Multi-GPU Nvidia Client now in Beta!

Distributed Computing Projects Folding @ Home
1

Here’s what you need:
[ol]
[li]A mobo with at least two PCI-E slots
[/li][li]2 nVidia cards - GeForce 8xxx series or newer (They do NOT have to be the same model)
[/li][li]FAH GPU2 Client 6.12 Beta 8
[/li][li]Version 1.07 FahCore_11.exe file (a special download at http://www.stanford.edu/~friedrim/FahCore_11.exe )
[/li][li]A monitor for each card
[/li][/ol]
Install the first client, then delete the FAHCORE_11.EXE file and replace it with the Version 1.07 file you downloaded.
Follow the instructions for “What about multi-gpu support and the -gpu switch?” found at http://folding.stanford.edu/English/FAQ-ATI2 (It’s for the ATI cards, but the procedure is the same)

I dropped one of my Console clients (approx 300 PPD) and plugged in my 9800 GTX running a second GPU2 client. :devil:

FAHMON is reporting the following stats:
Console 1: 305.15 PPD
Console 2: 278.66 PPD
GPU1 (8800 GTX): 4650.07 PPD
GPU2 (9800 GTX): 5305.85 PPD

TOTAL PPD: 10539.73

All from one mobo! :smiley:

2

On item 5 you say "A monitor for each card " is this really essential to the running of the client ???

3

Apparently only for the initial setup. For the instructions in in the ATI document to work, both cards have to have the desktop extended to them and that can’t happen unless there is a monitor on the card.

4

Hmm will have to see if some jiggery pokery with a two port KVM will work
Still have to get another GPU before I try .

5

There is an alternate method which involves using a batch file or script to start each client after changing a system environment variable that supposedly would not require a second monitor, but I was impatient and had my old monitor sitting unused…

The script would set the system environment variable to 0 for the first card, then run GPU2, then set the variable to 1 and run the second GPU2.

6

Never mind, they say you still need the desktop extended for the alternate method as well. On the plus side, rumor has it that the DVI/SVGA adapter looks like a monitor to Windows. You may be able to get away with just using that on the card.

7

off topic - a bit. Soz. The FAHCORE_11.EXE 1.07 client is reported to fix stuttering in windows media player systems. Not had chance to test that, but it has fixed it, as far as I can see in playing you-tube video’s.

8

Yeah. The 1.07 Core fixes quite a few side-effects. They added better Affinity support as well - allowing you to define which core(s) will be used by the GPU2 client. It also is supposed to fix a bunch of the mid-WU EUE terminations while boosting processing times by 3 or so percentage points.

9

The monitor requirement appears to be only in Vista systems. WinXP users are saying they don’t need the monitor to get the second card working.

10

I love this multi GPU setup
current readings from FahMon

Windows SMP client 1273 ppd
GPU 1 ( 8800GT ) 4138 ppd
GPU 2 ( 8800GT ) 4986 ppd
totals vary with projects being crunched, but I have managed to quadruple the output on this rig for less than cost of a cheap laptop .

11

Yes, you’re ramping up the 24-hour average nicely! So far, it looks like you’re about 4000 per day better than before you added GPU clients. :driving:

12

ATI’s new card puts serious competition on the new Nvidia chips for about half the price (It reportedly beats the GTX 260 in a bunch of game comparisons). As a result, Nvidia is arranging a price cut on the GTX 260 and GTX 280 cards sometime soon. Not much of a price cut, but anything will help. Saving for that GTX 280 just got a LITTLE bit easier. :slight_smile: