Worth the power draw for folding?

[GnatDaGnat]

I intend to build something along these lines that I will use exclusively for folding (mainly on GPU) , taking advantage of Black Friday at the end of the month:

 

http://pcpartpicker.com/p/Xq6g6h

 

Is the folding performance I will get worth the power draw, particularly of the r9 270? Or should I go for the similarly priced GTX 950, though it has far worse floating point performance?

 

Also, any other thoughts on the rig? Note I chose the Pentium G3258 because I want a cheapish system and don't intend to use the CPU for folding at all.

 

Thanks

[Madone6]

If power is cheap in your area, splurge for the 270. If not, get the 950 also the 270 works as a space heater for the coming months

[SansVarnic]

I intend to build something along these lines that I will use exclusively for folding (mainly on GPU) , taking advantage of Black Friday at the end of the month:

 

http://pcpartpicker.com/p/Xq6g6h

 

Is the folding performance I will get worth the power draw, particularly of the r9 270? Or should I go for the similarly priced GTX 950, though it has far worse floating point performance?

 

Also, any other thoughts on the rig? Note I chose the Pentium G3258 because I want a cheapish system and don't intend to use the CPU for folding at all.

 

Thanks

 

If you plan on folding don't use the g series processor, get at minimum an i3 or your processor will burn out quickly as your gpu will still utilize one to process the job assignment. Iknow the g is a dual but it will over heat.

[Deil Grist]

If you plan on folding don't use the g series processor, get at minimum an i3 or your processor will burn out quickly as your gpu will still utilize one to process the job assignment. Iknow the g is a dual but it will over heat.

Hyperthreading doesn't decrease the thermals of the chip; it tasks more effectively. Just don't fold with the CPU, as its performance is crap in folding anyway and not worth the power consumption. It should sit at around 40% or less usage with the GPU folding. You can remove the slot from the client easily. 

Also, you don't need nearly that many case fans. Put the money somewhere else or save it (just buy 1-2 for the front since it comes with 1 in the rear): 

[Deil Grist]

Also, you could save yourself a lot of money on a folding machine by learning how to install Ubuntu instead of Windows. 

[Imakuni]

I intend to build something along these lines that I will use exclusively for folding (mainly on GPU) , taking advantage of Black Friday at the end of the month:

 

http://pcpartpicker.com/p/Xq6g6h

 

Is the folding performance I will get worth the power draw, particularly of the r9 270? Or should I go for the similarly priced GTX 950, though it has far worse floating point performance?

 

Also, any other thoughts on the rig? Note I chose the Pentium G3258 because I want a cheapish system and don't intend to use the CPU for folding at all.

 

Thanks

Here is the deal: don't waste money on making a cheap PC for folding. It's just not worth it. You'd have to spend on RAM, motheboard, power supply, case and storage to get that rig going, none of which will help folding in ANY way.

 

What you should do, instead, is to grab your main computer and just slap a strong GPU on it (say, a gtx 970, or a 980ti, if you had the money). This will have many advantages, with the main 2 being that it'll be WAY stronger for folding AND it'll make your gaming experience much better. Even considering the time the machine would be gaming instead of folding, the sheer brute force of the better GPU far outweights that downtime.

 

Aim for a Gtx 970, or if you can throw in the cash, try to get a 980ti. A high-end PC dedicated for folding makes sense, but a cheap one just doesn't.

[Deil Grist]

Here is the deal: don't waste money on making a cheap PC for folding. It's just not worth it. You'd have to spend on RAM, motheboard, power supply, case and storage to get that rig going, none of which will help folding in ANY way.

 

What you should do, instead, is to grab your main computer and just slap a strong GPU on it (say, a gtx 970, or a 980ti, if you had the money). This will have many advantages, with the main 2 being that it'll be WAY stronger for folding AND it'll make your gaming experience much better. Even considering the time the machine would be gaming instead of folding, the sheer brute force of the better GPU far outweights that downtime.

 

Aim for a Gtx 970, or if you can throw in the cash, try to get a 980ti. A high-end PC dedicated for folding makes sense, but a cheap one just doesn't.

Presuming many things: you have a power supply that can handle a second GPU, proper spacing and cooling for SLI/Crossfire, blower-style GPUs for good temps or a custom loop, and you have to  deal with the heat and noise of it running 24/7 wherever your current desktop is.Some people would rather go stick a 24/7 folding rig somewhere else in the house and avoid all that. 

You don't have to spend a terrible amount of money to make a separate PC for a folding machine (~$250 for a mid-tier card and $300 for a 980ti, excluding GPU cost of course). Plus you can still use that computer for basic functions while it's folding, which has better wife approval (and fuctional use) for those that need it. Folding will of course always be more economical in a computer that already exists if it's able to handle it, but it has its downsides. 

[Imakuni]

Presuming many things: you have a power supply that can handle a second GPU

Second GPU.... if that's a "problem", one can always sell the 1st GPU and, + the 500$ he'd spend on the build, get a 980ti. There, problem solved.

 

On the offchance that he has a 980ti already, then it's also VERY likely that his PSU can handle a 2nd one, as I'd imagine he invested in a good system instead of a cheap one.

 

 

proper spacing and cooling for SLI/Crossfire

Few people run mini-itx systems. 90% chance of him having space.

 

 

blower-style GPUs for good temps or a custom loop

Lol no? You DEFINITELY don't need a blower when just adding a second card. Nor custom loop.

 

 

heat and noise of it running 24/7 wherever your current desktop is.

Getting an aftermarket cooler would be enough. Folding doesn't actually generate that much heat. Well, yes, it does heat things up, but it isn't that bad. Just don`t overclock (which you shouldn`t do anyway) and noise really won`t be much of a problem.

[Deil Grist]

Second GPU.... if that's a "problem", one can always sell the 1st GPU and, + the 500$ he'd spend on the build, get a 980ti. There, problem solved.

 

On the offchance that he has a 980ti already, then it's also VERY likely that his PSU can handle a 2nd one, as I'd imagine he invested in a good system instead of a cheap one.

 

 

Few people run mini-itx systems. 90% chance of him having space.

 

 

Lol no? You DEFINITELY don't need a blower when just adding a second card. Nor custom loop.

 

 

Getting an aftermarket cooler would be enough. Folding doesn't actually generate that much heat. Well, yes, it does heat things up, but it isn't that bad. Just don`t overclock (which you shouldn`t do anyway) and noise really won`t be much of a problem.

OP's build costs $250 without the GPU, extra fans, and OS (not $500). 

The choice between internal vs external exhaust cards and their spacing affects thermals, noise, and performance. Putting an aftermarket cooler on your CPU isn't going to do anything for your GPUs, and having two internal exhaust cards results in significantly higher temperatures for your top GPU and all other components for your system. Not a good thing for something running 24/7. You're much better off with external exhaust cards any time you're talking about going SLI/Crossfire.

And yes, he could just sell off and go to a more powerful card, but then he's not folding any time he's gaming. Maybe OP's okay with that, but he said he wants a machine that's *only* used for folding, hence why I'd pretty sure this option's out the window.

The suggestions you're making will *work," yes, but that doesn't mean it's going to be a best-case scenario and they aren't proper suggestions for what the OP asked. 

[GnatDaGnat]

Okay guys, I did not want a war about whether I should build a new rig or not - I've made my decision on that already, I just wondered if people thought it was worth the 306W power draw. I even answered that question for myself with a couple calculations. Productive thread.

[SansVarnic]

Hyperthreading doesn't decrease the thermals of the chip; it tasks more effectively. Just don't fold with the CPU, as its performance is crap in folding anyway and not worth the power consumption. It should sit at around 40% or less usage with the GPU folding. You can remove the slot from the client easily. 

 

 

I wasn't referring to hyperthreading... the G3258 is a hot chip under load for its architecture though it is good for small tasks like HTPC, I was considering this chip with my budget build (listed in my signature) but I went with the i3 after some research. The i3 I have is $98 USD and runs much better supporting my GTX960 turbo than G3258 would have. Even though I do fold with this currently 24/7 (gpu only) the I3 is running at 48-56% of load most of the time at around 50C average temps.