The new GPU game

[Brucifer]

This is a carry-over from the folding@home thread, regarding utilizing the ATI gpu for crunching fodling@home. And while currently f@h is the only project working on this, it won't be long before others climb onto the bandwagon. So now apparently we have a cpu playing second fiddle to the gpu for crunching. On the f@h thread there was a comment about someone getting roughly 4x improvement in completion time of a work unit. Further that the gpu did some leaning on the cpu, and that at present you couldn't run a WU on the gpu and another one on the cpu.

So where I'm heading with this, is that if this is really the case, then what is the lowest common denominator motherboard that would support a workable gpu compatible with the graphics connector on that mother board. Like why put much financial effort into the CPU anymore if it can't keep up with the GPU, and this system is to be used only for crunching -- no gaming, etc.?

[NeoGen]

Exactly!

If gpu crunching gets a fair level of adoption from projects then I foresee big changes in the future... but if only F@H does it I don't think it'll move that many people into investing on powerful GPU's for crunching.

But just imagine if the next BOINC version was capable to crunch with GPU's too... the whole DC game would change at the blink of an eye. We would all start looking forward to upgrade our graphics cards, instead of CPU's, to get more credits, and all BOINC projects would get an incredible boost of power.

I'm wondering if the gpu's advance on crunching will make cpu manufacturers come up with stronger alternatives too... I don't think we DC'ers represent that much vs the total number of people with PC's, but I would hope that they took the matter seriously.


I wonder how long it'll take for sound card's processors to be used for DC'ing too... :p

[Brucifer]

But the sound card processors aren't working hard at all compared with the graphics engines.

[AMD-USR_JL]

I forgot the link to the linux distro site that lets you install linux on your router. A guy did it, installed boinc and crunched a LHC WU, i think it took him 3 weeks, but for those 40 points it was all worth it!

EDIT: I found it! I Found it! It's http://openwrt.org/ . My shiny new belkin router wouldn't work with Embarq. They told me their modem is compatible with almost every other router but a Belkin, so ima use it as a test subject tomorrow. :twisted:

[gatekeeper53]

Some people just have WAYYYYYYYYY to much time on their hands!!! LOL

[NeoGen]

Awww man! My cable modem is the Thomson TCM420 and they only support the TCM390. :-(

:p

[gatekeeper53]

I'm guessing my cisco aironet 350 won't work? But, then I have a linksys router comming off of that access point.

[drezha]

The CPU is not tottally redundant.

As soon as the project comes out of Beta, it's hoped that they can improved it enough to enable the GPU and CPU clients to run happily together. It's only really because it's beta they've done this.

Also the units for the GPU client are VERY specialised. They cannot be run on a CPU. The vast majority of the work for the project will still be done on the CPU.

I cant really see other DC projects spending time and effort on it really yet.