CPU or GPU

[Fozzie]

As you all know I have been toying with the idea of a new rig.

What type of quad core etc.

However the GPU or CPU debate has thrown a spanner in the works. You get to the point when you almost settle on a setup and then something changes.

Is it better to go for a good Quad rig or go for a lower end quad to feed a couple of GFX cards on an SLI motherboard.

You can then update the GFX cards as they become cheaper with the quad sitting there doing the feeding job.

You could start with 2 9800 GT(X) and then go for 2x GX2.

Seems that when the GPU BOINC client comes out CPUs will be getting their arses kicked.

[guru]

There is no doubt in my mind the GPU client is a better bang for the buck. If you want to run multiple GPU's in a single system all you need is the PCI-E slots to run them. You don't need an SLI board for the GPU client or to run multiple video cards. I'm running an Intel D975XBX2 motherboard which has 3 PCI-E slots. If I had a large enough power supply I could run 3 9800GX2's and push around 30K ppd from a single system.

[Helix_Von_Smelix]

As you all know I have been toying with the idea of a new rig.

What type of quad core etc.

However the GPU or CPU debate has thrown a spanner in the works. You get to the point when you almost settle on a setup and then something changes.

Is it better to go for a good Quad rig or go for a lower end quad to feed a couple of GFX cards on an SLI motherboard.

You can then update the GFX cards as they become cheaper with the quad sitting there doing the feeding job.

You could start with 2 9800 GT(X) and then go for 2x GX2.

Seems that when the GPU BOINC client comes out CPUs will be getting their arses kicked.

Hi Mate,

Don't hold your breath for a GPU BOINC client. Not for a while anyway.

If you wait for the next great thing to come along, you will always be waiting. Jump in its IT!! As soon as you buy, it's yesterdays out of date box.

Imagine the cooling for three GPU's and a Quad CPU in one box!!

That said,,, wait for the next INTEL cpu's in'09

:cheers::cheers:

[guru]

I'm holding out for the Intel GPU's!

[Shish]

Well, I've taken the first step to a new system and a gpu client having just bought an ATI 4500 and F@H is an old project I may want to get into. But this is my first major purchase for some time and I'm doing a new system step by step with whatever is the current state of computers. This was forced on me slightly tho' after a recent spate and state of "death touch" has caused me to lose 2 home systems so knocking me temporarily out of any DC. Other things also have to be taken into account but I won't settle for anything less than the best I can figure out and buy at the time versus the cost of running it which also may force a lot of us nowadays to take consumption and other factors ( I've called the better half some worse things than that I guess :blush:) into account.
I'm assuming the "death touch" I'm suffering from has been caught from someone else like the cold I've also got ( can't handle even a cold nowadays) and will soon be recovered from as any more incidents such as the last few weeks may stall my future plans in IT :Pokes:( and it wasn't you I was referring to Helix , I owe you an email and a vote of thanks as soon as I get one of these systems running, properly yours are mostly OK).
I'm lucky that I fixed my power bill for 3 years last January so most things are budgetted for but I think the current state of systems indicates a quad for definite and one,maybe two,GPUs though GPUs do seem to eat power and cause heat which has to be taken into account. I've got my GPU, made my choice of board ,ASUS P45, this current Intel quad with 2000 DDR3 memory, and I already have the complete water cooling setup to go with them. Hopefully, while I'm buying bits slowly over a few months, prices will drop a bit but that's my 2 pennorth (I'm English so no cents here...or was that sens(e)(t) ? ):rotfl:.

[Shish]

"EDIT"
Sorry, I meant to say an ATI 4800 ( 1Gb to drive both my desk monitor and a big screen). Apology, got brainfog tonite.:o