[Beowulf] crunch per kilowatt: GPU vs. CPU

[Nifty Tom Mitchell]

On Mon, May 18, 2009 at 01:35:43PM -0400, Joe Landman wrote:
> David Mathog wrote:
>> Although the folks now using CUDA are likely most interested in crunch
>> per unit time (time efficiency), perhaps some of you have measurements
>> and can comment on the energy efficiency of GPU vs. CPU computing?  That
>> is, which uses the fewest kilowatts per unit of computation.  My guess
>
> Using theoretical rather than "actual" performance, unless you get the  
> same code doing the same computation on both units:

Another issue is the upgrade cost and upgrade potential.  Looking across
my room I see an older AMD-64bit single core Athlon box.   It would be
less expensive and much less of a task to swap out and upgrade the GFX
card than it would be to update the processor.   In some cases multiple
GFX cards are also possible.

Also it makes little sense for me to upgrade the GFX card based on
graphics display needs only.   If I toss CUDA in the mix a high end
GFX card upgrade does get interesting.


-- 
	T o m  M i t c h e l l 
	Found me a new hat, now what?