FAH - GPU core discussion

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Would the HIS-brand X1900XT cards with the ICEQ3 cooler run the coolest?

mk0603003_A520_IceQ3_s_250.jpg


http://www.hisdigital.com/html/product_ov.php?id=227&view=yes





 

P5-133XL

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Well, the first thing you will have to do is sign up for the beta team. Submit your request in this topic

As to your concerns, I have multiple questions too and really untill more information has been supplied and the GPU client is released to the beta team, we really won't have a clue. The only people that do have that type of info, aren't talking. Further, even the Beta team are constrained in communicating about beta stuff except to other beta team members...
 

Handruin

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That looks decent. I haven't yet researched stock vs aftermarket cooling on the 1900 series. I think the sapphire card I bought works in a similar manner. Mine is also a two slot design and it blows the hot air out the back...but it takes from the air inside the case, which I'm not sure how the HIS cooler works.
 

Handruin

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Mark, in regards to GPU beta testing, the admin Bruce says:

Some folks are interested only in testing the GPU, PS3, or Clearspeed code. That code is not ready for beta, so there isn't anything I can do with posts asking just for that type of testing. The present beta testing structure may or may not be used for those projects, if and when they reach maturity so I'm just parking their requests here. See http://folding.stanford.edu/FAQ-highperformance.html

There is plenty of testing to be done on new WUs and new cores. This thread is supposed to be for posts if you want to do that type of testing, not the GPU, PS3, or Clearspeed cores, which do not exist yet. Only requests for WU beta testing will be processed.
 

P5-133XL

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That looks decent. I haven't yet researched stock vs aftermarket cooling on the 1900 series. I think the sapphire card I bought works in a similar manner. Mine is also a two slot design and it blows the hot air out the back...but it takes from the air inside the case, which I'm not sure how the HIS cooler works.

I have the x1900GT IceQ and I have to admit it runs relatively cool (for a modern high performance video card). Matter of fact, I overclock it signifigently.

One does pay a signifigent premium for HIS IceQ cards though. It cost about $50 (aprox 15%) more than the low price for a generic x1900GT.
 

Handruin

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What temperatures are you seeing in the control panel at idle with your x1900gt? At the stock speed, I'm seeing 55C with mine.
 

iGary

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Handruin

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I meant it in a general sense of aftermarket cooling, not that I wanted to buy the HIS cooler (although if it is better then I would cosider it...but I can't).
 

iGary

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I have the x1900GT IceQ and I have to admit it runs relatively cool (for a modern high performance video card)...

From what I've heard (secondhand, secondfoot, thirdhand, etc) is that the ICEQ-cooled HIS video cards currently provide the best balance of cooling versus noise in boxed retail Radeon graphics cards without getting into something esoteric like water-cooling or giant-sized elaborate heat pipe setups.

Note that some HIS-brand cards do not come with ICEQ coolers. Also, there are ICEQ, ICEQ2, and now ICEQ3 coolers; this depends on the generation of Radeon video card. All ICEQ coolers take up the slot that's adjacent to the video card.



 

P5-133XL

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What temperatures are you seeing in the control panel at idle with your x1900gt? At the stock speed, I'm seeing 55C with mine.

On idle, at stock speeds, and displaying 2D stuff the card runs exactly 49 C.

The default settings are a GPU clock of 500MHz and RAM at 600MHz. Running the ATI overdrive automated clock config produces temps of 68-70C and produces a GPU @ 632 MHz and RAM at 716MHz. I delibrately downgrade those to GPU=600MHz and RAM=700MHz. The overclock settings only run while in 3d graphics mode.

When playing a game like WoW, the temps run around 62C and almost immediately (within 20 seconds) drops down to 49 when the game stops

I don't notice the video cooling fan at all over the ambiant noise in the room, even while it was caluculating the OC settings.

Does that help?
 

Groltz

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As far as I know, you can't purchase an aftermarket version of HIS's ICEQ3 cooler -- much less install it on any other brand of video card.

HIS and some other ATI partners have used Arctic Cooling VGA coolers on their high-end cards for a few years now. In past generations the supplied cooler was exactly like the current Arctic Cooling model.

The HIS card that you've linked to certainly appears to have an AC cooler on it, but it must be an OEM-only since the only X1900-X1950 cooler on AC's site is the Accelero X2.
 

P5-133XL

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Handruin, just one more thing about the temps (I'd edit the previous post: But that is not allowed.)

The ambient temp of the case is 43C
 

P5-133XL

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GPU launch Monday Oct 2nd

This is useful info for those interested in GPU folding.

Vijay Pande said:
The GPU beta launch will be on Monday Oct 2 in the afternoon (Pacific time). We have been doing extensive testing and, while all the bugs aren't worked out (this is a beta relase after all), there are no show stoppers so far and it's a good time to put this into a bigger release.

Just some heads up for people to keep in mind:

o The GPU code requires specific drivers and system software, so this will be a much more complex install than before (another reason for this being a beta release). Be prepared to potentially update your ATI driver version and/or Direct X version.

o At launch, we will only support X1900 class GPU's (X1900XT, X1900XTX, X1950, X1900GT), as they are the only GPUs which give reasonable performance with FAH. More GPU support will be forthcoming, starting with other ATI GPU's (most likely the X1800 and X1650), but we have no ETA on their support.

o People have been curious about the nature of the core in the GPU client. The GPU Gromacs core isn't a port of Gromacs, but rather we've taken key elements from Gromacs we need and enhanced them based on the unique capabities of GPU's. Thus, it's really a new and different core on the inside, but with wrapped Gromacs on the outside; the new core will be called Core_10. For example, Core_10 WU's can't correctly be run on non-GPU cores and vice versa (and thus it is impossible to run GPU WU's on non-GPU systems and vice versa). This enables some new and exciting science, but it's important to be clear that this isn't just a port. This is very similar to the inclusion of Gromacs in 2003 when FAH only ran Tinker. Gromacs' functionality is a subset of Tinker's, but Gromacs runs 20x to 30x faster than Tinker (for the parts we use Gromacs for). Since Gromacs wasn't a complete substitute for Tinker, we still use Tinker for certain key calculations. Similarly, the GPU core is faster than Gromacs, but on a limited (and somewhat augmented/altered) subset of Gromacs' capabilities.

We'll be giving the full scoop on Monday, but I wanted to try to give people some early warning so they know what to expect on Monday. This is definitely a BETA RELEASE, so don't expect something very polished. Also, we're preparing the final FAQ and HOWTO material and we will give more info as it makes sense to release it. I've even broken my own rules by releasing the info above, but I thought it was important as I want people who are interested in testing the beta to be prepared for all of what will be needed (which is unfortunately quite a bit, considering the need for driver updates, etc) to run the GPU client.

More info on Monday
 

P5-133XL

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Other things I've gleened, from reading posts at F@H.

The GPU client will be running in 2D mode and has a relatively low power and cooling requirements However, it is unknown, if the fans commonly used on video cards are really designed for 24x7 use: The result,of that is that they really don't know if GPU folding will produce early fan/video card failure, in the long run. Big Question mark.

From another remark made by Dr. Pande, it appears that multiple cards will be supported. You too, in a few months and for big dollars with the right MB, can create a folding farm in a box with 4 high-end graphics cards, a quad core processor and an appropiate power supply to suck down the needed juice.
 

Clocker

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I just ordered an Acclero X2 to see how that will work once I start GPU folding.

C
 
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