...currently running the regular windows folding client. The computer also has an Nvidia 8400GS graphics card (2007) with 512mb memory. Is this a good/new enough card to run an SMP client.
The SMP client is used only with computers that have multiple cores (dual, triple, quad, or octal, or simulation of dual/octal via hyper-threading).
Several of the last versions of Pentium 4 had
Hyper-threading capability. If you have a version that has Hyper-threading, since it can simulate a second core, it can utilize the SMP client. To meet SMP work unit deadlines, a single-core Pentium 4 with Hyper-threading probably would have operate much faster than 3 GHz. A few
have reported success, usually via overclocking. Just making SMP work unit deadlines would probably net around 600 PPD.
Your graphics card is listed here (
CUDA enabled), so it can fold.
The 8400GS GPU will typically fold at a higher PPD than the single-core CPU.
According to
this chart (scroll to the bottom of the page), an 8400GS can fold at the rate of about 500 PPD.
Plus, if also running a regular uni-processor client add points that it will produce.
Should I run the SMP client instead of the single processor client? or can both be set-up fairly simple and run together? XP is the operating system.
If your CPU has Hyper-threading capability, the SMP client only could be worth a try (especially if you could overclock it).
Or, you could set it up to fold with both:
- the CPU (using regular single-core client) and
- the GPU (video card).
Even if a particular Pentium 4 CPU had Hyper-threading, it probably would not be a good idea to try to run the SMP client and GPU simultaneously.
(Note: True multi-core CPUs can handle SMP and GPU processing simultaneously)If you decide to set it up for GPU folding and or GPU/CPU folding.
The latest NVIDIA drivers (version 180.60) enable GPU folding with very little CPU utilization (~ less 5%).
Download the new drivers here:
http://www.nvidia.co...t/cuda_get.html
Select WindowsXP (probably 32 bit) and download CUDA 2.1 beta (180.60).
Uninstall the old NVIDA driver and install the new one (follow special instructions if any).
Download the GPU client from Stanford.
http://folding.stanf...ownloadWinOther
You can select at least two versions, one has a Graphical interface for ease of configuration.
The other has a command line interface.
The command line-interface version has name like this:
Folding@home-Win32-GPU_XP-623.zip
You may prefer the other versions (graphical interface, non-command line), they will be fine.
Place this download in a separate directory (folder) from the current regular client, and expand the .zip file there.
Start the client and fill in the configuration info.
You may want to fold with GPU only for a short while to get established.
When folding with both the regular client and the GPU client, it is best to have different core priorities set.
Priorities are set in the client.cfg file (a text-like file that contains configuration info).
I think the graphical interface allows priority setting, but not sure. There are a few ways of setting priority.
If the GPU has highest priority, it will not be much affected by the CPU and also the CPU will fold at almost full speed. If they are set at the same priority then the CPU will interfere slightly the with GPU progress.
Caveat:
Folding causes CPUs and GPUs to work hard, therefore the the temperatures rise. Make sure any dust in the case and fan areas is cleared out. Canned air is good for this purpose. Observe the computer for a while to see if it is handling the increased load. A computer may have a weak subsystem (power supply, memory, or various other components that may fail under increased loads).
Edited by dnamechanic, 07 January 2009 - 01:40 AM.