CPU req's for a GPU client

[Mohonri]

I'm been out of the loop for quite a while now, and I'm looking at build a new rig. Back when I first started doing GPU folding a couple years ago, the performance was CPU-limited. Is that still the case, or has the client improved enough that the CPU is no longer the bottleneck?

I guess my question comes down to this: if I get a $50 CPU/MB combo from Fry's (typically something like a Sempron LE1640), will it bottleneck a modern GPU?

 

[metallicafan]

Most people who are building a rig for GPU folding go with a cheap motherboard with lots of PCI-Express slots and a cheap CPU. If you are running an Nvidia GPU the GPU client will take very little CPU power. Its been a while since I've heard much about the ATI cards but they used to use an entire CPU core to drive the GPU. Not sure if its still that way or not.

 

[Mohonri]

Most people who are building a rig for GPU folding go with a cheap motherboard with lots of PCI-Express slots and a cheap CPU. If you are running an Nvidia GPU the GPU client will take very little CPU power. Its been a while since I've heard much about the ATI cards but they used to use an entire CPU core to drive the GPU. Not sure if its still that way or not.

Interesting. I just checked my one GPU rig at home (a HD3850 running on an X2 3600), and it is indeed saturating one core of the CPU.

 

[Vaulter98c]

There's a guide here to fix that somewhere
Posted via [H] Mobile Device

 

[Mohonri]

There's a guide here to fix that somewhere

I looked through the guides in the sticky and didn't see anything. Can someone please enlighten me on this?

 

[flogge]

I have 2 ATI 4890s and a 4850 running in my rig. They are using a little less than 1 core of my Phenom 720 between all 3 GPUs after I used the guide to change my settings. Here is the guide:

http://www.hardforum.com/showthread.php?t=1419852

 

[jeremyshaw]

hmm. I guess that celeron 420 has to go!

Is F@H capable of using multiple threads for the CPU (the GPU client, at any rate)?

 

[Kendrak]

CPUs with 2 or more threads can use the SMP client

The GPU: one is loaded per card

 

[jeremyshaw]

CPUs with 2 or more threads can use the SMP client

The GPU: one is loaded per card

EDIT: nevermind this is a pointless post, I just got a new one...

 

[Mohonri]

I have 2 ATI 4890s and a 4850 running in my rig. They are using a little less than 1 core of my Phenom 720 between all 3 GPUs after I used the guide to change my settings. Here is the guide:

http://www.hardforum.com/showthread.php?t=1419852

Aw, bummer--it's Vista only, and I'm running XP. I guess I'll just have to suffer with the saturated CPU.