I've been perusing the forums lately and haven't come across any posts relating different GPU's performance.

My main interest being WU's per $$$ (no offense to our Euro-spending brethren). Obviously the prices for cards fluctuate, but having a chart to see how different GPU's perform (at stock speeds as a minimum) would be useful for those looking at building/upgrading their box. One could use real-time cost data to calculate the most efficient use of their money.

Just a thought.

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Well, I just built a new i7 and I put into it a NVidia 9800 GT from PNY with 1G VRAM and it takes about 6 hours to 9 hours to run one task, The difficulty is that the time reported (now) is the CPU time and not the GPU time it takes to process a task.

So, not sure how to answer the question for sure ... maybe someone else has several different GPU cards runing and would be able to say. I will say that the PNY card was on special and it was just over $100 in Frys ... I have not been able to find the like on the web with most cards there only having 512M VRAM.

Also not sure if the extra VRAM helps or not ...

I may have more later as I do have another computer with a GPU card that I have not started processing because I was one of those having trouble getting work and I did not want to baby sit two computers until it was working better. I have had one cycle where the system seems to have worked as it should but I still need to wait a day or so to see if the trend continues or if I had a long streak of once ...

My *OWN* personal take on this (at the moment) is that buy what you would normally buy to populate the system for normal usage.

If you want the maximize processing power, then by all means get the meanest most expensive card going.

If you only have one slot, get a better card with most memory and speed you can afford.

If you have several slots (like I do, the MB can host up to 3 GPU cards) ... well, not at all sure what I am going to do... :)

For me, the project selection is still too poor to interest me that much in that I "like" projects that are in the realm of physics (MWay, Cosmology, Einstein, LHC, etc.) and none of them are GPU capable yet. HOWEVER, I may be watching the ads and getting new GPU cards even if they are not the absolute best and for the moment putting them on GPU Grid. I can run up my score here while filling out my dance card (as it were) and when more GPU capable projects arrive I will be ready ... :)

And Frys puts some very nice cards on sale ... :)

We did have a comparison prior to the speed up for GT200 based cards, so it's not valid any more. The key points were:

- the amount of vid mem does not influence speed (256 MB could hinder at some point in the future, though)
- core, shader and memory speed all help GPU-Grid speed
- 8800GTS 512 was about the sweet spot in price/performance
- but there's another argument.. would you spend e.g. 30€ more to get 500 credits per day more, even if this makes price/performance a bit worse? e.g. upgrade to a 9800GTX+? I certainly would, because I only have a limited number of systems I can stuff GPUs in.

Now we have an app which improves performance on GT200 a lot, whereas on G92 (and similar) it remained the same. Now a GTX 260 should be the most effective card to buy. I'd choose the core 216, which is almost twice as fast as my slightly OCed GTX9800+, which represents the high end G92s.

I'd prefer a single GT200 card over 2 or 3 smaller G92 based cards because of:
- future proof: higher CUDA capability (64 bit, etc.) & more memory
- unnoticeable delay in interactive use, can even game while crunching
- more power efficient than several slower cards
- only occupies one PCIe slot

I'm not totally sure how GTX 280 fits in here. It should have a worse price/performance ratio, the entry price is a bit steep and power consumption is higher. Still wouldn't be a bad buy, though.

MrS

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Scanning for our furry friends since Jan 2002

I won't be able to add much here for a month or two because I only have the two cards to run on and one of them is still idle ... though it is looking like I am able to fetch and run work normally ... just got another task while taking a nap and I did not do a thing!

But I would imagine I would be able to afford a couple cards in the not too distant future and then maybe I could run a small example, but it would be a very limited test.

Though maybe the post-christmas sales???

Hey Paul,

there's no need for you to buy several cards just for test purposes. That would mean you'd have to get some with non-ideal price/performance ratio ;)
I think the data which we have is clear enough (GT200 rules).

MrS

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Scanning for our furry friends since Jan 2002

Hey Paul,

there's no need for you to buy several cards just for test purposes. That would mean you'd have to get some with non-ideal price/performance ratio ;)
I think the data which we have is clear enough (GT200 rules).

MrS

But some of us "poor" old guys have to make do with a 9600:D

mike

Hmmm, GT200 rules ... well I can find GTX280, GTX260 ... but no GT200 ... unless you mean the GT200 series ...

It is always a question of price, performance, availablity, what I have already, what the machines can take for installs, etc.

So, The i7 box can hold 3 cards, but, I did not anticipate this so only bought a 680 W power supply. Not sure it won't get sucked out of the wall with a suite of 3 GT280s installed. Besides, may generate too much heat for the box.

For the moment I was just thinking to buy one new card and drop it into the box and to let it rip and keep the slower/older 9800 GT running as a bonus...

At the moment the question is moot in that I am waiting to see what the Frys ad has to offer (if anything). And sadly, I am not sure that if at this moment I want to spend $500 to support basically one project that I am not really all that interested in ...

And if I buy cards over time, I am still going to get a cross-section of power. For example if I get mid-high end for now, the same price point 6 months from now is likely to be higher capability even if only a little. For the nonce, assume one per quarter and my last new system (for awhile) in 6 months, well, by then I will have 4 GPU cards and a new system with a GPU card making 5. With slots for 7 ... so, not wanting to waste anything ... I will be using the two cards, and what ever I buy for some time ... it will only be the end of next year when I start to fill all slots and a buy will bump off the slowest card.

And if I buy them on sale, well, who can say what I will get. :)

That`s easy:

Got `more` money - buy 260GTX core 216
Got `less` money - buy 9800GTX+

And I absolutely agree with ExtraTerrestrial Apes.

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I have 1 GTX280 on Vista 64 running. The card is to fast for 4+1 on Windows, I have to work with 3+1 or I lost over 30% of the performance. Only good for gaming. This card would better run in a Linux machine for crunching, but it's in my gaming box.

One GTX260² is running on LINUX 64, it's running fine with 4+1.

One GTX260² is running on XP 32, it's running fine with 4+1 (Account Cebion, my wife).

One GTX260² is running on Vista 64, it's running fine with 4+1.

One 8800GT is running on Vista 64, it's running fine with 4+1.

One 8800GT is running on XP 32, it's running fine with 4+1.

The 8800GT is similar to the 9800GT.

The best choice was to buy the GTX260² cards. I never will buy a GTX280 again, too dear and not really any advantage here.

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Hi Paul,

sorry, by "GT200" I mean the chip which is used for GTX 260 / 260² / 280.. maybe should have made that more clear.

And sadly, I am not sure that if at this moment I want to spend $500 to support basically one project that I am not really all that interested in ...

Hey, that's absolutely fine! Everyone contributes as much as he / she wants to. And the original idea of DC is to use spare ressources and not to buy hardware for DC. So nobody is going to get mad at you for only buying 1 new card instead of 3 ;)

And generally, what you're talking about (in your last post) is how to best use your systems. That's fine for you, but what this thread is about is "if I want to spend money on GPU-power, what's the best way to do it now?" It's clear that in 6 months cards will be better and/or cheaper.. that's always the case and doesn't help much if I want to buy now.

BTW, your current plan of buying 1 fast card and keeping the 9800GT makes a lot of sense. I guess I'll take that route as well shortly.. GTX 260², I'm watching you!

Regards,
MrS

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Scanning for our furry friends since Jan 2002

Hi Paul,

sorry, by "GT200" I mean the chip which is used for GTX 260 / 260² / 280.. maybe should have made that more clear.

And sadly, I am not sure that if at this moment I want to spend $500 to support basically one project that I am not really all that interested in ...

Hey, that's absolutely fine! Everyone contributes as much as he / she wants to. And the original idea of DC is to use spare ressources and not to buy hardware for DC. So nobody is going to get mad at you for only buying 1 new card instead of 3 ;)

And generally, what you're talking about (in your last post) is how to best use your systems. That's fine for you, but what this thread is about is "if I want to spend money on GPU-power, what's the best way to do it now?" It's clear that in 6 months cards will be better and/or cheaper.. that's always the case and doesn't help much if I want to buy now.

BTW, your current plan of buying 1 fast card and keeping the 9800GT makes a lot of sense. I guess I'll take that route as well shortly.. GTX 260², I'm watching you!

Regards,
MrS

Got todays paper... no Frys ad ... sigh ...

Anyway, I kinda thought that was what you meant, the GPU chip. I was looking on TIger Direct just now and what a mess. There are about 20 some versions of the 280 card from 4 or 5 "manufacturers"...

Yes, the intent of BOINC was to use idle CPU time as was the SaH Classic, but it was mostly used by hard core anal retentive autistic people like me ... :)

Well, maybe most people are not autistic ... but, sadly, getting "real" people to use BOINC has been, I think, an abject failure. In the past I have laid out my opinion of some of the reasons why and was greeted for those opinions as warmly as, um, well ... I better not say as to not cause offense ...

But, by and large the reason is that the BOINC *SYSTEM* as a whole is user hostile. Efforts like my past effort to document founder on the shoals of project indifference, lack of support (or outright hostility and sabotage), and continual roadblocks. I was looking at BOINC View last night and I see that it has not had an update in over a year, the originator has vanished even though the site is still up and the old version is still available. But GPU processing and other incremental changes are slowly making BV unusable.

But the core of BOINC is done by hard timers like me... you can see that with the position percentages ... run any project for a week, even on only one computer, of almost any speed and at the end of the week you will have done more work than 50% or more of the people that joined that project. Heck, I just joined this project a week ago, don't have all that special a card and I am at ~ 30K CS and 42% ...

WEP-M+2 I am at 4,497 CS and 70%!!!! as another example.

I do almost no SaH anymore and I am still above 98% ...

But I digress...

Anyhow, I am still dithering about that card .... :)

{edit}what is this 260 2 thing you are watching? Dual SLI?{/edit}

Paul I think he means 216 shaders vs 190 shaders ....2 different types of GTX260.

I believe the 260-216 is the best bang for the "Buck" atm hehe

Paul I think he means 216 shaders vs 190 shaders ....2 different types of GTX260.

I believe the 260-216 is the best bang for the "Buck" atm hehe

And the Buck stops here ... :)

Well, I fell off the wagon and ordered this which rumor says has 240 shaders. Well, I am not sure I got the best deal, or the best card, but wading through the options got to the point of nonsense ...

So, choice made, now we wait for delivery ...

Even if it is not the best card, or best for the price, it is certainly better than what I have. It will give me 3 cards going though the weakest one looks to take two days to do one task here. What the heck, it is work done with no extra cost ...

The best news will be if the number of projects using CUDA rises rapidly ...

When that happens it will be sad news for this project (as least as far as I am concerned as a participant) in that I will be redirecting almost all of my effort, though I will likely continue working for the project as tier 3 or 4 project (my ranking system) ...

Well, about EVGA GeForce GTX 280 Video Card - Superclocked Edition I can say just 1 thing; You have `overpaid`. You should choose as everybody suggested 260GTX core 216. Twice cheaper and just 10% slower.

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Well, about EVGA GeForce GTX 280 Video Card - Superclocked Edition I can say just 1 thing; You have `overpaid`. You should choose as everybody suggested 260GTX core 216. Twice cheaper and just 10% slower.

Well, it is only money ...

I will keep that in mind and maybe the next one will be a as suggested ...

Yes, the GTX 260² is an unofficial synonym for GTX 260 Core 216, which is a clumsy name. In this thread it was used by Kokomiko before, so I figred it'd be fine.

And I don't think you overpaid that much, if any. The style of Tigerdirect is horrible and for me it looks like you either pay 380$ or 350$ for the card and this 450$ number is just there to make people feel better when buying it.. without any connection to the price of the product in the last few months.
I suppose you won't get a 260² for 175$? Otherwise I'd have to start crying now, because ours are still at 250+€..

MrS

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Scanning for our furry friends since Jan 2002

And I don't think you overpaid that much, if any. The style of Tigerdirect is horrible and for me it looks like you either pay 380$ or 350$ for the card and this 450$ number is just there to make people feel better when buying it.. without any connection to the price of the product in the last few months.
I suppose you won't get a 260² for 175$? Otherwise I'd have to start crying now, because ours are still at 250+€..MrS

My walk out price was $409 for w day shipping and taxes height and weight ...

What the heck is a 260²?

I did not see them, or am miss understanging the reference.

Perhaps I might keep an eye out and get one as my next upgrade and make my own personal test ...

What the heck is a 260²?

->

the GTX 260² is an unofficial synonym for GTX 260 Core 216

So it's a GTX 260 with an additional shader cluster: 216 shaders instead of 192 at the same clocks and with similar memory configuration. That's 1/8th more raw horse power, that's why we prefer it over the regular GTX 260.

MrS

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Scanning for our furry friends since Jan 2002

What the heck is a 260²?

->

the GTX 260² is an unofficial synonym for GTX 260 Core 216

So it's a GTX 260 with an additional shader cluster: 216 shaders instead of 192 at the same clocks and with similar memory configuration. That's 1/8th more raw horse power, that's why we prefer it over the regular GTX 260.

MrS

I will only answer once, not squared if that is alright ... :)

UPS has my package now ... estimated delivery on Tuesday by Tiger ... though I can hope they move it over the week end and I get an early present ...

And I found what you were suggesting ... well, I will have to consider this ... too early to buy one now ... I have the overpriced one on the way ...

I'm not totally sure how GTX 280 fits in here. It should have a worse price/performance ratio, the entry price is a bit steep and power consumption is higher. Still wouldn't be a bad buy, though.

MrS

Wait for 1st quarter 2009 and the GTX 295should hit the stores.

Its 2 280s sandwiched together and should sell for 500$.

Naturally, the 280 should drop in price by then?!



http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/geforce-gtx-295,2107.html