Does a GPU folding rig need a decent CPU to support it?

[RETARD]

here is how i see it ...
if you want to run a production farm then you must run linux. Running linux in a VM or as a dual boot operating system is VERY VERY easy. Infact i could have Ubuntu up and running (fully updated) with folding installed in less than 60 mins, and believe me my name is quite appropriate when it comes to these kinds of tasks so if i can figure it out then any one can. Its not as scary as it used to be years ago and is made quite friendly with a nice Graphical Interface as well.
Its literally double click a few things and copy/paste some stuff. Thats it!

Its benefits ... if you really want to you can just reboot and drop back into windows to do windows specific tasks. (i haven't found any i need to do)
I do my web browsing, emailing, even use MYOB for works billing under linux. Best of all if your windows OS fails you can just boot right into linux and copy off the files you need to a seperate drive or burner then re-install windows again.
Its also free and you can install it legitimately on to as many PC's as you like

The CPU folding A3 SMP units under Windows (as above) 13K ppd
Under linux A3 SMP i can run up to 37k ppd depending on the unit around 1:55 tpf

Windows client with -bigadv enabled is around 40-45k
with Ubuntu 10.10 @4.7 im around 60k+ ppd - which as petercr has shown is about the same as 2 x video cards and BA under windows.
Its cheaper to run SMP -bigadv w/ linux only as opposed to SMP + GPU w/ Windows
I was quite unsuccessful trying to get my 560Ti's to fold - if i manage to figure that i out thats 75k from one 2600K boxen

The benefits of GPU are ...
its easy to upgrade with out replacing a new motherboards & CPU
they run under Windows very easily
BUT they are more expensive to operate and may require a higher spec PSU
I would however, choose multiple GPU over SMP (non -bigadv)

But any day of the week linux for folding and general PC duties
Infact the one im typing from right now is doing its thing for leroyxx at around 21:30 tpf
which equates to 90-92k in 1.5 days


I think people are scared off when it comes to linux. I know im harping on like an Amway salesman but if people could understand how easy it is to set up and run then T24 would be that much closer to our next goal

EDIT:
benjagan91 add the -smp 8 -bigadv to your parameters or just tick the bigadv box in the GPU Tracker.
Theres a shortage of BA at the moment but this will help you to get one if your able to.

[benjagan91]

If i dual boot my 2600K machine between 7 and Xubuntu will i get improved SMP performance? And i just take out my GTX460 and run it on one of my Athlon64 X2 machines? I assume the GTX460 won't lose any performance that way? and I'll get a boost with smp via linux?

I also just set a password for bigadv points after.. 10wu?

Cheers for the help so far

Regards, Ben

[RETARD]

yes, obviously you will still need a GPU though just any old one will do.
You will reap better ppd because your smp wont be using cycles to support the gpu and linux is a more efficient way of folding.

The 460 in another box shouldn't lose any efficiency either.
The boost under linux is varied but is typically from 15-30%
The money saved on buying a more expensive card would be well used in buying faster ram (4Gb of DDR3 2133 would be great)

EDIT: enter the password now then after you have completed 10 work units you will start getting the bonuses.
I would recommend starting under SMP only to get the 10 WU out of the way quickly then switch over.

[benjagan91]

Originally Posted by RETARD

yes, obviously you will still need a GPU though just any old one will do.
You will reap better ppd because your smp wont be using cycles to support the gpu and linux is a more efficient way of folding.

The 460 in another box shouldn't lose any efficiency either.
The boost under linux is varied but is typically from 15-30%
The money saved on buying a more expensive card would be well used in buying faster ram (4Gb of DDR3 2133 would be great)

EDIT: enter the password now then after you have completed 10 work units you will start getting the bonuses.
I would recommend starting under SMP only to get the 10 WU out of the way quickly then switch over.

Yeah I've setup my clients with the password. Now i just wait.

Are you saying memory speed is important? I was under the impression it wasn't.

This arvo I'll put the GTX460 and Thermaltake Power Express 650W from my 2600K in an old AM2 board with an X2 4600+ (2.4ghz). Then I'll install a light build of linux like xubuntu for folding.

By taking out the GTX460 and the Power Express i should get lower in-case temps so i can increase my 2600K overclock a little. I'll bump my ram from 1333 if you think it's worthwhile? I've got CL8 or 9 DDR3 2000 just running at normal 1333.

Thanks

[Mcrawler]

You will get gains from running memory at 2000mhz from 1333, regardless of the timings, SB loves memory bandwidth and sees significant gains from faster ram (timings on SB are not so important)

[benjagan91]

Okay i'll up the memory clock. Thanks

Will any flavour of linux do for folding? Would a diskless/live folding CD be faster than a copy installed to disk?

[RETARD]

yep Mcrawler is correct.
I learned from these forums that memory bandwidth is favourable for SB builds
for example relaxing the timings on a 1333 cas 9 ram to 10 12 10 32 and increasing to 1866mhz 1.6 V was achievable for me
Its a bit of playing around but first of all UNLINK the memory timings ... get your cpu clock stable THEN resort to memory bandwidth / latency.
I was able to get a more stable clock under linux than i was windows so when i reboot into windows i wind it back to 4.4 to be stable

Not sure what batch you have ...
for eg i run 4.7 @ 1.36V
4.8 @ 1.37V
temps are somewhere around the high 60's low 70's depending on ambient temperatures.

Bare with me a bit i'll dig up some info and post it up.
When the IFOTY prize arrives perhaps i can make a "how to" video or 2

[RETARD]

first download this file "ubuntu-10.10-desktop-amd64.iso" - just google it
dont be fooled about the amd wording - this is the one you want.

once you have this mount the image using Daemon tools or the like.
If you can make a copy of the files onto USB and burn to CD/DVD - i've never had to use them but they are a handy step just in case you may want them one day.
browse to the mounted directory and run the .exe file

choose the dual boot option & determine how much hdd space to allocate (i have 17Gb - but dont worry thats heaps as you will be able to browse your typical drives when in linux)
then reboot

you will be given a choice between windows and Ubuntu at start up.
By default if you don't choose within 30 seconds you will boot into windows

See how you go with this for now ... it should auto install most of your hardware and give you internet access.

After that choose System / Administration / Update Manager (kind of like windows updates) - do not choose to upgrade to 11.04 - for now 10.10 is much better at folding.
This will download about 350Mb of data.

When you come back into Ubuntu follow this ... word for word (you may want to save it in a D or E drive for now so you can browse to it when in linux)
Just copy and paste it line by line into a terminal (careful of the word wrapping some lines carry over a bit onto the next line ... make sure you grab that too)
I've taken you up to step 3 & 4

The credit for this goes to the gang at [H]forums ... their knowledge of linux is incredible.
Thanks guys!

Originally Posted by musky

This is about as simple as you are going to get.
1. Install Ubuntu Desktop 10.10 64 bit.
2. Let it update. .
3. Go get a sandwich - 269 updates as of a few hours ago.
4. When it finishes, it will want you to restart. Don't yet.
5. Places - Home Folder
6. Create a new folder called fah.

7. Right-click - Sharing Options - Check the Share This Folder checkbox - it will prompt you to install a package, let it install. It will want you to restart your session, don't yet. Cllick Cancel on the sharing box

8. Open a Terminal (Applications - Accessories - Terminal)

9. Type this:

sudo add-apt-repository ppa:chogydan/ppa && sudo apt-get update

You will see a bunch of verbiage that probably means something, but don't worry about it

10. Once it finishes, type this:

sudo apt-get install linux-image-generic-ck linux-headers-generic-ck

Again, more verbiage, blah, blah blah. Just let it finish.

11. Still in the terminal, type;

sudo nano /etc/default/grub

Change this line:

GRUB_DEFAULT=0

to this:

GRUB_DEFAULT=2

Control-X - Y - Enter to save the change

12. Type:

sudo update-grub

While it is doing its thing, you should see reference to three different kernels plus the safe modes for each.

ave@bulldawg:/etc$ sudo update-grub
Generating grub.cfg ...
Found linux image: /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.35-27-generic
Found initrd image: /boot/initrd.img-2.6.35-27-generic
Found linux image: /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.35-25-generic-ck
Found initrd image: /boot/initrd.img-2.6.35-25-generic-ck
Found linux image: /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.35-22-generic
Found initrd image: /boot/initrd.img-2.6.35-22-generic
Found memtest86+ image: /boot/memtest86+.bin
Found Windows 7 (loader) on /dev/sda1
done

Look for the ones that ends in -ck. It should be the third and fourth kernels update-grub finds. If it is ("Found linux image: /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.35-25-generic-ck" is the line in the above example, and it is the third), you are set. If it is not, you will have to change your GRUB_DEFAULT setting accordingly - first/second -> GRUB_DEFAULT=0, fifth/sixth -> GRUB_DEFAULT=4, etc.

13. (Optional) in the terminal, type:

sudo apt-get install openssh-server

Remote access via a terminal emulator - if you don't know what that means, skip this step. You can still have remote access with VNC if needed

14. Now, reboot the system

15. When you log back in, go back to Places - Home Folder, right-click your fah folder and select Sharing options, and check all three checkboxes. You will get something about adding permissions, click OK.

16. Open the terminal again and type:

cd fah
wget "http://www.stanford.edu/group/pandegroup/folding/release/FAH6.34-Linux64-SMP.exe"
mv FAH6*.* fah6
chmod 777 fah6

17. Run F@H config:

./fah6 -configonly

Enter all your stuff. I add the -smp -bigadv flags in the configuration to prevent having to make a shortcut with them, but to each his or her own.

18. Run F@H:

./fah6

I just did exactly this on one of my SR-2s and am seeing almost identical frame times that I see with the Ubuntu Server install on an almost identical machine - around 1:20/frame faster and 24K ppd more than Windows.

Tobit is still trying to beat these times with a more custom Gentoo install - stay tuned. For now, this will get you running in Linux fairly painlessly.

HFM Install in Linux
HFM.net will run under Ubuntu and probably any other Linux GUI distro. The setup is a little more difficult, but it is not that bad.

Update sources list
Code:
sudo nano /etc/apt/sources.list
Add these two lines to the end of the file:
Code:
deb http://ppa.launchpad.net/directhex/monoxide/ubuntu maverick main
deb-src http://ppa.launchpad.net/directhex/monoxide/ubuntu maverick main
Update the keys
Code:
sudo apt-key adv --keyserver keyserver.ubuntu.com --recv-keys 23DC003A
Update everything
Code:
sudo apt-get update
Update mono libraries and forms:
Code:
sudo apt-get install libmono-system-runtime2.0-cil
sudo apt-get install libmono-winforms2.0-cil
Make sure unzip is instaled
Code:
sudo apt-get install unzip
Get HFM.net
Code:
mkdir hfm
cd hfm
wget http://hfm-net.googlecode.com/files/...00.6.2.336.zip
mv HFM*.* hfm.zip
unzip hfm.zip
To run HFM type:
Code:
cd ~/hfm
sudo mono HFM.exe

[benjagan91]

Thanks for the guide, much appreciated

[RETARD]

your welcome

i may not be online as im at work today but will be checking in on the phone if you need help

Good Luck

Originally Posted by benjagan91

Thanks for the guide, much appreciated

[mr_mordred2095]

Went to install the GPU client today for my 5770 on windows 7, on 11.3 drivers, it said something about needing new drivers or a different client.

Too much effort -_-