Is the GPU client the best of them all?

[TurtlePerson2]

I've been using the GPU client for a bout a week now and have had my score/day increase greatly. But what I really find is great about the GPU client is that it works even during games. I have a 9600 GSO and it was able to keep folding during a one hour session of WC3 and I didn't even notice a slowdown on the folding. The CPU client on the other hand will keep minimizing games I try to open while folding.

I'm amazed by the difference in pts/day of a $75 GPU (9600 GSO) and a $75 processor (5400 X2 BE).

Does anyone that runs the GPU client actually get more points from their processor?

[PRIME1]

My 260GTX is getting over 5000PPD.

Right now the NVIDIA/CUDA client is the best way to run folding@home.

[Usacomp2k3]

http://www.techreport.com/forums/viewto ... =9&t=61771 Shows some numbers to back up your thoughts.

[Flying Fox]

Again I will have to re-iterate that "best" in this case means points. Science-wise we need all types of WUs (single core, SMP, PS3, GPU) to be worked on.

[CB5000]

I have a 9600 GSO and it was able to keep folding during a one hour session of WC3 and I didn't even notice a slowdown on the folding.

It's really great that you can play games while using the F@H GPU client, but I noticed that it depends on the game. Games like WC3 have a small drain on the graphics resources so I don't notice any slowdown either. But when I play oblivion, crysis or other graphics crazy game not only does the game slow down, the folding does as well.

[TurtlePerson2]

Yea, I just noticed that playing CSS slows down the folding by about 50%, without harm to the frame rates.

[Forge]

I get the inverse here. My PPD drops with any 3D app, but if F@H is running, games gets very laggy and in some cases unplayable. TF2 in particular goes from BUTTAH (60+ FPS at all times) to WTF? (30-40fps, dips into the teens).

[TurtlePerson2]

Upon further investigation I'm finding that you can only use the GPU client with a game if you're really overkilling the game in terms of hardware requirement. WC3 works great, but it's pretty old, CSS works ok, but it's also pretty old, I tried some newer games like UT3, and they didn't fare as well, there were significant frame rate drops and the folding was really slow. Basically, I'm finding that it's best to stop folding when gaming.

[jeffry55]

My 260GTX is getting over 5000PPD.

Ha! My 8800GTS gets 6000 ppd!!!

[emorgoch]

How do you guys find out what your PPD scores are? I can't seem to find it anywhere.

[Flying Fox]

How do you guys find out what your PPD scores are? I can't seem to find it anywhere.

Either you calculate it yourself using your own timing information and the points value on Stanford's site, or you use a tool like FahMon or FahSpy to help you.

[fpsduck]

Does anyone that runs the GPU client actually get more points from their processor?

Yes, I got more points from GPU client.
So I decided to stop using CPU client on my system for now until I upgrade the CPU to faster model or more cores.
The other computer I have is still running CPU client but the PPD is so little. (antique P4 Northwood)

[00-Evan]

I really don't get this, what makes the nvidia cards get over double the pdd of ATI ones? My Radeon HD 4870 is pulling about 1500-1700 ppd, but it beats the snot out of a 8800 gt for games.

[PRIME1]

I really don't get this, what makes the nvidia cards get over double the pdd of ATI ones? My Radeon HD 4870 is pulling about 1500-1700 ppd, but it beats the snot out of a 8800 gt for games.

My guess would either be the number of shader processors or the use of CUDA

[Flying Fox]

I really don't get this, what makes the nvidia cards get over double the pdd of ATI ones? My Radeon HD 4870 is pulling about 1500-1700 ppd, but it beats the snot out of a 8800 gt for games.

It's the nature of the WUs and the actual folding code for AMD GPUs. Some have reported that the latest WUs which are more complex fare better on the AMD GPUs. Whether that translates into matching points (against the "simpler" WUs) is another story. The points system right now is highly skewed. GPU clients score a ton more points than even the SMP client. PS3 with its ~200W power draw "only" scores 900ppd. It's a mess there.

[jeffry55]

I really don't get this, what makes the nvidia cards get over double the pdd of ATI ones? My Radeon HD 4870 is pulling about 1500-1700 ppd, but it beats the snot out of a 8800 gt for games.

It's the nature of the WUs and the actual folding code for AMD GPUs. Some have reported that the latest WUs which are more complex fare better on the AMD GPUs. Whether that translates into matching points (against the "simpler" WUs) is another story. The points system right now is highly skewed. GPU clients score a ton more points than even the SMP client. PS3 with its ~200W power draw "only" scores 900ppd. It's a mess there.

It is a good deal for those that have NVidia GPUs.

[Flying Fox]

I really don't get this, what makes the nvidia cards get over double the pdd of ATI ones? My Radeon HD 4870 is pulling about 1500-1700 ppd, but it beats the snot out of a 8800 gt for games.

It's the nature of the WUs and the actual folding code for AMD GPUs. Some have reported that the latest WUs which are more complex fare better on the AMD GPUs. Whether that translates into matching points (against the "simpler" WUs) is another story. The points system right now is highly skewed. GPU clients score a ton more points than even the SMP client. PS3 with its ~200W power draw "only" scores 900ppd. It's a mess there.

It is a good deal for those that have NVidia GPUs.

Until they change the rules and give AMD GPUs more points. Remember before GPU2 Nvidia GPUs couldn't even play.

[monts]

I'd just like to be able to play with my GPU, but until they release a GPU client for linux I guess thats not going to happen.

[notfred]

Go hunt around at foldingforum.org as some people there have got GPU folding going under wine on Linux.