ATI GPU Folding

[dabaerman]

I think there is a need for an ATI-GPU Folding thread. I will do my best to post what I find and where it comes from. my current sourcfor info is the Folding Forums ATIU specific threads.

my venture into ATI GPU Folding began as a desire to do more with less. the less part is two-fold. 1. a budget card without the need of an additional power connector.
2. fewer machines running as the cost of electricity increases over the winter months. (I am planning on taking 4-5 machines off line for 3 months).

my ATI4650/4670 doesn't have current support for folding so a little help from the Folding Forums came in handy. as far as I know, all other ATI cards that can fold are supported.
to make the 4650/4670 fold; go to ATI website, searsh for SDK V1.2.1-beta.
you will be given a choice and you want to click the link to 'ati.amd.com/technology/streamingcomputing/sdkdwnld.html'.
after installing, locate your Folding@home-gpu folder and replace amdcalcl.dll and amdcalrt.dll with the new .dll files you just installed.
restart your machine. good folding on ATI4650/4670 cards.

so all you ATI GPU Folders out there, tell us what you have and how it folds.

Ron

[Daniel ~]

Many thanks Bear man! I'm sure you will encourage others.

[PorPorMe]

Originally Posted by Daniel ~

Many thanks Bear man! I'm sure you will encourage others.

That will be especially true of us Nvidia whores who don't have a clue about which card is which.
An example. There is an ATI card on Craigs list that looks like it might be something I could trade for, but I'll have to fiound out what I can about it, and then go to F@H to see if it will fold. My problem and I never wanted to deal with Ati at all-now I pay the piper, but something here would be nice.

[dabaerman]

I will admit to being an nVidia fan bouy as well as AMD. because of the AMD/ATI 'merger' I have had to take a look at the 'competition' as my sig says '...AMD Power'.
currently, the ATI4650/4670 video cards might be handicapped by the way they do the calculations. More detail as I learn what that actually is. what I do know is that the Shaders are not used the same way as nVidia cards. my 9600GT with 96 shaders gets 4300+ppd. the 4670 with 320 unified shaders is getting 1600+ppd. granted the projects are different but it has been mentioned that the nVidia GPU projects will begin to scale with the ATI cards.

Ron

[Necorum]

Video Card - Cost (CAD) - PPD - Wattage(Load) - PPD/Watt - PPD/$


GeForce cards
GeForce 8 Series
GeForce 8400GS - $47.99 - ~600PPD - 71w - 8.45 - 12.50
GeForce 8500GT - $60.99 - ~700PPD - - - 11.48
GeForce 8600GT - $74.99 - ~1330PPD - - - 15.65
GeForce 8600GTS - $121.99 - ~2050PPD - - - 16.80
GeForce 8800GTS 640MB - $262.99 - ~3900PPD - - - 14.83
GeForce 8800 Ultra - $549.99 - ~4900PPD - 194w - 25.26 - 8.91
GeForce 8800GS - $143.99 - ~4800PPD - - - 33.34
GeForce 8800GT - $146.99 - ~5100PPD - 117.6w - 43.37 - 34.70
GeForce 8800GTS 512MB - $239.99 - ~5700PPD - 139w - 41.01 - 23.75

GeForce 9 Series
GeForce 9600GT - $134.99 - ~3900PPD - 95w - 41.05 - 28.89
GeForce 9800GTX - $209.99 - ~6000PPD - 147w - 40.82 - 28.57
GeForce 9800GX2 - $408.99 - ~11,000PPD - 209w - 52.63 - 26.90

GeForce 200 Series
GeForce GTX260 - $299.99 - ~5500PPD - 157w - 35.03 - 18.33
GeForce GTX280 - $444.99 - ~7500PPD - 197w - 38.07 - 16.85

Radeon Cards
Radeon HD 2000 series
Radeon HD 2400 - $60.99 - ~240PPD - - - 3.94
Radeon HD 2600 Pro - $60.99 - ~700PPD - - - 11.48

Radeon HD 3000 series
Radeon HD 3650 - $79.99 - ~775PPD - - - 9.69
Radeon HD 3850 - $140.99 - ~2000PPD - 95w - 21.05 - 14.19
Radeon HD 3870 - $176.99 - ~2000PPD - 122w - 16.39 - 11.30
Radeon HD 3870 X2 - $487.99 - ~2000PPD - 182w - 10.99 - 4.10

[PorPorMe]

Where did you get your facts and figures? I ask because my bill says something different. I can't give you exact figures, I changed my setup and the next bill verified my change so I didn't keep the exact numbers but this is close.
I started wondering about cost when I had 3 cpu clients running. I checked around and if a person shuts down the monitor when not in use, each CPU client is going to cost betreen 6 & 9 bucks a month with 4 0r 5 not unheard of. I verified this on my bill as it went up about $20 bucks. I can afford this.
I buy the 9600GT and now run the GPU client. If i remember right, my bill went up another 22 bucks. Now we are talking over 40 dollars a month to fold. my two CPU clients went off line.
the point is, my 9600GT didn't cost that much.

[dabaerman]

Originally Posted by Daniel ~

Many thanks Bear man! I'm sure you will encourage others.

thanks Dan~, as I have been encouraged by others.

Ron

[Daniel ~]

Yeah,? Me to! ":O}

[dabaerman]

more from the test bench. this card (ATI-HD4670 from ASUS) has responded to modest over clocking. stock core speed is 750MHz and gives 1661ppd. increase to 800MHz netted 1766ppd. I am now moving in 10MHz steps to find where the limit is. I try to do this early in the unit so as not to waste mine or Stanford's time. I'll keep pushing and report back.

Ron

[funnyperson1]

I getting ~3300PPD on my 4850 with the GPU clocked at 675Mhz

With a TDP of 110W and a price of $140 this works out to 30 PPD/W and 23.5 PPD/$

[dabaerman]

I've increased the clock 120MHz to 870MHz for a 240ppd increase to 1901ppd. the 4650/4670 cards do not fold as well as I had assumed. I will have to find out why.

Ron

[SteveI]

My 3870 gets about 2400PPD. It is mildly overclocked, but I cannot recall details.

One downside to ATI, is that the shader clock is locked to the core. However, I read somewhere that the new cores 4k series, may be unlockable to up the shaders without impacting the core.

Also, you may have some luck if you run GPU_FAH by itself, even if you have a CPU core idling. If it improves PPD, you can set affinities to dedicate a cpu for gpu folding.

Good luck with it.

[dabaerman]

Originally Posted by SteveI

My 3870 gets about 2400PPD. It is mildly overclocked, but I cannot recall details.

One downside to ATI, is that the shader clock is locked to the core. However, I read somewhere that the new cores 4k series, may be unlockable to up the shaders without impacting the core.

Also, you may have some luck if you run GPU_FAH by itself, even if you have a CPU core idling. If it improves PPD, you can set affinities to dedicate a cpu for gpu folding.

Good luck with it.

After 2.5 hours @ 870MHz, it decided to overheat? or freeze up. backed off to 850, still folding after 12 hours and 1901ppd
I may try a 3870, I may not. it is an ATI thread

Ron

[ThunderRd]

A couple of days ago while here in Bangkok with the clan, I visited Pantip Plaza, one of the world's largest computer-related malls. Needless to say I wish I had done a bit more studying before going... some of the ATI gear was impressive.

I have decided that my next card will be ATI-or rather a pair of ATIs-to run crossfire in my Maximus Extreme. Now that I know where to go to get the best of the best I have to do some homework.

While there I also saw in working rigs some amazing watercooled nVidia setups that would blow your mind graphics and speed-wise, running with the Corsair 1000W supps.

Off-topic, but I was able to get my hands on the dealer's last new-model Swiftech Apogee GTZ cpu waterblock...specs show a 8C difference in testing on a Q6600 rig from the GTX model (which I already use) to this one. These are the waterblocks of legendary "bowed-base" fame. I would never have believed that the bowed-base concept would work until I tried it myself with my GTX:
Swiftech

Looking forward to getting home in a few days to strap it on.

[dabaerman]

ok, those of you with ATI knowledge/experience, what flavor of ATI video card, under $150.00usd, will I be most happy with? for Folding?
I am beginning to understand that the fsb/shaders are connected/used differently than nVidia cards. how does 320 stream processors @ 600 MHz compare to 640 @ 550MHz? how did you decide which card? 3850-3870-4850-4870?
many questions, yes? have some $$, just looking to spend it on the 'best bang for the bucks'.

Ron

[dabaerman]

Originally Posted by dabaerman

ok, those of you with ATI knowledge/experience..........
Ron

it looks as if few are using ATI vid cards to fold. based on a somewhat biased opinion, a 9600GT gets twice the ppd of an HD4670. makes me think that the majority are currently using nVidia.
I will look into this some more as time permits and try to post more info on ATI/Folding.

Ron

[SteveI]

Ron,
Don't give up. Like all folding for the past 8 years, the current scoring is temporary. ATI PPD sux relative to nVidia, right now. For a budget folder, nVidia is the way to go, but that could change based on promises to yet again, redo point scoring... maybe soon, maybe next year.

Any compares are based on what is available today only.
ATI
3870, about 2000-2500 PPD
4850, about 3000 PPD

NVidia
9600GT, about 4k
9800GT, about 5k

In the $100 range, ATI can do about 2500 PPD with a 3870, and nVidia can do about 5000 PPD with a 9800GT. AR, $50, 9800GSO gives 4000-4500 PPD. Right now, no contest for pure folding.

[ThunderRd]

My next cards are ATI. My money says that with new projects, the artificial points lead of nVidia will dwindle. Shaders are king; ATI has them in spades. With the new, bigger proteins, PG will exploit the shaders in the next year, I believe.

[dabaerman]

Dan~, Gizmo, how about a 'STICKY for theis one?

Ron