ATI folding@home

[Asus]

FAH

On monday it seems they are releasing a client to proccess the data on the ATI cards. So I can run 2 CPU clients and a GPU client!
Hope my card continues to run in 2D mode so it doesn't get hot. Although I might let it in the winter. Space heater ftw.

 

[-Psy-]

So, what exactly is this in simple man terms?

 

[Asus]

Well folding@home is a program that downloads a file to your computer. Then it works on the file, calculations and such. Then it sends the results back. It's a program that simulates how proteins fold.

A lot of cancer is caused when proteins folding incorrectly in the body. So it's research that anyone with a idle computer can get involved in. I like it better than SETI (a similar program but searches radio signal data for intelligent life in outerspace). You sign up with a name and most people join a team (like TechReport or Anandtech). A little competition.
It doesn't interupt anything you are doing because it is set in 'idle' mode. So if any other application demands CPU time it won't get in the way. My CPU usage is always 100% on both cores because I run 2 clients.

Now F@H just released a client that will do the same thing but run off certain ATI graphic card models and it is said to go a lot faster than having a CPU calculate the data. I think they said it will allow users to crunch data what would normally take a CPU 1 year to complete in just a few months or something like that.

ATI has announced their stream compting plans which allows programs to run on their GPU just like a CPU (have to be made specificly to run on the GFX card).
And F@H will soon have a Playstation 3 client.

 

[Shippi]

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[Asus]

Sounds pretty cool

I use folding@home, but I usually end up turning it off after a little while. A lot of my games just minimise and screw up if I leave it running when playing :/

Really? That's odd. I have not had any issues. Do you use the regular client or the command line version? I use the command line version (console text only).
Good to see someone else that folds here.

 

[Asus]

This sorta gives you an idea the power the GPU has over CPUs with this kind of work.
166 active GPU's at 12 TFLOPS.
It takes an average of 1054 CPUs (Windows) to reach 1 TFLOP. It only takes 14 GPUs to reach that level of performance.
ATI's stream computing seems like a great thing to use.