Silly question

[flibberdipper]

Well, more issues with my rig, so a complete redo is in order. I was going to use my 7950 as my main GPU, and possibly use my GTX 480 as a folding GPU (during the winter, good heat). Will I have to install Nvidia drivers to use it just to fold, or will I just be able to pop it in and fold with it when I want?

[Aniallation]

Well, more issues with my rig, so a complete redo is in order. I was going to use my 7950 as my main GPU, and possibly use my GTX 480 as a folding GPU (during the winter, good heat). Will I have to install Nvidia drivers to use it just to fold, or will I just be able to pop it in and fold with it when I want?

I'm pretty sure that the nVidia drivers will have to tag along as well (unless Windows installs the WDDM drivers for you)

[Goose Legs]

Yes, you'll have to install the drivers in order for Windows and other software to know how to utilize your GPU. 

[flibberdipper]

Yes, you'll have to install the drivers in order for Windows and other software to know how to utilize your GPU. 

Figured that much. I was really hoping it wasn't the case, but whatever.

[AlwaysFSX]

Figured that much. I was really hoping it wasn't the case, but whatever.

It's not like it'll break your system though.

[flibberdipper]

It's not like it'll break your system though.

Yeah, I just hate having two sets of drivers installed for video cards.

[CowsGoRoar]

Yeah, I just hate having two sets of drivers installed for video cards.

That's also why people like going AMD CPU and GPU and Intel CPU and NVIDIA GPU, instead of the other combinations. I hate filling my PC with extra drivers.

[flibberdipper]

That's also why people like going AMD CPU and GPU and Intel CPU and NVIDIA GPU, instead of the other combinations. I hate filling my PC with extra drivers.

Since you're either being really dumb or have terrible sarcasm, you might want to think about something: Maybe I've had bad luck with mixing drivers before.

[Briggsy]

would it be possible to have a virtual environment running for the nvidia card, so that it doesn't interfere? I honestly don't know for certain, just throwing the idea out there.

[flibberdipper]

would it be possible to have a virtual environment running for the nvidia card, so that it doesn't interfere? I honestly don't know for certain, just throwing the idea out there.

It sounds like a neat idea, but I don't think it's possible.

[ohJey]

It sounds like a neat idea, but I don't think it's possible.

could you make a small linux partition that has the nvidia dirvers installed for folding?  just an idea

[Briggsy]

It sounds like a neat idea, but I don't think it's possible.

 

https://www.virtualbox.org/ might work. 

[CowsGoRoar]

Since you're either being really dumb or have terrible sarcasm, you might want to think about something: Maybe I've had bad luck with mixing drivers before.

What? I think you misread that. 

[Goose Legs]

https://www.virtualbox.org/ might work. 

When you virtualize an OS, it won't have direct access to the hardware so the drivers won't matter, but the host OS still needs them. This is one reason why virtualized OS's take such a hit in 3D graphics/workloads...everything gets rendered by the CPU.

[goldfries]

It's not a silly question and .......... you need to title your thread better!  

 

That aside, I strongly recommend you against using the GTX 480.

 

GTX 480 wouldn't be as good as the HD 7950 on PPD per watt. 

 

If I were you I'll just use the HD 7950 as main and fold when not using / idle. 

 

You will

1. not have to go through the hassle of mix drivers

2. you will have more PPD

3. you will incur less electricity

 

Think about it, the GTX 480 is a 250w card. 

 

If you could get a Radeon HD 7790, it runs less than 100w and does 50k PPD. Sure beats using a GTX 480 that uses 2.5 more power and produces less.

 

If I'm not mistaken the GTX 480 hovers around 20k PPD range.

 

I can't remember the stats of the GTX 4xx series but a GTX 750 Ti run at at 60w (a quarter of the GTX 480's power consumption) and it has 640 CUDA cores and does some 30k++ PPD so I think that GTX 480 with 446 CUDA cores folding at 20k PPD range sounds about right.