Some noobish questions

[mrSHEiK124]

Right now, I've got a pretty mediocre F@H "farm"

Intel Xeon X3360 @ 3.59 GHz running F@H-SMP
nVIDIA GeForce GTX260 Core 216 running F@H-GPU

AMD Athlon 64 3000+ - currently not running any CPU clients
nVIDIA GeForce 8600GT running F@H-GPU

AMD Athlon 64 X2 4400+ @ 2.5 GHz running F@H-x86

AMD Athlon XP 2500+ running F@H-x86

Intel Pentium M 740 (an old POS Dothan) running F@H-x86

Right now, at my disposal, I have 4 AMD Sempron 2800+ computers, another Athlon XP 2500+, and another AMD Athlon 64 3000+ in my dad's office. I told him what F@H was, and he said he wouldn't mind me loading it up on all of them so long as they didn't hog CPU resources. Is it worth it? Do older processors like that put out decent WU? Should I also be running a CPU client on the second rig above that's only running F@H-GPU right now?

I'm considering just removing F@H from the laptop listed, as it seems to be churning away without really getting much work done, and I do have to use it from time to time when I'm working on papers on campus, the last thing I need for it is to croak on me now.

How does F@H SMP work on dual cores? I've only got experience with quad cores. Along with the X2 listed above, I've got an HTPC with an Athlon X2 4850e that probably wouldn't mind folding

What's the best bang for the buck GPU for folding right now? I keep reading that nVIDIA cards > ATI for F@H, is this true?

 

[Drsignguy]

From my experience, single core processors don't do well with smp at all as they are a multi threaded app. they can use the uniprocessor client that still takes awhile and only gives minimal points. So, the power it takes to run for the minimal point production, isnt really worth it in my opinion.

As for your laptop, is entirely up to you but I did the same thing for a bit and shut it down from that too as I use it from time to time when I travel.

Smp with dual cores work pretty well. The more L2 cache the better. My E7200, as we speak is on a 1760 Wu now and is putting out 2147 PPD. So, they can be pretty productive. Also remember, you can run 2 SMP on a quad core and be productive, but like I said, on dual cores, the more L2 cache seems to have better production as well as with the quad cores.

Nvidia cards crank out the points compaired to Ati, I have both I wish Ati could come up with something to help in the PPD. If you can get your hands on some 8800gt(g92) or 9800gtx cards, they seem to put out some really good points. The prices are very reasonable for them. I have 2 8800 and they are not to bad. :thumbsup:

 

[mrSHEiK124]

Originally posted by: Drsignguy
From my experience, single core processors don't do well with smp at all as they are a multi threaded app. they can use the uniprocessor client that still takes awhile and only gives minimal points. So, the power it takes to run for the minimal point production, isnt really worth it in my opinion.

As for your laptop, is entirely up to you but I did the same thing for a bit and shut it down from that too as I use it from time to time when I travel.

Smp with dual cores work pretty well. The more L2 cache the better. My E7200, as we speak is on a 1760 Wu now and is putting out 2147 PPD. So, they can be pretty productive. Also remember, you can run 2 SMP on a quad core and be productive, but like I said, on dual cores, the more L2 cache seems to have better production as well as with the quad cores.

Nvidia cards crank out the points compaired to Ati, I have both I wish Ati could come up with something to help in the PPD. If you can get your hands on some 8800gt(g92) or 9800gtx cards, they seem to put out some really good points. The prices are very reasonable for them. I have 2 8800 and they are not to bad. :thumbsup:

I switched the Athlon 64 X2 4200+ over to SMP vs. the regular client and according to FAH Spy it'll be putting out 1000 ppd. The Athlon X2 I also have should perform similarly, if not better (more RAM), so I'll put the SMP client on there as well.

The 8600GT is giving me a headache. I'm going to switch it over to GPU Grid and just run the x86 FAH client on that box.

I know single core processors don't work with the symmetric multiprocessing clients

Probably going to add a 9800GT into the mix, to either dual core Athlon rig.

Thanks!

 

[Insidious]

I am wary about trying to run any DC project on any laptop. They just aren't designed (thermally) for running balls to the wall 24/7. If it was on a cooling tray (or whatever they are called) then it wouldn't scare me.... as much.

I recommend using a 18x.xx version graphic driver on the X2s to free up the CPU cores a little more to help the SMP.

I think Stanford kind of obsoleted the uniprocessor clients as far as any meaningful points are concerned, but they still do science, so you just kind of have to figure your own priorities about them.

When you run SMP on dual cores, the affinity settings of the client itself don't really do a good job of maximizing your output. There is a utility called 'folding at home affinity changer' that really helps even out the core loading.

You can read about it and download it here

All you do is install it and then forget it. I never found any downside to running it and it really helped my PPD


-Sid

PS: I don't see anything mediocre in that little bunch of hunnies you have listed

 

[mrSHEiK124]

Originally posted by: Insidious
I am wary about trying to run any DC project on any laptop. They just aren't designed (thermally) for running balls to the wall 24/7. If it was on a cooling tray (or whatever they are called) then it wouldn't scare me.... as much.

I recommend using a 18x.xx version graphic driver on the X2s to free up the CPU cores a little more to help the SMP.

I think Stanford kind of obsoleted the uniprocessor clients as far as any meaningful points are concerned, but they still do science, so you just kind of have to figure your own priorities about them.

When you run SMP on dual cores, the affinity settings of the client itself don't really do a good job of maximizing your output. There is a utility called 'folding at home affinity changer' that really helps even out the core loading.

You can read about it and download it here

All you do is install it and then forget it. I never found any downside to running it and it really helped my PPD


-Sid

PS: I don't see anything mediocre in that little bunch of hunnies you have listed

Thanks for the affinity changer, I'll put it on the Athlon X2s. It's unnecessary for my Xeon, right?

I guess I'll stop FAH-x86 on the laptop and run it on the A64-3000+ / 8600GT PC instead, seeing as how it's pretty useless for FAH GPU.

The points are just bonus e-penis+++, it's all about the science

So I guess my final "farm" in about a week or so will look something like this

Uniprocessor x86 Clients:
2x AMD Athlon XP 2500+
2x AMD Athlon 64 3000+
3x AMD Sempron 64 2800+

SMP x86 Clients:
Intel Xeon X3360 @ 3.59 GHz
AMD Athlon 64 X2 4200+ @ 2.5 GHz
AMD Athlon X2 4850e

GPU Clients:
nVIDIA GeForce 9800GT
nVIDIA GeForce GTX260 Core 216

Not bad

 

[Insidious]

Originally posted by: mrSHEiK124
Uniprocessor x86 Clients:
2x AMD Athlon XP 2500+
2x AMD Athlon 64 3000+
3x AMD Sempron 64 2800+

SMP x86 Clients:
Intel Xeon X3360 @ 3.59 GHz
AMD Athlon 64 X2 4200+ @ 2.5 GHz
AMD Athlon X2 4850e

GPU Clients:
nVIDIA GeForce 9800GT
nVIDIA GeForce GTX260 Core 216

Not bad

That's gonna bend some serious protiens!

:thumbsup:

-Sid

 

[PCTC2]

Nvrmind. Fixed.

 

[mrSHEiK124]

Currently at:

Uniprocessor x86 Clients:
2x AMD Athlon XP 2500+
1x AMD Athlon 64 3000+ (Clawhammer/754)
3x AMD Sempron 2600+ (Palermo/754)

SMP x86 Clients:
Intel Xeon X3360 @ 3.59 GHz
AMD Athlon 64 X2 4200+ @ 2.5 GHz
AMD Athlon X2 4850e
AMD Phenom X3 8650

GPU Clients:
nVIDIA GeForce 8600GT
nVIDIA GeForce 8800GTS (got a friend folding for me )
nVIDIA GeForce GTX260 Core 216
And I just won this: http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISA...X:IT&item=120379020115

Come on, we can get #18, AND I can heat my apartment!

 

[Insidious]

Go baby GO!

:thumbsup:

-Sid

I had to laugh... I have one of my old 7950GT cards in an auction there now! (no CUDA... had to go)

 

[mrSHEiK124]

Originally posted by: Insidious
Go baby GO!

:thumbsup:

-Sid

I had to laugh... I have one of my old 7950GT cards in an auction there now! (no CUDA... had to go)

Heh, my 7800GT is sadly being put aside as my "spare" graphics card. Screw nVIDIA for not adding CUDA to the 7 series. Don't think it would've been possible though, they have vertex/pixel shaders and not a bunch of FPUs.

 

[mrSHEiK124]

2009-02-21 - 15,524

 

[Insidious]

Awsome!

:beer: :beer: