Help me pick a folding GPU

[Dead Things]

The GTX295 is a horrible folding card from both a PPD/$ and PPD/W perspective. I would never in a million years buy a GTX295 just for folding.

At any given time, there are just four cards that are of interest to folders - or perhaps I ought to say "...should be of interest..." - and currently they are:

High-end PPD/$ = 9800GX2
Low-end PPD/$ = 8800GS/9600GSO (G92)

Hi-end PPD/W = GTX260
Low-end PPD/W = GT240

...and depending on how pricing of the GT240 pans out post-release, it may knock the 8800GS/9600GSO out of the PPD/$ spot.

So what does this mean? In the simplest terms, it means that if you're not buying one of those cards, you're literally throwing money away either on the card itself or on your hydro bill. Since I am not much of a fan of throwing money away, I try to make sure I hit one of those four sweet spots when buying cards for folding.

[Soultribunal]

The 9800 and 8800GT's are great little cards too , they are basically single GX2's after all lol.

ANd net very good PPD. I get 11k out of the 9800 and 8800 I have right now.

ST

[lechumbl]

Hi Charlie,

My two 9800 GX2's were putting out 10k each.
Not a bad count........when they worked.

Take care..........

[Goalieman077]

Originally Posted by Dead Things

The GTX295 is a horrible folding card from both a PPD/$ and PPD/W perspective. I would never in a million years buy a GTX295 just for folding.

At any given time, there are just four cards that are of interest to folders - or perhaps I ought to say "...should be of interest..." - and currently they are:

High-end PPD/$ = 9800GX2
Low-end PPD/$ = 8800GS/9600GSO (G92)

Hi-end PPD/W = GTX260
Low-end PPD/W = GT240

...and depending on how pricing of the GT240 pans out post-release, it may knock the 8800GS/9600GSO out of the PPD/$ spot.

So what does this mean? In the simplest terms, it means that if you're not buying one of those cards, you're literally throwing money away either on the card itself or on your hydro bill. Since I am not much of a fan of throwing money away, I try to make sure I hit one of those four sweet spots when buying cards for folding.

Now I don't understand this. 295 about twice the ppd, produces less heat and only takes up one slot, can't see how that is bad. Well anyway i'm not really in a rush since I don't need to fold. So I will be on the look out for 260 216 55nm, gx2s though I still like a 295

[geokilla]

Originally Posted by Goalieman077

Now I don't understand this. 295 about twice the ppd, produces less heat and only takes up one slot, can't see how that is bad. Well anyway i'm not really in a rush since I don't need to fold. So I will be on the look out for 260 216 55nm, gx2s though I still like a 295

They do NOT produce less heat. At least I don't think they do. Think about it, 2 GTX280 cores on one GPU. NVIDIA had to do something to the fan controller and the heatsink in order to accommodate the heat that the GPU outputs. In the end, I say multiple GTX275 or 9600GSO, or even both. Or like ST said, get used 8800GT and 9800GT.

HOWEVER, I stick with what I said earlier. Wait for GPU3. IF GPU3 puts ATI back as the top folding GPU to buy, well you just wasted $400. Actually, it's not wasted, but for $400 you might be able to buy a GPU that folds better than the NVIDIA counterpart.

[crazyhorsejohnny]

Buddy had a 295 folding. PPD was nice but he said the heat it gave out was unbelievable. And he said it whined more than any other card he's had before.

[Goalieman077]

I'm pretty sure a 295 has 2 275 cores but I could be wrong. I will look into 275s just I want the max ppd for my 2 slots available. I may wait to GPU3 I wish they has an ETA :( then I would probably sell my 5870 and get a 5970:) anyway I will wait a bit most likely, only reason why I thought about going for a 295 was I was originally going for a gx2 and a 295 gets double the ppd but at double the cost and one slot.

[Zero82z]

Originally Posted by geokilla

They do NOT produce less heat. At least I don't think they do. Think about it, 2 GTX280 cores on one GPU.

Not less heat than one GTX200 card, but less heat than two. And it's not two GTX280 cores (65nm GT200 with 240SPs, 512-bit memory bus), it's two GTX275 cores (55nm GT200b with 240SPs, 448-bit memory bus).

Originally Posted by geokilla

HOWEVER, I stick with what I said earlier. Wait for GPU3. IF GPU3 puts ATI back as the top folding GPU to buy, well you just wasted $400. Actually, it's not wasted, but for $400 you might be able to buy a GPU that folds better than the NVIDIA counterpart.

And what gives you the idea that GPU3 will magically make ATI GPUs outperform nVidia GPUs when folding? The best that we can hope for is a performance improvement assuming GPU3 takes advantage of the LDS on 4000 and 5000 series cards, but even that probably wouldn't make them on par with nVidia cards, since there's still a lot of optimization that just isn't getting done on the ATI side. And from what little public info there is out there regarding GPU3, it will actually result in an overall performance decrease, not an increase.

[Goalieman077]

Gah! So many contradicting posts I really have no idea anymore, well I'm going to bed before my brain explodes :D

[Soultribunal]

The G92 Core Cards 8800GT/9800GT or the GTS250's are really the best way to go for Budget Friendly folding.

Heat, well I don't get beyond 60's on any of these cards and thats at 60% Fan Speed.

Power Consumption is lower on the GTS250's as well, and two of them can net up to 12K. My Superclocked EVGA GTS250 gets me 5.5-6.2K ppd, on Factory Clocked settings.

ST