Folding Forum

Aurum wrote:.... If the GPU Folding Projects - Performance database is to be believed I should've seen about 2.84 million PPD...

Aurum wrote: The weak link in the chain is the Xeon E5-2603 CPU. I picked it becuase it was the cheapest 40-lane CPU at $229. I tried folding on 2 cores and not CPU folding with no difference. I was watching the CPU Usage on Windows Task Manager and it was consistently about 86% with no core pegged at 100%. If I CPU folded on 3 cores it did max out at 100%.

ComputerGenie wrote:

Aurum wrote:.... If the GPU Folding Projects - Performance database is to be believed I should've seen about 2.84 million PPD...

The important thing you're missing in that sentence (and your understanding of how/why that db exists) is "if I fold the same PRCGs that were used and my cards are clocked the same as those used".
The entire point of that db was to look at PRCG xxx and compare your folding of PRCG xxx to someone else's folding of PRCG xxx and see if you're having issues.

The entire sample size in that db for a GTX 1080 is still less than 2 days worth of folding.

Aurum wrote:I believed the claims when I built my last rig that as long as the CPU has one core per GPU you'll get full performance. My experience seems to prove otherwise.
Intel Xeon E5-2603 v4 ($229, AVX 2.0, 6 cores & 40 PCIe 3.0 lanes) with CoolMaster EVO 212
https://ark.intel.com/products/92993/In ... -2603%20v4
Gigabyte GA-X99-SLI ($124, has four 16x slots that run x8x8x16x8 3.0 straight off the CPU)
http://uk.gigabyte.com/Motherboard/GA-X99-SLI-rev-10#ov
Quadkit DDR4 2666 G.SKILL Ripjaws 4
250 GB M.2 SSD
Corsair AX1200 PSU
Four Gigagbyte cards: GV-N1070G1 (x8), GV-N1070G1 (x8),GV-N1080G1 (x16), and GV-N1070G1 (x8)
Open tray, no case and NO risers.

I started folding for a few days expecting 2.4 million PPD and never saw higher than 2.0 million PPD. If the GPU Folding Projects - Performance database is to be believed I should've seen about 2.84 million PPD. https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/ ... utput=html
I then swapped out the 1080 for a GV-N1070G1 and saw the same level of PPD performance.
I then installed the Gigabyte Xtreme Gaming Engine and tried each of its 3 OC modes (Eco, Gaming & OC Mode) to all four cards. I saw no increase in PPD with OCing.

The weak link in the chain is the Xeon E5-2603 CPU. I picked it becuase it was the cheapest 40-lane CPU at $229. I tried folding on 2 cores and not CPU folding with no difference. I was watching the CPU Usage on Windows Task Manager and it was consistently about 86% with no core pegged at 100%. If I CPU folded on 3 cores it did max out at 100%.

(Note: My dual-GPU rigs are much more forgiving of the CPU.)

So I searched for FCLGA2011-3 CPUs with 40 lanes and had to look one by one as Intel does not search for that feature.
i7-6850K $610.00
i7-5930K $621.00
i7-6900K $1,050.00
i7-5960X $1,073.00
i7-6950X $1,650.00
Anyone know if there's a cheaper Xeon with 40 PCIe lanes

Aurum wrote:

ComputerGenie wrote:

Aurum wrote:.... If the GPU Folding Projects - Performance database is to be believed I should've seen about 2.84 million PPD...

The important thing you're missing in that sentence (and your understanding of how/why that db exists) is "if I fold the same PRCGs that were used and my cards are clocked the same as those used".
The entire point of that db was to look at PRCG xxx and compare your folding of PRCG xxx to someone else's folding of PRCG xxx and see if you're having issues.

The entire sample size in that db for a GTX 1080 is still less than 2 days worth of folding.

I'm pretty sure you are confusing two different databases. Click the link and see.

TheBlademaster01 wrote:This database was created to compare frame times with other users in order to see whether your PPD is where it should be or if there is something wrong with the system (instability, incorrect client configuration, throttling etc.)

Joe_H wrote:The E5-2603 has 4 cores, and does not have HT. So if a core per GPU is reserved, that leaves no additional cores for CPU folding. There will be some OS overhead competing on those 4 cores with servicing the GPU's.

ComputerGenie wrote:Yeah, no....
As for my sample size comment, the entire sample size of the db for the GTX 1080s is 18 WUs (my personal experience is an average of 11 WUs per day with a GTX 1080).

Gigabyte GA-X99-SLI ($124, has four 16x slots that run x8x8x16x8 3.0 straight off the CPU)

Leonardo wrote:

Gigabyte GA-X99-SLI ($124, has four 16x slots that run x8x8x16x8 3.0 straight off the CPU)

Run GPU-Z, and hover over "Bus Interface" field. It will show you what the lane usage (number of lanes and version) at which GPUs are is running during operation. Does "8X8X16X8" reflect what each slot's capability is when all four slots are populated? (If so, that's an impressive motherboard!)
I find it strange that your 6-core CPU would be a bottleneck. It would seem to me it has more than enough resources to feed all four GPUs, with two cores and speed to spare.
We have a a pretty rich thread here concerning multi-GPU and adequate lane assignments. Sorry, I couldn't find it at the moment.

Aurum wrote:...
The downside of this MB is that they placed the M.2 SSD socket under GPU1 and it chronically overheats. I've got a 120 mm fan sitting on top of the cards blowing down but it's not enough. I have a wall of three 120 mm fans across the back of the cards as well. I'm going to try adding a fan on the side.