Best CPUs for Asteroids@Home

[Dirk Broer]

As usual there are two approaches as to decide what CPU would be best for a project.
One is simply to look at the list of best scoring computers for a project, the other is to lookup the WuProp Stats for the project. As there are only 1430 Asteroids@Home participants and not all will also use WuProp the database leaves a bit to be desired as it comes to some specific CPUs (e.g. no figures for a 64-core quad Opteron system).

CPU	Cores (Hyp.)	Thermal Design Power	OS version	Avg. Score/day
Intel Core i7-3930K	6 (12)	130 Watt	Win8 Professional x64	12,678.80
Dual Intel Xeon E5-2670	2x 8 (2x 16)	2x 115 Watt	Win2008 Server R2 x64	10,577.89
Intel Core i7-2700K	4 (8)	95 Watt	Win7 Ultimate x64	9,400.10
AMD FX-8320	8	125 Watt	Win7 Professional x64	8,340.149
Intel Core i5-2500K	4	95 Watt	Win7 Ultimate x64	8,100.070

From the table above one can conclude that a 64-bit OS seems to offer more performance for Asteroids, and that a production of 1,000 credits per core should be taken as a good level of performance.
Interresting here is the 32-core (with the aid of hyperthreading) Xeon E5-2670 failing that mark totally, while the 4-core i5-2500K manages to deliver double that performance.
Couple that to the power hunger of the dual Xeon system and see that these are expensive credits, both in purchase and in maintenance. But perhaps this system does not run Asteroids 24/7 and does that influence this ratings. What does WuProp have to say?

WuProp verifies the 1,000 credits per core/day as a level of good performance, and also the 64-bit OS as giving more performance.

Best scoring AMD CPUs according to WuProp:

CPU	Cores (Hyp.)	Thermal Design Power	Credit per day per core	Max. Credit per day
AMD FX-8320	8	125 Watt	1,527.2	12,217.6
AMD Phenom X6 1090T (tweaked to 9 cores)	9	125 Watt	1,334.0	12,006.0
AMD FX-8350 (OC 10% Ã* +20%)	8	125 Watt	1,164.9	9,319.2
AMD Phenom X6 1090T (tweaked to 8 cores)	8	125 Watt	1,162.0	9,296.0
AMD FX-8150 (OC 10% Ã* +20%)	8	125 Watt	1,078.0	8,624.0

Some AMD CPUs with good performance per core, but not enough cores to end in the top: Phenom II X4 965 (1,427.9 per core/day), Phenom II X6 1090T (1,375.2), Phenom II X6 1100T (1,309.6), Phenom II X6 1055T (1,270.6), Phenom II X6 1045T (1,220.1).

And what does the competition do? These are the champions from the blue camp, where they seem to like the phrase 'Performance for a price':

CPU	Cores (Hyp.)	Thermal Design Power	Credit per day per core	Max. Credit per day
Dual Intel Xeon E5-2670	2x 8 (2x 16)	2x 115 Watt	933.2	29,862.4
Dual Intel Xeon X-5650	2x 6 (2x 12)	2x 95 Watt	1,128.2	27,076.8
Intel Core i7-3960X	6 (12)	130 Watt	1,520.1	18,241.2
Intel Core i7-3930K	6 (12)	130 Watt	1,236.8	14,841.6
Intel Core i7-970	6 (12)	130 Watt	1,064.1	12,769.2

Some Intel CPUs with good performance per core, but not enough cores to end in the top: Intel Core i5-3570K (2,043.2), Intel Core i5-2500K (1,952.9), Intel Core i7-2700K (1,765.6), Intel Core i7-3770K (1,710.7), Intel Core i5-3450 (1,702.2), Intel Core i5-2500 (1,623.7).

[NeoGen]

Hey Dirk

I have a Phenom II X6 1100T (Black Edition!) but my scores are not that good... do you know how in the world they extracted 8 and 9 cores out of those 1090T's?

[Dirk Broer]

These scores are based upon doing 24/7 Asteroids, so when you have more projects, your scores will be lower.
As to making a 6-core into a 8- or even 9-core: I suppose it is a setting in cc_config.xml, but I'm not sure.
Would love to unlock my A6-3500 into an A6-3600 that way!

[NeoGen]

I've read bits and pieces about the cc_config.xml but I thought it was only for GPUs, and I never even looked into it because I don't have a big GPU yet.
Can that be used for CPUs as well? I'm running Asteroids 24/7 too (or maybe 23.956/7 to include the occasional reboot)

I have tried unlocking cores through the BIOS a couple of times but all I get is a dead board. And then I have to wipe the CMOS data, and put all the configurations back in bit by bit, which is very boring.

[Dirk Broer]

It is indeed a line in the cc_config.xml:

<ncpus>N</ncpus>
Act as if there were N CPUs; e.g. to simulate 2 CPUs on a machine that has only 1. To use the number of available CPUs, set the value to -1 (was 0 which in newer clients really means zero).

[NeoGen]

WOW!!! It really works!

I turned on my desktop this weekend after some downtime and recorded nearly 4K/day on Asteroids for these past 2 days (Seeing on Boinc Synergy)... last night I made the cc_config and set it to 8 "virtual" cores (from the 6 real ones of the X6 1100T) and right now it's little over half of the day and I'm already with 5K points!


EDIT: Dave and Bobcat... you guys better get your engines started. I'm coming for you!

2nd EDIT: Dave... hope you don't mind, but I slipped right past you on FightMalaria@Home while you weren't looking...
The cc_config also worked wonders on my other machine running FightMalaria!

[Brucifer]

The best for asteroids?????? Mix and match I always say....... like at the dragstrip, run whattcha brung...... lol y'all look out as I'm coming at ya! :-)

It's time to ruuuuuuuuumble!

[Dirk Broer]

The same for the reno air races. Like to bring my F2G Super Corsair
174-a-1280.jpg
Corsair, the name still has a ring to it, even in computer circles (pardon the pun).

BTW: When I 've reached my goals with Seti I will give you a run for your money on Asteroids, Brucifer...

[Brucifer]

Yup the Corsair is a beautiful aircraft. I love the old navy prop a/c. Would get chills down my spine every time I fired off a radial, they just sound so cool. But didn't get near the air races, just carrier flight decks. That gets your heart pumping pretty good too.

edit: As for seti, I gave that up years and years ago, but sure was addicted to it back in the beginning.

edit/edit: Well I'll only have a week of this and then I'll be shutting everything down for a week as I'm hitting the road again. But will be back on asteroids again after I get back.

[Dirk Broer]

That sure was a big push forward by Brucifer, 104,520 credits on Asteroids in one day