APU+GPU for folding?

[Moetrain]

I have my HTPC running F@H using AMD A8-5600K and was wondering if since APU can do 2WU at the same time, if I add a standalone GC will I be able to fold on a 3rd WU at the same time? (more ppd)

Thinking about possibly pulling my gc out of my old tower and throwing it in there just to fold..

[QueenDemetria]

I have my HTPC running F@H using AMD A8-5600K and was wondering if since APU can do 2WU at the same time, if I add a standalone GC will I be able to fold on a 3rd WU at the same time? (more ppd)

Thinking about possibly pulling my gc out of my old tower and throwing it in there just to fold..

As long as you have a motherboard that doesn't disable on-chip graphics while a dedicated card is present I see no problem with this. Some motherboards do disable the on chip GPU, but those are mostly  OEM crap boards(like from a HP), so unless  if you have one of those I would assume you are fine.

[Imakuni]

I have my HTPC running F@H using AMD A8-5600K and was wondering if since APU can do 2WU at the same time, if I add a standalone GC will I be able to fold on a 3rd WU at the same time? (more ppd)

Thinking about possibly pulling my gc out of my old tower and throwing it in there just to fold..

As said above, sometimes the mobo disables de iGPU if you have a discrete GPU. That's my case; if I add an Nvidia card, the iGPU is disabled, though that doesn't happen when I add my Radeon 6670. At any rate, don't do it. Even if the cards ARE detected, the APU is just too slow for folding. Turst me, I tried. In fact, even my 6670 just barely makes it to the deadlines, on a 24/7 schedule.

 

Still, that's not to say that those are completely useless. You can always use Boinc and add a GPU project. I use prime grid, the GPU takes around 1,5h to complete the shorter tasks, while the APU takes around 15h, so the 4 day deadline is doable. It isn't the greatest piece of hardware, but hey, at least it's better than doing nothing.

[Moetrain]

As said above, sometimes the mobo disables de iGPU if you have a discrete GPU. That's my case; if I add an Nvidia card, the iGPU is disabled, though that doesn't happen when I add my Radeon 6670. At any rate, don't do it. Even if the cards ARE detected, the APU is just too slow for folding. Turst me, I tried. In fact, even my 6670 just barely makes it to the deadlines, on a 24/7 schedule.

 

Still, that's not to say that those are completely useless. You can always use Boinc and add a GPU project. I use prime grid, the GPU takes around 1,5h to complete the shorter tasks, while the APU takes around 15h, so the 4 day deadline is doable. It isn't the greatest piece of hardware, but hey, at least it's better than doing nothing.

My fear is that the GC I want to put in is Nvidia and this is AMD system and that it will disable onboard graphics.

Deadlines have not been an issue, the CPU seems to take 16-18hr to do a 9 day job, and gpu takes just over a day for a 4 day job. Plus as you say, having them do something is better than having them do nothing! This being HTPC that used to simply idle all the time is now a (slow) folding machine!

[Timmy-P]

You can force-enable the iGP in the BIOS to do what you want, if that's an issue then you shouldn't have a problem enabling it in Windows Device Manager.

 

I have an APU myself, and have been able to run the iGP with a 650 Ti, then later a Radeon HD 7950.

[Imakuni]

You can force-enable the iGP in the BIOS to do what you want, if that's an issue then you shouldn't have a problem enabling it in Windows Device Manager.

 

I have an APU myself, and have been able to run the iGP with a 650 Ti, then later a Radeon HD 7950.

Correction: You sometimes can force-enable the iGPU, if the BIOS allows it.

 

I also have an APU + nvidia GPU, but the option to use the iGPU get's locked in the BIOS once I plug the card in.

[Timmy-P]

Correction: You sometimes can force-enable the iGPU, if the BIOS allows it.

 

I also have an APU + nvidia GPU, but the option to use the iGPU get's locked in the BIOS once I plug the card in.

Huh.

 

But again, I've had no problem enabling it in Windows Device Manager.