Folding on a GPU? Maybe...

[Dillusion]

http://www.newscientist.com/article.ns?id=dn7508

"New software enabling scientists to perform mind-boggling mathematical calculations and see the results rendered almost instantly on their screens has been released by US researchers.

The Scout programming language, developed at Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) in New Mexico, US, lets scientists run complex calculations on a computer's graphics processing unit (GPU) instead of its central processing unit (CPU).

In tests, the graphics processor was able to perform certain types of calculation 12 times faster than a single CPU. "

Does this mean we can soon fold on GPU's? Arent they so much more powerful than CPU, and imagine SLI or Crossfire for folding?

Hehe, just a thought for you guys.

PS- I know its been talked about, but this code is new.

[n00b 0f l337]

That would be pretty good. Fill a comp's pci slots full of cheap pci cards.

[pythagoras]

I cant say too much, but its the high end cards Stanford are working on ;)

Regards

John.

[[XC] moddolicous]

this would probably be more for like the quadras or something, although it is a good idea.

[pythagoras]

No not quadras, your regular Xtremesystems #1 3dmark cards ;)

[n00b 0f l337]

This could be pretty sweet.

[Reznik Akime]

Indeed.. I hope they do go through with this. Fold on the GPU and Dock on the CPU.. That would be kinda neat. :D

[Disposibleteen]

how can a gpu be more powerful than a cpu if the gpu becomes the bottleneck in certain games.

[perkam]

how can a gpu be more powerful than a cpu if the gpu becomes the bottleneck in certain games.

GPU power is far more efficient than cpu...and nex gen tech usually finds its way into GPUs first (DDR3, etc) than it does CPUs, that's one reason it would be faster.

As for bottlenecks, you know how much of a bottleneck an FX-55 is for a Crossfire/SLI setup ?? :p:

Perkam

[Disposibleteen]

but put that setup under the stress of 3d05 and the video array becomes the bottleneck.

[brandinb]

but put that setup under the stress of 3d05 and the video array becomes the bottleneck.t

that program is desighned that way tho

gpu isnt limited by operating standard x86 code it will do whatever the drivers feed it so they can do some radical changes with graphics cards because the work is translated by the drivers so a gpu is extremely fast and parallel in design

[TMM]

how can a gpu be more powerful than a cpu if the gpu becomes the bottleneck in certain games.
because a GPU only has to process certain kinds of tasks. CPUs have to be universal and thus that makes them slower in some things - thats my theory atleast :p

[Ugly n Grey]

GPU's will tend to be better at linear based mathematical calculations, after all, graphics rendering for screen output is basically that. If you can formulate your equations in those terms, it should be faster than a CPU, since a GPU is basically a very fancy coprocessor with dedicated RAM. Take that GPU and try and write an OS for it however.... Good luck and pardon me if I don't help you code :)