How are the GPUs and Gaming Consoles Folding?

OrianeOriane Turn around.
edited November 2006 in Folding@Home
I thought I'd start a thread to see if anyone has been folding with these or have some information about them that they can post. I'm seriously considering upping my folding capability effectively and I'm wondering if the GPU and gaming console path (like ATI and PS3 right now) is worth it. (Christmas is a great time to think about this).

I seldom play games anymore, so I'm thinking of a 24/7 set-up. Questions come to mind:

Is it really that much more effective than even the best CPUs out there?

Is it more power efficient (if you can tell)?

I know some of this right now might be too soon to say- especially reliability, but I thought I'd see if there were some early indications.

Thanks!

Comments

  • DanGDanG I AM CANADIAN Icrontian
    edited November 2006
    From what I remember, the PS3's fold incredibly well. From what I remember, the GPU client for ATI needed some work because you needed to dedicate a core to feeding the GPU or something like that, so not terribly efficient.
  • muddocktormuddocktor
    edited November 2006
    Actually, nobody knows how well the ps3 folds, except maybe Stanford and Sony. This is because the ps3 client hasn't been released yet, even into beta. And last I read, there is no firm timetable as to when Stanford will be starting to beta test the ps3 client either. They are still bound by NDA's at this time from saying much about it at all.
  • OrianeOriane Turn around.
    edited November 2006
    muddocktor wrote:
    Actually, nobody knows how well the ps3 folds, except maybe Stanford and Sony. This is because the ps3 client hasn't been released yet, even into beta. And last I read, there is no firm timetable as to when Stanford will be starting to beta test the ps3 client either. They are still bound by NDA's at this time from saying much about it at all.

    Thank you- that certainly helps explain why my cursory searches are turning up more hype than hard information. I thought it might have been that everyone was too busy gaming to pay much attention :).

    It seems there are also not a lot of resounding positives about GPU folding yet either. I have seen that nVidia may be in the mix soon. I also saw in the same article that they had a high-end ATI X1950XTX that may do a little bit better than my Toledo on both cores- but I was also hoping for some longer term numbers with less expensive boards like the X1950Pro. If anyone knows.

    I hope I'm wrong, but it doesn't look like these aspects of FAH are taking off too well yet.

    Thanks again.
  • LeonardoLeonardo Wake up and smell the glaciers Eagle River, Alaska Icrontian
    edited November 2006
    it doesn't look like these aspects of FAH are taking off too well yet
    I think it's only a matter of time before the amazing potential of GPUs are unlocked. 'They' will get right, but it may take a while for the software to be tuned correctly.
  • muddocktormuddocktor
    edited November 2006
    Oriane wrote:
    Thank you- that certainly helps explain why my cursory searches are turning up more hype than hard information. I thought it might have been that everyone was too busy gaming to pay much attention :).

    It seems there are also not a lot of resounding positives about GPU folding yet either. I have seen that nVidia may be in the mix soon. I also saw in the same article that they had a high-end ATI X1950XTX that may do a little bit better than my Toledo on both cores- but I was also hoping for some longer term numbers with less expensive boards like the X1950Pro. If anyone knows.

    I hope I'm wrong, but it doesn't look like these aspects of FAH are taking off too well yet.

    Thanks again.

    I am waiting for the release of the AGP version of the X1950 Pro myself. I have several different AGP rigs I can try it on, if the damn thing isn't too expensive to start with. I do know that it's a 256 MB card and most 256 MB cards have been having stuttering problems while folding. But it seems that some aren't having the stuttering problems on certain chipsets, so I could test this out also. I also have a pci Radeon 9200 vid card I can use while testing too, if the stuttering problem is too bad to mess with while the 1950 is folding. I had picked the pci 9200 up as an emergency backup card some time ago for around $25.

    And that is interesting news about G80 and F@H. :thumbsup:
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