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World Community Grid Forums
Category: Completed Research
Forum: Help Conquer Cancer
Thread: Amount of work to still run on HCC |
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Thread Status: Active Total posts in this thread: 86
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Ingleside
Veteran Cruncher Norway Joined: Nov 19, 2005 Post Count: 974 Status: Offline Project Badges: 
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How do you guys who have made the construction of number crunching machines to a science in and of itself go about evaluating how to design the perfect system with what is available out there and of course money? If I were devote say $10,000 to buying/building a new machine, how would I start designing this with WCG/Rosetta/GPUGRID/Folding@Home in mind? The problem with these 4 projects are: 1: FAH wants, atleast for now, a multi-CPU-rig, so a single high-end server-system with multiple Intel-Xeon-CPU's is best here and you're better off not using GPU at all. But, don't complain to me if one week after buying a multi-CPU-system FAH changes things so it becomes obsolete and you would have been better off with a Nvidia-system instead... 2: GPUGRID is Nvidia-only, but can share CPU with Rosetta@home. 3: In WCG, Amd-GPU's is better than Nvidia. You'll also need fast CPU, and not sure but it's possible running only GPU and no CPU-tasks will be best. 4: Rosetta@home is CPU-only, but can share with GPUGRID. For GPUGRID, WCG and Rosetta@home, with so much available money chances are building multiple computers will be better than trying to cram enough GPU's into a single system. For FAH on the other hand, a single server-system is for the moment best. As can be seen, except for Rosetta@home and GPUGRID, these 4 projects is really exclusive projects if wants to maximize points per day in any of them. Also worth mentioning, GPUGRID is Nvidia-only and performance of Amd-GPU's in FAH is abysimally slow so for any practical purposes can count on FAH as also being Nvidia-GPU's only.  "I make so many mistakes. But then just think of all the mistakes I don't make, although I might." |
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Jim1348
Veteran Cruncher USA Joined: Jul 13, 2009 Post Count: 1066 Status: Offline Project Badges: 
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The problem with these 4 projects are: 1: FAH wants, atleast for now, a multi-CPU-rig, so a single high-end server-system with multiple Intel-Xeon-CPU's is best here and you're better off not using GPU at all. But, don't complain to me if one week after buying a multi-CPU-system FAH changes things so it becomes obsolete and you would have been better off with a Nvidia-system instead... It is already obsolete. With re-scoring the points so that GPUs get as much credit for CPUs for the same work done, the GPU points have already doubled (at least). More importantly, the Quick-Return Bonus (QRB) will shortly be applied to the GPU work (as it already is to the CPUs, but they have to be the fastest boards available and only with Linux at the moment.) There is great wailing and gnashing of teeth on the FAH forums at the moment from the CPU guys who just invested thousands in their high-end CPU rigs. They wish they had gone for GPUs for far less money. But I agree with your other points; they are great advice. |
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Bearcat
Master Cruncher USA Joined: Jan 6, 2007 Post Count: 2803 Status: Offline Project Badges: 
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FAH wants, atleast for now, a multi-CPU-rig, so a single high-end server-system with multiple Intel-Xeon-CPU's is best here and you're better off not using GPU at all. Actually, Multiple xeon CPU with a GPU works well but usually only 1 X16 PCI-E slot except for EVGA boards. Both of my dual xeon crunchers have a 7000 series AMD GPU. With the app_config file used now, I can crunch 10 GPU, and 10 on CPU. I leave 4 threads open. The problem on singles quad or hex systems with 2 GPU cards is not enough threads to handle the GPU work load. 1 card can do 8-12 easy depending on model. You can split a thread but that increases crunching time when the GPU wu is unloaded to the CPU. If you have the bucks, get a SR2 or the newer one for dual xeon processors. This board you can OC. Plus, 4 GPU PCI-E x16 slots. MovieMan has one now with dual 8 core xeons. Not cheap. Needs one hell of a PSU to handle the electricity if you fill all the PCI-E slots.
Crunching for humanity since 2007!
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twilyth
Master Cruncher US Joined: Mar 30, 2007 Post Count: 2130 Status: Offline Project Badges: 
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Actually, Multiple xeon CPU with a GPU works well but usually only 1 X16 PCI-E slot except for EVGA boards. My 2P octo Xeon runs on a Supermicro X9DAi I think and I've got 2 7950's in there.   [Edit 1 times, last edit by twilyth at Dec 23, 2012 12:33:09 AM] |
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Bearcat
Master Cruncher USA Joined: Jan 6, 2007 Post Count: 2803 Status: Offline Project Badges:
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Actually, Multiple xeon CPU with a GPU works well but usually only 1 X16 PCI-E slot except for EVGA boards. My 2P octo Xeon runs on a Supermicro X9DAi I think and I've got 2 7950's in there. Nice mobo. I'm using 1366 (X8DTI-F) socket so only have 1 x16. Looks like you can run 3 GPU's. What chips do you have in that beast? Can you OC on that board?
Crunching for humanity since 2007!
----------------------------------------[Edit 1 times, last edit by Bearcat at Dec 23, 2012 1:19:48 AM] |
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twilyth
Master Cruncher US Joined: Mar 30, 2007 Post Count: 2130 Status: Offline Project Badges:
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Thanks. Yeah I have the same problem with my 1366 boards for the 4 hex chips. That's why I got the SR2 (which is still only half built). Except I really cheaped out and got ATX compatible boards which have zero x16 slots.
----------------------------------------The DAi has 2 E5-2687W octo's - early engineering samples (QA92). They weren't supposed to run in 2P mode but they do in the DAi board. It's one of the few that they will work that way in - which is cool because there was a bit of a bump in the price to go up to higher stepping. Edit - in all fairness, I think you may have been technically correct since the DAi is a 2011 board btw and you were talking about 1366's. [Edit 3 times, last edit by twilyth at Dec 23, 2012 1:23:11 AM] |
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Bearcat
Master Cruncher USA Joined: Jan 6, 2007 Post Count: 2803 Status: Offline Project Badges:
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I didn't realize the latest dual xeon boards had more than 1 x16 slot, except EVGA. Thats nice that the capability is there. Sweet processors. At least you didn't have to pay full price. 32 threaded monster plus multi GPU capable. Friggin awesome. How many GPU wu's are you currently crunching? On my board, seems anything above 10 and I start to loose crunching time. I"ve been looking for a SR-2 board (used) but most folks don't let them go. Definitely an awesome setup. Congrats
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Crunching for humanity since 2007!
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twilyth
Master Cruncher US Joined: Mar 30, 2007 Post Count: 2130 Status: Offline Project Badges:
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I do love the octo's. That really is my baby. I'm hoping to finish the SR2 next week. 2 hex chips are already in it, I just have to get my but in gear. I'm using this test bench .
----------------------------------------Right now I have 5 running gpu's with one in the box. 2 7950's are in the X9DAi with the 2 2687's and 1 more is my old AMD 1090T. That's going to get replaced soon with an 8350 ("soon" being a relative term). Two 7870's are in one of the 2600k's. The odd 7950 and the boxed one will go in the SR2 if I get my act together. I bent a pin in one of the sockets (don't ask) and I think I fixed it, but we'll see. Did you know that they aren't actually pins but tiny little springs? And man are they a pain to try to manipulate, even with that old trick using the barrel of a .5mm mechanical pencil. edit: oh - I misread your question. 24 wu's on the dual octo running about 10 min. [Edit 2 times, last edit by twilyth at Dec 23, 2012 2:07:52 AM] |
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Bearcat
Master Cruncher USA Joined: Jan 6, 2007 Post Count: 2803 Status: Offline Project Badges:
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Went through the bent pins before. Ended up sending it in to SM. Thats how I ended up with a second board of the same kind. Didn't know how long for fix. Gave me a reason to build another since I had 2 boards. Would have kept looking for a SR-2 but came across a sweetheart deal on a 3770k, mobo and ram for around 200 off. Couldn't resist. Hope to finish that build after xmas.
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Crunching for humanity since 2007!
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twilyth
Master Cruncher US Joined: Mar 30, 2007 Post Count: 2130 Status: Offline Project Badges:
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Good luck with that. I did answer your question finally - don't know if you saw - sorry.
----------------------------------------I hope I don't have to send the board to EVGA. That would really bum me out since there's no way I'm buying 2 of those suckers. They require a special form factor - HPTX - bizarre. That's why I went with a multi-form factor test bench. Screw that. I don't really like having it completely open even if I do leave the sides off of my cases, but it was the only real alternative. There are only a handful of HPTX cases out there. |
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