GPU folding with Q6600

mark128

mark128

mark128

Associate
Joined
29 Aug 2003
Posts
399
Location
North West UK
Hi experienced folders

I've recently started running folding@home on my desktop machine again. It's around 5 years old and the processor is a Quad Core Q6600 with 8GB Kingston Hyper-X Ram and a Kingston SSD. I know the processor is nothing compared with the latest i7's

I bought an Gigabyte 280x GPU clocked at 1100mhz with 3GB GDDR5. I'm currently averaging around 29k PPD. I know the PPD can vary between WU types but I was wondering if the CPU would be a bottleneck when it comes to GPU folding. The folding client only seems to be using 1 CPU core for actual folding so I'm guessing the other 3 are used for managing the GPU. Looking in GPUZ it seems the GPU utilisation is around 90%. If I was to build a brand new system with beter mobo/ram/cpu would I notice much difference in PPD?

I'm tempted to buy a second 280x but I'm worried I won't make full use out of it in such an old machine.

Any Thoughts?

Thanks
 
Firstly can you say whether you are getting Core17 Work Units? Posting the beginning of your log would help identify that.

U have a GTX670 in a Q6600 powered rig and with Nvidia cards the CPU has to provide a full core to help power the GPU. But the core isn't really fully loaded. It's mostly spinning.

Your main issue with a S775 motherboard is going to be the speed of the PCI-E slots. They will be significantly slower than ones in more modern boards.

I see at the very least a 10% performance impact with two identical 670s one in a P35 (Q6600) board and one in a Z68 board (i3-2120).

By the way, a second 280X in a P35 board would be even worse than the first one as I think the second PCI-E slot is only x4.
 
Hi thanks for your reply.

My Motherboard is a GA-EP45-UD3P and according to the spec it supports 16x PCI-E 2. It is a Core17 work unit. Not sure where you got Nvidia from it's an ATI 280x. The board is a P45. If you need any more information just let me know.
Many Thanks
Mark
 
Are you using your passkey for the QRB? My 7950 is turning out ~115k+ with core_17s on a PCI-e 2 motherboard. The cpu shouldn't be holding you back by anything significant.
 
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You'll need to complete ten units with the passkey before you qualify for the quick return bonus. So from the eleventh your PPD should shoot up.
 
Just got round to putting the passkey in this morning. The PPD has already gone up to 47k from 30k. Hopefully this will go up even further on completion of the 10th WU. Thanks for all your help. Tempted to buy another 280x if the CPU can support it.
 
I'm so pleased with the performance of the 280x that I've just ordered another one. Should be kicking out close to 250K PPD. See you all at the top!
 
Got round to installing the 2nd GPU with a nice 850w PSU. Had a few issues at first with extremely low PPD. Anyway left it running overnight and now it's reporting 237k PPD. Exciting times. Apparently each GPU gives out a total of 4.1 TeraFLOPs. By Comparison the fastest supercomputer in the world in the year 2000 was 'IBM ASCI White' with a peak speed of 7.226 TFLOPS. That's what I call progress!
 
Almost frightening isn't it! 6 years ago I had a room full of oc'd rigs and now my single rig would wipe the floor with them :)
 
Assimilator1 said:
Surely only 1 CPU core is needed per GPU?

Nice to see an old C2 rig still doing well :) (see sig ;)).
In MW I'm the 8th highest producer in the UK lol. http://www.teamocuk.co.uk/scountrypart.php?p=MWAH&c=3&o=rd
Click to expand...

Yeah it's only 1 core per GPU. I misread it when I first posted. Seems I wouldn't be getting massive benefit from using a newer setup anyway since the GPU's are pretty much maxed out doing the work. Good to see there's life in the older machines still. Congrats on your milkyway@home efforts.
 
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