Folding Forum

The current benchmarking calculations for SMP and GPU projects are performed on different machines since originally the SMP cores could not perform the calculations that the GPUs cores could and vice versa (GPUs were only for implicit solvent calculations and SMP only for explicit solvent calculations). With recent advances in both cores and completion of our testing of these capabilities to ensure agreement, we are now confident we can do the same work on both cores. Thus, we feel that it is time to unify GPU and SMP benchmarking, both for simplicity and fairness.

In order to complete the move towards this plan of "equal points for equal work," new GPU projects will be benchmarked using the existing SMP benchmarking scheme. Based on our internal tests, the end effect of this new, unified benchmarking scheme would boost the points for the GPU projects, both in terms of base points but also by bringing Quick Return Bonuses to GPU clients. In order to test the new scheme, we have started a GPU3 project (Project ID: 8057) and released it for beta testing. Once the benchmarking scheme has been tested, all the current GPU projects will be re-benchmarked to reflect the changes in the benchmarking scheme.

jimerickson wrote:so this is a big step towards qrb for gpu?

Nathan_P wrote:I'm assuming that this will not just be restricted to nvidia GPU's?

muziqaz wrote:As far as I understand it will be for closed beta 1st

Jesse_V wrote:

muziqaz wrote:As far as I understand it will be for closed beta 1st

I think you mean Beta Team testers, like everyone in viewforum.php?f=66

Nathan_P wrote:I'm assuming that this will not just be restricted to nvidia GPU's?

Probably, at least until AMD gets their stuff together with their OpenCL compiler.

originally the SMP cores could not perform the calculations that the GPUs cores could and vice versa (GPUs were only for implicit solvent calculations and SMP only for explicit solvent calculations). With recent advances in both cores and completion of our testing of these capabilities to ensure agreement, we are now confident we can do the same work on both cores.

k1wi wrote:I appreciate that everyone has seemed to have focused on what this will mean in terms of PPD, QRB and whether AMD or NVidia will 'get it', but I really think the second half of the first sentence and the second sentence mean a hell of a lot more for the science of folding@home:

originally the SMP cores could not perform the calculations that the GPUs cores could and vice versa (GPUs were only for implicit solvent calculations and SMP only for explicit solvent calculations). With recent advances in both cores and completion of our testing of these capabilities to ensure agreement, we are now confident we can do the same work on both cores.

kiore wrote:...
I am also hopeful that this will mean a huge leap in productivity and participation. Adding a GPU is one of the easiest upgrades to existing systems and although the electricity usage has been high going the GPU route rather than multi cpus, I see the potential if this works out for encouraging people to upgrade, or throwing a GPU in that 'old boxen' and firing it up again. This could be a boost to hardware spending like Big Advanced was.. At the very least encouraging those who already have the hardware but are not folding on it.