Folding on a CPU & GPU?!

Discussion in 'Distributed Computing' started by Matt555, Nov 7, 2005.

  1. Matt555

    Matt555 iMod

    Likes Received:
    98
    Trophy Points:
    48
    Quoted from CUSTOM PC Magazine:
    Interesting, very interesting!
     
  2. Exfoliate

    Exfoliate Geek Trainee

    Likes Received:
    166
    Trophy Points:
    0
    Awesome, really when you concider how much power those beasts have it's no wonder people haven't tried this sooner.
     
  3. Matt555

    Matt555 iMod

    Likes Received:
    98
    Trophy Points:
    48
    Yeah, it's a great thing, you've got your CPU idling and then think I'll do something with it because it's just wasted time with your computer on but not doing anything productive...your graphics cards are the same...
     
  4. Exfoliate

    Exfoliate Geek Trainee

    Likes Received:
    166
    Trophy Points:
    0
    It would be cool if you had SLI then you could be folding 3 WU's at once, crazy.
     
  5. StimpE

    StimpE lol, Internet!

    Likes Received:
    1
    Trophy Points:
    18
    Nice find! But why exactly are they able to calculate the physics aspects more efficiently? Is it because the RAM is much faster and easily accessed?
     
  6. Impotence

    Impotence May the source be with u!

    Likes Received:
    6
    Trophy Points:
    38
    Graphics cards are VERY powerfull (most have more transistors that the most powerfull desktop processors) and also the fact that they have much much faster ram.

    I like this idear :D
     
  7. Matt555

    Matt555 iMod

    Likes Received:
    98
    Trophy Points:
    48
    Yeah they have access to some of the quickest RAM and have very good processors, as publicenemy said, most of them do have more transistors than the most powerful desktop CPU's...
     
  8. Addis

    Addis The King

    Likes Received:
    91
    Trophy Points:
    48
    The architecture of CPUs and GPUs differ however, although some algorithms the GPU would excel because of minor differences in the actual processing unit sometimes they aren't as suited as well to some pure mathematical operations or certain functions as they focus more on matrix calculations.

    Just to say, complexity and performance isn't just about transistor count. A GPU with more transistors than a CPU doesn't mean it performs better as they are designed to do different things. The reason why GPUs have so many transistors is that a lot of them are dedicated to the pipelines. A CPU is designed with every possible bit of performance in mind, and this goes down to individual transistors, while GPUs have design speed in mind; they tend to have a more parallel processing in mind.
     
  9. Impotence

    Impotence May the source be with u!

    Likes Received:
    6
    Trophy Points:
    38
    So how do we use our gpu's for f@h? (what do i need to do :p)

    I would spend more time looking into this myself but i have to go and get a bus! (and im sure one of you will have allready worked it out :D )
     
  10. Addis

    Addis The King

    Likes Received:
    91
    Trophy Points:
    48
    Theres no client yet that will utilise the GPU for folding.
     
  11. Impotence

    Impotence May the source be with u!

    Likes Received:
    6
    Trophy Points:
    38
    :crying:
     
  12. zRoCkIsAdDiCtInG

    zRoCkIsAdDiCtInG HWF Guitar Freak

    Likes Received:
    98
    Trophy Points:
    0
    AMD + NVIDIA UNITE!

    wow very nice find,

    itd be pretty cool if they invented cpus with integrated powerful nvidia cards

    more room for pci slots, less heat, and a big as hell cpu frame
     
  13. Exfoliate

    Exfoliate Geek Trainee

    Likes Received:
    166
    Trophy Points:
    0
    Yeah that would be cool, upgrading would be easy...but very expensive.
     

Share This Page