SMP Folding + Gpu Client

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SpoogeMonkey

2[H]4U
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Feb 20, 2005
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I'll be setting up the vmware server next week with my "new" opty 165. I was also wanting to get an x1950xt and run the gpu client on it.

Has anyone found the sweet spot to make the gpu folding worth the performance hit on the dual cores, or am I better off sticking with the smp client and getting a better nvidia card for my ocassional gaming fix?

Ideally I'd like to do smp + gpu, but if the gpu folding kills the smp productivity....why bother.
 
It's more like the other way around, the SMP client kills the GPU performance. I've found that GPU + SMP is only worth it when the SMP client isn't crunching on the 1760 pt WUs.

The 1760 pt WUs take 95+% of the total available CPU which doesn't leave enough for effective GPU folding. The smaller work units leave about 15% CPU available which is enough to make it worthwhile, at least on my machine (3.4 GHz C2D + X1950XTX).

BTW, there is no magic, I manually kill the GPU client if I see I'm running a bigger unit and start it if I'm running a small one. Obviously, this isn't good for an unattended machine, but it works pretty well if you sit at the machine at least once a day or so.

 
mklinger basically hit it on the head. I ran this combo for a while on a P4D so I had somewhat more of a % increase since the CPU sucks compared to mklinger rig.

All in all, machine slowed way down and was just not too much fun. Does it work, yea. Does it make some more PPD, yea. Worth it, not for me.

VM SMP + WIN GPU is what I'm referencing.
 
So it looks like SMP is the better ppd solution for now? Looking around a 7950gt is the same
$ as an x1950xt and they perform about the same. Guess I might get the ati card anyway and play with it a bit. And I can always turn gpu off like mklinger suggested if the cpus are on a big wu. It's a shame the gpu client is so cpu dependant. It would really kick ass to be able to utilize all that power at the same time.

I'll prolly have some more ?'s when I get everything installed and ready to setup vmware. The only thing I'm real good at in Linux is clicking icons in kde :D
 
SpoogeMonkey said:
So it looks like SMP is the better ppd solution for now? Looking around a 7950gt is the same
$ as an x1950xt and they perform about the same. Guess I might get the ati card anyway and play with it a bit. And I can always turn gpu off like mklinger suggested if the cpus are on a big wu. It's a shame the gpu client is so cpu dependant. It would really kick ass to be able to utilize all that power at the same time.

I'll prolly have some more ?'s when I get everything installed and ready to setup vmware. The only thing I'm real good at in Linux is clicking icons in kde :D
Click to expand...

If your Linux skills are lacking get Suse 10.1 64 and during install do the full install using the KDE front end. Beleive it or not clicking icons is all you will need to do. Having tried viturally all the various clients I setteled on this one. My wife who never saw Linux before was able to install programs right away.;)

Luck



 
BillR said:
If your Linux skills are lacking get Suse 10.1 64 and during install do the full install using the KDE front end. Beleive it or not clicking icons is all you will need to do. Having tried viturally all the various clients I setteled on this one. My wife who never saw Linux before was able to install programs right away.;)

Luck



Click to expand...

I was reading over mages' smp guide and I don't think I'll have too many problems...just a question or two if I hose something :p I don't mind running a console version if it means more ppd for the horde.
 
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