PS3 - How much difference does it make alone?

[DR]

If we were to get additional users to bring in PS3's how much difference can it make to the overall thing? what PC equiv are they?

i.e - 1x PS3 = 2 x Quad Core Intel CPU's

[madman045]

This thread may help you in your answer DR

http://forums.hexus.net/distributed-...lated-f-h.html

Andy

[Agent]

If we were to get additional users to bring in PS3's how much difference can it make to the overall thing? what PC equiv are they?

i.e - 1x PS3 = 2 x Quad Core Intel CPU's

The PS3 is brilliant at crunching the data that folding@home does, but the points system doesn't reward it as such.
A core2duo (not quad) at about 3gighz will give around double, points wise, over the PS3 per day.

Having said that, the PS3 (again, points wise) is only second to the SMP and is much more than the GPU + single CPU clients

[DR]

...but if the PS3 does them quicker then it surely 'wins' long term? i.e you get less points but you get them faster?

[Agent]

My figures were for a 24 hours period (approximately anyway).

So the maximum you can get on a PS3 is 900points per 24 hours, regardless of how many units is crunched in that time.

The link above has the formula in it which makes it much easier to understand

If you want a simple x = y forumla for it, a reasonable estimation is
1 core2duo@ ~3Ghz = (just under - about 40 points) 2 * PS3's points wise

[DR]

Then you need to work out the following matrix

Price per point - i.e PS3 costs x CPU costs y
Power used etc

Basically at 300 quid it might be cheaper to buy 3 PS3s to process with rather than 1 PC

[Agent]

Yep, If power is taken into account it might turn out a bit different.
Although in games, there isn't a huge amount between them: XBOX 360 vs PS3 (and Wii) - Power Consumption Report - hardCOREware.net

I wonder how much power the RSX chip uses, as this wouldn't be used when crunching. Ideally we'd need someone to give us figures from here

[Webby]

Yep, If power is taken into account it might turn out a bit different.
Although in games, there isn't a huge amount between them: XBOX 360 vs PS3 (and Wii) - Power Consumption Report - hardCOREware.net

I wonder how much power the RSX chip uses, as this wouldn't be used when crunching. Ideally we'd need someone to give us figures from here

From that link at idle a PS3 uses 170W and at full load just shy of 200W so taking a value for folding in that region, the duel core PC with a 7950GT consumed about 200W as well when game playing taking a PC designed purely for Folding under full load a similar value would be probable. So I would doubt the would be significant savings to be made from running costs.

A PS3 will cost you £300 and earn you 900 points per day (24/7) a core 2 duo running at 3GHz running the SMP client under XP will net you 1760 points per day and a quad core at the same speed presumably would get you close to double that (3520 points per day). so you would need 4 PS3s to generate the same points as a quad core system at 3GHz so that is £1200 which you could easily get 3 dedicated quad core folding rigs assuming no/low spec graphics, small hard drives etc., which would net you 10000 points a day, of course you wouldn't have a PS3 to play games on though!

[Nick F]

My PS3 generates me roughly 850 points a day whilst my SMP clients earns us roughly 1,700 points per days. It's amazing how fast the PS3 gets through the units though, I'm sure there are tons on PS3 users on this forum that could help.

[Webby]

Don't get me wrong if people have PS3s then fold fold fold!

But if you are considering spending money to increase your folding production then you can't beat a quad core PC probably running Linux completing SMP units.

[Lowe]

Well, I just got a PS3 and added that to the group.

It does fly through the units and it looks a whole lot prettier too lol.

[Zak33]

Well, I just got a PS3 and added that to the group.

It does fly through the units and it looks a whole lot prettier too lol.

no PS3 looks prettier tha my Sugo.

Not a hope

[Lowe]

I was on about the actual display on screen. Little bobble things jiggling over a slowly panning world with lights on it.

[Zak33]

oooh......gotcha