Hi,
if you are happy to test, I can upload a new Linux application which should automatically support multiple GPUs. If you have 4 cpus and 4 GPUs cores, you can have 4 GPU wu running. Four G280 should deliver something of the order of 20,000 credits per day. However, some users had problems with the driver of the 200 series.

Yes, we do support tesla units too, but they are not faster than graphics cards.

gdf

Thanks for the reply. I'll run my test machine for a little while until I can get $2,000 to buy my new super-computer. :)

Hi, think about this:

When the project is really up and running, with proper research being done, woudn´t it be nice to have different experiments running on different types of machines?

I undestand that you want the fastest machines (So far I myself am included on those, with a 96sp 9600GSO only for modeling, and a 6800gs for the video rendering, probably two 260 to come next year) so you have the fastest grid, but as the BOINC idea is to run tasks on background while people are using their computers the energy used for the projects is only a 15% to 40% excess when compared to that of someone just navigating and it is not really a waste of energy (it would be if you left a 400watts machine running a 8400 just for the project though).

So I recommend (and if possible would like to help) producing a way of knowing the card the user has and dividing the researches in many parts, some of them with longer deadlines running strictly on weaker machines and some of them running only on the best ones, so you have quick results on the research you want to and still can run other thing that are "less important" (in a good way, things that would go to the end of the project queue) that can wait for a while.

I believe it is important to use all the avaiable idle cards because it is computing power and usefull.... as an example, I have a notebook with a 8400m gs, I will not try running GPUGRID now on it because it has only 16sp, but if there were lighter tasks with longer deadlines I sure would... why? Because I use my note all day long and only with 2d app, the GRID would be running on this 8400gs that uses only about 30watts of power!! And because it already uses about 15-20 watts all the time, it would be a very energy efficient way of running the grid....

Last thing, ok, my 8400gs would do the job 50 times slower than a GTX280... but go ask dell, apple and HP how many notes and desktops with "weak less than 96sp graphics card" they sell a week and you might discover that the amount of computing power wasted there is much greater than the couple hundred of GTX´s that are sould o the same time.... and all those "weak" computers will be run at some 8 to 10 hours a day!!

That is it, I will continue to support you guys (I´m travelling for 2 weeks now and stopped receivig tasks from you and from WCG, but will retake on january), but I ask you not to diminish the weaker hardware as it will be around for quite a while... if BOINC did not support 486´s at the beggining or pentium 3´s or athlon XP´s today it would not grow that much, as people would fell regected by those they wanna help and when they have a hadware that you want they will not help....

Remember that not everyone who are on grids are geeks that dispose their money on the top of the top just to run for points, most of them really wanna help (not that the geek doesn´t, but he has the competition excitement) and I think they can!!

att

Leandro Biondo

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I am very amused about the discussion about graphics card and why not have longer deadline. My opinion is clear. I do not buy graphic cards especially for crunching, I buy which I need for my work or for my games. If they meet the requirements for a project it is fine, if not I do not have a problem.
The team of GPUGRID has defined which card is good for the project and which is too slow. There are many other projects you can help with you CPU-resources if you don't have a card which is requested.
I have 2x8800GTX/768 "on stock" in one of my PC's, it does not meet the minimum requirements. I am running a notebook with Nvidia onboard card, it does not meet the minimum requirements. I don't have a problem with it.
I have two PC's for gaming, when the PC is running and I am not in a game then i activate GPUGRID. And of course other projects running on the CPU. When I play games the work is suspended. I think most of the user don't let their PC's run only for projects, so think of the long time the WU's need if not running 24/7 only for projects.
So please be fair to all the project teams, the deadlines they give us and do not ignore their minimum requirements! I think they know why they did this. If we can help them with our resources, let's do it!
The last to say is "merry christmas and a happy new year"!

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Leandro,

I'm sure your feedback is welcome.. and I'm also sure it's somewhere on the developers to do list to become more flexible in the type of work they do. I just think it's not very high up on the list. If I were them I'd get the stuff neccessary for high performance crunching done first and care about the rest later.

Regards,
MrS

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Scanning for our furry friends since Jan 2002