Best Bang For The Buck Folding Machines

[Taeric]

Another thing to consider is management. The more components, the more things that can go wrong. A quad with bunches of folding GPUs is on one extreme with a PS3 being on the other. In addition to considering the bang for the buck factor, keeping the farm up and running without an extraordinary amount of time would be a big bonus.

[H3||scr3am]

well if the farm is under constant surveillance via the video feed we can alert the correct people right away

[RonindeBeatrice]

Originally Posted by Taeric

Another thing to consider is management. The more components, the more things that can go wrong. A quad with bunches of folding GPUs is on one extreme with a PS3 being on the other. In addition to considering the bang for the buck factor, keeping the farm up and running without an extraordinary amount of time would be a big bonus.

I certainly see your point. Even the most basic PC based configuration would require some maintenance though, because PCs like to be rebooted, and the F@H clients are destined to remain in beta forever. Fortunately you can remote into a PC.

[Taeric]

Originally Posted by RonindeBeatrice

I certainly see your point. Even the most basic PC based configuration would require some maintenance though, because PCs like to be rebooted, and the F@H clients are destined to remain in beta forever. Fortunately you can remote into a PC.

Yeah, I definitely don't think computers are out because of the maintenance issue, but we would probably want to keep computer setups relatively simple (e.g. one Linux SMP client) just to keep the maintenance load down. We could probably find a more efficient computer setup, but get a few of those going and we run the risk of downtime, which defeats the purpose of doing this in the first place.

This is all just food for thought when considering the optimal setup for this project.

[Burn]

Q6600 at 3Ghz with a quad-crossfire setup running 4 GPU clients would rock house...But so would the electricity bill. Anyway, a single Linux 64-bit SMP client running on a Q6600 would probably be the easiest to maintain and push out work units. Asides from that, a PS3 would be the next-best thing to crank out WU's like there's no tomorrow

[biatchi]

Originally Posted by RonindeBeatrice

I certainly see your point. Even the most basic PC based configuration would require some maintenance though, because PCs like to be rebooted, and the F@H clients are destined to remain in beta forever. Fortunately you can remote into a PC.

Linux doesn't!

I say a single quad folding 2 smp WU's at once will give the best ppd.

Adding gpu's just:

Confuses things
Creates alot of heat
Means a bigger more expensive psu
Won't put ouit the same sort of ppd as 1 or multiple quads

[tehpwnerofn00bs]

This is a little off topic, but still connected to the Linux SMP folding. I've been trying to work out installing linux on a flash and running SMP from it. however, I'm inexperienced with linux, and I can't get SMP to even install on my 32-bit ubuntu installation. Does anyone know of a good guide for setting this up?

Back on topic: a Quad is really the only way to go point-wise. How many systems would we try to get set up? And is OCN interested in donations for this project, or do we already have sufficient funding for it?

[biatchi]

Originally Posted by tehpwnerofn00bs

This is a little off topic, but still connected to the Linux SMP folding. I've been trying to work out installing linux on a flash and running SMP from it. however, I'm inexperienced with linux, and I can't get SMP to even install on my 32-bit ubuntu installation. Does anyone know of a good guide for setting this up?

Back on topic: a Quad is really the only way to go point-wise. How many systems would we try to get set up? And is OCN interested in donations for this project, or do we already have sufficient funding for it?

Smp folding only works on 64bit Linux which would explain why it wont work.
Bdatillo's guide is good, It's for Suse but will work for any Distro.
http://www.overclock.net/overclock-n...ng-vmware.html

It explains all in the original thread here http://www.overclock.net/overclock-n...ng-vmware.html

[Fierceleaf]

I know it would certainly complicate things but I would like to see the folding project use a wide variety of hardware and folding clients.

My logic behind this is that each client is assigned different WU's that research different things. So you use all clients, GPU PS3 SMP and Standard client. This will not give the most PPD but I think** it would generate the biggest contribution towards folding.
Seeing as a GPU and PS3 are very strict in the WU's they are allocated they cannot do WU's that CPU's can, which in turn they generate less PPD. They may turn out more WU's but are very strict in the research they can do. This is why CPU's generate the most PPD, they are slower but can attack a wide variety of research.

So I know this may not be feasible, but I would like to see, 2 Quads(1SMP, 1 4Standard clients), 1 PS3, 1 GPU(with a extremely cheap cpu)This may not be the best bang for the buck points wise, but I think its a good contribution for the buck.

On the other hand;
Seeing as money and labor will be limited, I think quad machines folding on linux with overclocks, would be the best bang for the buck points wise. 1 $500-600 quad machine with linux would put out about 3000 -4000 PPD vs a PS3 that will put out about 1000 PPD, which one actually contributes more based on WU's and types of WU's is speculation, that I covered in the above statements.


**this is what I have gathered from reading, may not be correct I am in no way an authority on folding or what sort of research each client actually does, this is purley speculation based on research and reading.

[RonindeBeatrice]

OS Current TFLOPS* Active CPUs Total CPUs
Windows 178 186907 1933589
Linux 42 24795 273488
GPU 30 515 5178
PLAYSTATION®3 833 33582 437634
Total 1109 260957 2801740

Win PC = .95 Gflops/client
Linux PC = 1.69 Gflops/client
ATI GPU = 58.25 Gflops/client
Playstation3 = 24.8 Gflops/client

If you account that the PC figure undoubtedly includes some very slow machines, it's safe to assume that it's figure is grossly misrepresentative of the relative folding power of a modern CPU. You cannot argue however that the 57 Gflops per ATI GPU is an impressive number (win+r,calc for )

source

While a 1950pro only consumes about 70W running at 100% it will fold a 600 point WU in about 20 hours. Although this isn't about the points, if you run 4 GPU clients ( I believe it could be done reliably without maintenance) you'd be pulling in 200 + Gflops with the machine or 2400ppd from the GPUs alone. Use the remaining resources to complete a SMP WU every couple of days and you'd have the most powerful cost/energy efficient folder that you can currently build.