finishing or just quitting my CPU wus, I just tested my different rigs for GPU-only folding.
I have two identical Quad A6 Llano rigs except for the PSU, and the gold PSU actually pulls 4 more watts than the cheap PSU that is due to be changed out, 115w vs 119w.
Then I have a Sempron system system that pulls 125w.
Then, I have a dual GPU rig that pulls 224w.
But, then I have a Phenom II x4 system that is drawing 170w, and an older AMD quad system drawing 150w.
All were tested as GPU folding only,. Two look like candidates for a teardown and software wipe and/or retirement.
D
Deleted member 12106
Guest
Well I have a box I can do relaible baselines on here so it looks like anyone itnerested will need to send me gpus to test
Well I have a box I can do relaible baselines on here so it looks like anyone itnerested will need to send me gpus to test
Haha, that's like carrying coals to Newcastle.