hello everybody!

i'm trying to decide which GPU to purchase.

For SETI? No.

For anything else you might want to use the card for before the warranty runs out? Just possibly.

You have the possibility to buy an ATI or a nVIDIA GPU for SETI@home.


BUT, current the AstroPulse splitters are offline. So we don't get AP WUs.
And if we'll have in future continuously AP WUs, I don't know. I guess - no.


Enhanced WUs are 'always' enough around for the nVIDIA GPUs.

'http://setiathome.berkeley.edu/cuda.php'


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[Optimized project applications, for to increase your PC performance (double RAC)!][Overview of abbreviations, which are used often in forum and their meaning.]

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Double precision is available only with compute capability v1.3 cards, e.g., the GTx200 series and later.

As far as I know, SETI@home on CUDA requires compute capability 1.1 or later, which enables atomic functions and thus thread-safe programs. Most of the GeForce 8 and later cards have CC 1.1, with the exception of the 8800 GTS, 8800 GTX, and 8800 Ultra. It's a shame, since those have decent horsepower.

SETI@home does not seem to take advantage of any compute capability 1.2 or 1.3 features. 1.2 only seems to increase the register count per stream processor, and all 1.3 gives you is double precision capability.

There are some BOINC projects which require newer compute capability. I think MilkyWay@home and Einstein@home can run on CUDA, but only on newer cards than I currently have (9600 GSO and 9600 GT).

My recommendation? You get a lot of bang for your buck if you get a triple- or quad-PCIe x16 motherboard, a decent (750W or so) power supply, and multiple GTS 250 cards. The GTS 250 is cheap and scales better, in terms of GFLOPS per dollar, than the more powerful cards like the 260/275/280/285/295. Of course, if all you're looking for is maximum horsepower regardless of cost, the 295 is the way to go (or even one of the Co-Op edition cards).

You might want to wait a month or two, though -- the GeForce GTx300 series is due out probably by mid-year, and is certain to trounce everything currently available in terms of performance. From what I've seen the price points should be about the same, too, which hopefully will push down the prices on current cards.

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As far as I know, SETI@home on CUDA requires compute capability 1.1 or later, which enables atomic functions and thus thread-safe programs. Most of the GeForce 8 and later cards have CC 1.1, with the exception of the 8800 GTS, 8800 GTX, and 8800 Ultra.

I'm crunching on 8800GTX with cuda 1.0 and doing well. 14-18 min per wu. So imo the minimum cuda requirement is 1.0.. as you can see

My recommendation? You get a lot of bang for your buck if you get a triple- or quad-PCIe x16 motherboard, a decent (750W or so) power supply, and multiple GTS 250 cards. The GTS 250 is cheap and scales better, in terms of GFLOPS per dollar, than the more powerful cards like the 260/275/280/285/295. Of course, if all you're looking for is maximum horsepower regardless of cost, the 295 is the way to go (or even one of the Co-Op edition cards).

You might want to wait a month or two, though -- the GeForce GTx300 series is due out probably by mid-year, and is certain to trounce everything currently available in terms of performance. From what I've seen the price points should be about the same, too, which hopefully will push down the prices on current cards.

The 260 is that way to go..........IHHO........

My 260 rig is doing about 20k RAC......

My 295 rigs are both under 36K...........

All are OC'd, but the 260 is just soaking up the settings like a sponge.

783/1692/1269

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"Time is simply the mechanism that keeps everything from happening all at once."

i think it is more simple just to wait GTx300 =)

i think it is more simple just to wait GTx300 =)

Drooling, the kitties are.

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"Time is simply the mechanism that keeps everything from happening all at once."

Interesting. That seems to be contrary to the documentation. :)

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That seems to be contrary to the documentation. :)

what "that?" =)

That seems to be contrary to the documentation. :)

what "that?" =)

Being able to run SETI@home on compute capability 1.0 cards. This thread explains.

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That is an old thread (2008). Things have changed since then.

Well, the fact that CC 1.0 cards can't execute atomic instructions has not changed.

Obviously at least one person is running SETI@home on a CC 1.0 card, so it is possible, but a quick Google search for ""compute capability" seti@home" reveals that thread in the first few results, indicating there hasn't been much discussion of the issue since then.

My point is the documentation (whatever you take that to mean) has not made it obvious that you no longer need a minimum of a CC 1.1 card to run SETI@home.

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The nearest thing there is to documentation is Run SETI@home on your NVIDIA GPU. Very sketchy, because everyone was just feeling their way when it was written (December 2008), but seems factually correct. If your GPU is on NVIDIA's list, which includes the 8800 GTS, 8800 GTX, and 8800 Ultra, it should run.

The thread which Flainn linked isn't documentation: it's just a few confused volunteers trying to work things out for themselves. More questions than answers, as usual.

Thank you Richard. You've put it better than I could.

The fact that GF 8 is CUDA capable it should be enough to run (again) CUDA app for S@H. Fact that is stated in the official documentation linked by Richard, which doesn't state min cuda capability 1.1 or otherwise.