Hardware

Requirements

• host that supports CUDA
  • http://docs.nvidia.com/cuda/index.html

Operating System

• http://chroma.bitbucket.org/install/rhel.html
• RHEL 6+ SL6+
• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red_Hat_Enterprise_Linux#RHEL_6
  • 6.4, also termed Update 4, 2013-02-21 (kernel 2.6.32-358)

CUDA Drivers

How to install Nvidia CUDA environment in RHEL 6

• https://access.redhat.com/site/solutions/64300

Which Nvidia GPU ?

I guess for trivial computational tasks like OP propagation (essentially intersecting lines with triangles) should look for the maximum number of cores at a reasonable cost.

• google:tesla quadro geforce

  • Just a marketing distinction perhaps, pick you price kinda thing ? Thermal characteristics also ?

    • tesla : servers
    • quadro : professional content creators
    • geforce : gamers

  • http://www.heatonresearch.com/node/2487

  • http://www.videocardbenchmark.net/high_end_gpus.html

  • http://www.gpugrid.net/gpugrid_donations.php

    • asking for Nvidia GTX680 which is close to the early adopter price kink

PassMark - G3D Mark High End Videocards - Updated 25th of September 2013

GeForce GTX Titan    8,111       $999.99
GeForce GTX 780      7,897       $649.99  (TDP 250W) hi TDP might present powering/cooling problem for chassis
GeForce GTX 770      6,247       $399.99
GeForce GTX 680      5,706       $333.08  (TDP 195W) launch price 500 USD <<<<< requested by  http://www.gpugrid.net/gpugrid_donations.php
GeForce GTX 670      5,375       $270.07
GeForce GTX 690      5,123       $999.99
Radeon HD 7970       5,081       $299.99
Radeon HD 7990       5,041       $619.99
GeForce GTX 760      5,039       $242.98
GeForce GTX 580      4,936       $339.99*
GeForce GTX 660 Ti   4,693       $234.99
Radeon HD 7950       4,628       $204.99
FirePro W8000        4,533     $1,429.99
GeForce GTX 570      4,390       $385.00

What GPUs are commonly used with Chroma ?

https://bitbucket.org/chroma/chroma/issue/2/pycuda_driverlogicerror-cumemhostalloc

I typically am running Chroma on a GTX 580 or 680, but also GTX 470 and 550 Ti sometimes

..another machine with a Tesla C2075 with compute capability 2.0

https://groups.google.com/forum/#!topic/chroma-sim/v1eePC45h5k

GPU Reviews

• https://developer.nvidia.com/cuda-gpus for CCCs

• http://www.anandtech.com/tag/gpus

• http://www.anandtech.com/show/7356/capsule-review-evga-geforce-gtx-780-superclocked-acx Sept 2013 review

• http://www.anandtech.com/show/6760/nvidias-geforce-gtx-titan-part-1 Feb 2013

• http://www.geforce.com/hardware/notebook-gpus/geforce-gt-750m

• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GeForce_600_Series

  • http://www.anandtech.com/show/5699/nvidia-geforce-gtx-680-review March 2012

  • http://www.geforce.com/hardware/desktop-gpus/geforce-gtx-680/specifications 1536 CUDA cores, 2048 MB, CCC 3.0

    98C Maximum GPU Tempurature (in C) 195W Maximum Graphics Card Power (W) 550W Minimum System Power Requirement (W)5 Two 6-pin Supplementary Power Connectors

• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GeForce_700_Series

  • http://www.anandtech.com/show/6973/nvidia-geforce-gtx-780-review May 2013 [~650 USD]

  • http://www.nvidia.com/gtx-700-graphics-cards/gtx-780/ 2304 CUDA cores, 3072 MB

  • http://www.anandtech.com/show/6994/nvidia-geforce-gtx-770-review May 2013 [~400 USD]

  • http://www.nvidia.com/gtx-700-graphics-cards/gtx-770/ 1536 CUDA cores, 2048 MB

    GTX 770 is essentially GTX 680 on steroids. Higher core clockspeeds and memory clockspeeds give it performance exceeding GTX 680, while higher voltages and a higher TDP allow it to clock higher and for it to matter.

  • http://www.anandtech.com/show/7103/nvidia-geforce-gtx-760-review June 2013 [~250 USD]

  • http://www.nvidia.com/gtx-700-graphics-cards/gtx-760/ 1152 CUDA cores, 2048 MB, 170W TDP

Costs

• http://www.newegg.com/Product/ProductList.aspx?Submit=ENE&DEPA=0&Order=BESTMATCH&Description=GeForce+GTX&N=100006662&isNodeId=1

Reference

• google:database of NVIDIA GPU with CUDA compute capability
• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CUDA
• https://developer.nvidia.com/cuda-gpus
  • matrix of CCC for each GPU, but new releases are not there
• http://www.geforce.com/hardware/technology/cuda/supported-gpus

NTU Planned GPU Cluster Upgrade

NVidia Kepler K20 GPU nodes and Intel Xeon Phi nodes

Apple rMBP and iMac with Mobile variants

Mid 2012 rMBP 15 inch

Nvidia GeForce GT 650M, CCC 3.0

Sept 2013 iMac

21.5 inch, $1499, 2.9 GHz quad-core Intel i5 and NVIDIA GeForce GT 750M with 1 GB video memory
[GeForce GT 750M  CCC 3.0, from https://developer.nvidia.com/cuda-gpus ]

27 inch, $1799, 3.2 GHz quad-core Intel Core i5 and NVIDIA GeForce GT 755M with 1 GB video memory
[GeForce GT 755M   CCC ?  ]

27 inch, $1999, 3.4 GHz quad-core Intel Core i5 and NVIDIA GeForce GTX 775M with 2 GB video memory
[GeForce GTX 775M CCC ? http://www.techpowerup.com/gpudb/2381/geforce-gtx-775m.html   rumored CCC 3.0]

Configurable to NVIDIA GeForce GTX 780M with 4GB of GDDR5 memory.