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GPUs and CPUs: best folding "bang for the buck"?

Discussion in 'bit-tech Folding Team' started by standinwave, 18 Nov 2010.

  1. standinwave

    standinwave Folding in memory of my mum

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    HI

    Been trying to decide on my next new rig and am struggling to get much definitive info on the all important ppd per £ sterling! Is a GTX 580 better than a 480 (yes!) or 470, 465, 460 or 450? Which is the best CPU setup for folding? I have a couple of new G6950 CPUs and two 460s and a 465, but would like to really go for it with next rig, but don't have an unlimited budget. Would be interested whether a £2k rig gives at least x2 ppd of a £1k rig etc - they both need a case, HDD, OS etc which cost about same either way and produce zero ppd - so what should I do?:confused:

    sw
     
  2. standinwave

    standinwave Folding in memory of my mum

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    Sorry, didn't mean to 'dis' AMD/ATI, but don't have any of them at the moment!
     
  3. One_Box

    One_Box Folder of the month April 2012

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  4. Christopher N. Lew

    Christopher N. Lew Folding in memory of my father

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    You may like to take account of the cost of electricity, especially if you are planning to run GPU clients 24/7. This would narrow the decision down to GTS 450 and GTX 460, the GTS 450 cards are giving very good PPD/watt with most of the current WUs, but will probably fail to do as well with more difficult/bigger projects. There is some discussion of this in recent threads on this board.

    CPU - frankly, if you are planning on running -bigadv projects, which are currently the highest PPD projects around, then multiply the frequency by the number of threads and go for the biggest number. If you really want to max out, then you need an SR-2 Classified and two suitable Xeon processors. Otherwise, just remember that the current GPU3 client uses about 1/2 core per client, so if you go for the Athlon X2 suggested in the link above, you will not get much CPU folding done.

    I've not checked recently, but the Folding Forum at Stanford used to have a 'most powerful folders' thread, which may give you some ideas.

    Oh, yes, at one time the 'official' advice at Stanford, was not to base purchasing decisions solely on folding performance, because the clients and projects are continuously changing. Imagine the howls of outrage if the -bigadv projects were suddenly dropped!
     
  5. Ph4ZeD

    Ph4ZeD What's a Dremel?

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    Heres the way I look at folding. GPUs offer great £/PPD but high PPD/Watt. CPUs offer great £/Watt but lower £/PPD. In other words, GPU are a smaller upfront cost but larger running costs, but the inverse is true of CPUs.
     
  6. standinwave

    standinwave Folding in memory of my mum

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    I wish ...

    DEAR SANTA :D
     
  7. standinwave

    standinwave Folding in memory of my mum

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    I have been reading around all over the place and currently GTX 460 seems best ppd per £, still looking into CPU - may wait for the Asus P67 Sandy bridge ROG in a few months and stick in a Core i7-950 as I do actually intend to use it for other things. Should I wait or is there something as good out there now that will take 4 x GTX 460 cards? Would that do about 40k ppd and would I need to give GPUs some CPU time?
     
  8. cdb

    cdb No comment

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    Depending on the WUs GTX460s can do from 10-15Kppd each, so 4 would be 40-60K, but alot of electric.
    The CPU running bigadvs should get good returns. I don't know for certain but should be 20K+ to maybe 30Kppd.
    If I were you I'd run bigadvs and maybe only 2 gtx460s for about 550-600W and 40-50Kppd.

    If you're in no hurry, rumour has it the gtx560 will be out early next year. (more ppd, less electric)

    SR-2 rig is by far the best ppd'er and I've heard of people only running cpu folding on it for 150Kppd. That should be relatively low on the electric, but expensive on the initial purchase.
     
  9. Christopher N. Lew

    Christopher N. Lew Folding in memory of my father

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    :nono: This first group of Sandy Bridge will all be on LGA 1155 sockets, the higher end grouping will be on LGA 2011; i7 950 is Socket LGA 1366
     
  10. standinwave

    standinwave Folding in memory of my mum

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    :duh:what a plonker! In that case, I would be better with something now I guess. Any recommendations for components? Would probably be aiming at core i7 and 4 off GTX 460 and a new monitor as this old CRT is 'shivvering' and probably gonna fall over.
     
  11. standinwave

    standinwave Folding in memory of my mum

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    According to greyviper that could even be before Christmas 2010:rock:
     
  12. Synay

    Synay What's a Dremel?

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    I have to disagree with that :) Look this way. £200 CPU will do max 10.000 PPD, £140 Nvidia will give you even 15.000 PPD. that means that though the power draw will be higher, you get about 50% more from it, obliterating the power draw difference.

    Again, very overclocked i7 CPU will draw sometimes as much power as GTX 460 and will never give you as much PPD.

    Ha, I now sound like Nvidia sales rep :duh:
     
  13. Ph4ZeD

    Ph4ZeD What's a Dremel?

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    Mid range Fermi cards will not give you 15K PPD anymore due to the new work units.
     
  14. Synay

    Synay What's a Dremel?

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    True, but I don't think it's a permanent state of things. Still if they give 11-12K my argument holds. But again, anything less than that from those GPU's and CPU takes a lead.
     
  15. cdb

    cdb No comment

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    Running bigadvs a low end overclocked I7 will manage a good 25000ppd.
     
  16. standinwave

    standinwave Folding in memory of my mum

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    What do you call 'low end' Core i7? Is a 950 low end at £230 as they go to more than 3x that price?

    I noticed the ppd on the 460s & 465 are rubbish on recent WUs too :waah:
     
  17. narwen

    narwen narwen

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  18. phoenicis

    phoenicis Retired Chimp

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    Assuming running a fast bigadv, no GPUs clients and an OC to 4GHz for all, the price/points/watts for a sample of socket 1366 CPUs are roughly like this:

    i7 950 - £230, 30K ppd, 250w
    i7 980X - £715, 60K ppd, 300w
    xeon 5650 (pair) - £1470, 150K ppd, 550w

    The remaining slow bigadv wu reduces the ppd to 60% of the above. Currently you will receive about one of these for every 2 fast bigadv wus but who knows what's round the corner.
     
  19. standinwave

    standinwave Folding in memory of my mum

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    All this advice is very useful so far. Can anyone suggest a mobo or two that could take 4 graphics cards and an LGA1366 CPU?
     
  20. Ph4ZeD

    Ph4ZeD What's a Dremel?

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    There aren't many i7 boards that can take 4 dual slot cards. A fair few that can do 3 though, such as the Sabertooth.
     

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