Maxwell Spanker vs. Silver Hammer vs. Anniliatrix, pt. 1

[Maxwell]

Maxwell Spanker vs. Silver Hammer vs. Annihilatrix
http://www.setiusa.net/forums/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=16515 Page 1 of 5
Author: Maxwell [ Wed Apr 28, 2010 11:39 pm ]
Post subject: Maxwell Spanker vs. Silver Hammer vs. Annihilatrix
Since the rivaly between JPM and I has begun to infiltrate a large number of threads, I thought I'd help consolodate everything here. I figure that this will give us a place for JPM and I to call each other out and taunt each other, and for others to egg us on... :twisted:

Quick history if you haven't followed it:
[StarWars-esque_scrolling]
JPM was outcrunching me by about 20k/day. Then, I built a couple machines for work (thanks to JerWA), which increased my crunching ability by about 25x. I called out JPM and said, "Oh, by the way, I'm about to fly past you...". JPM took this as the beginning of an epic battle (which I love, btw). Thus, he has decided to build the "Maxwell Spanker" to thump me. I'm saving up to buy a machine myself (which will help me stay ahead of JPM), which denim dubbed the "Silver Hammer".
[/StarWars-esque_scrolling]
Thus commences the battle... :mrgreen:

EDIT: St. Mahlberg wanted in on the action. Although my grasp of the English language does not allow me to properly describe the levels of down-ness to which St. Mahlberg will be going, I've added him to the thread title. Enjoy the taste of dust, my friend.
Author: Paul D. Buck [ Thu Apr 29, 2010 12:28 am ]
Post subject: Re: Maxwell Spanker vs. Silver Hammer
Well, you have double his daily numbers already ... unless he is getting 3 or more GPUs for his new rig I don't see him making up the delta ... especially if you are considering a new machine also ...
Author: John R. Bailey [ Thu Apr 29, 2010 12:33 am ]
Post subject: Re: Maxwell Spanker vs. Silver Hammer
Methinks since y'all are fairly close to each other geographically.............power companies might have to upgrade their generating capabilities if this rivalry gets out of hand.
Author: Beerdrinker [ Thu Apr 29, 2010 1:38 am ]
Post subject: Re: Maxwell Spanker vs. Silver Hammer
I love epic battles!! :nuts:


Are you hitting something special or is it just total?
Author: JerWA [ Thu Apr 29, 2010 1:41 am ]
Post subject: Re: Maxwell Spanker vs. Silver Hammer
Ignoring the fact I have 10x as many total credits as these yahoos, I have to add myself to this contest as my creations have now been turned against me.

Image

Not sure yet what I'm going to do about this.
Author: KaoticEvil[SETI.USA] [ Thu Apr 29, 2010 6:53 am ]
Post subject: Re: Maxwell Spanker vs. Silver Hammer
To quote Phantom Phreak:

Quote:
This is gonna be good
Author: Maxwell [ Thu Apr 29, 2010 7:26 am ]
Post subject: Re: Maxwell Spanker vs. Silver Hammer
JerWA wrote:
Not sure yet what I'm going to do about this.

You just need a name for that SR-2 build you're talking about...
Author: John P. Myers [ Thu Apr 29, 2010 8:23 am ]
Post subject: Re: Maxwell Spanker vs. Silver Hammer
Beerdrinker wrote:
I love epic battles!! :nuts:


Are you hitting something special or is it just total?

Maxwell's goal is to stay ahead of me in total credits. Mine is to pass him, just like i did last month. I've already beaten him once. 2nd time is easier

@JerWA: You could build that AMD X6/GPU X6. I posted the data in that thread showing it was 100% doable on that board. More competition is a good thing

I would like to point out that Maxwell cheats :lol: I'm going to spank him using the same box i crunched my very first WU with over a year ago. At that time, it was an E2140 Pentium Dual Core 1.6GHz CPU with 1GB of slow, crappy HP RAM, a 250GB HD, 250W power supply, and i believe the horrid G31 Intel onboard gfx. Maxwell has like 3 boxes or some craziness. In fact, i'll post a picture of the box i'm using in a few so you can understand the level of difficulty for me.

@Maxwell: I love the little "arguements" and trash talking this whole contest has created. If any of the trash talking from my end crossing the line, let me know, and i apologize in advance Sometimes things can be taken the wrong way when just reading text on a screen.
Author: Maxwell [ Thu Apr 29, 2010 8:55 am ]
Post subject: Re: Maxwell Spanker vs. Silver Hammer
John P. Myers wrote:
@Maxwell: I love the little "arguements" and trash talking this whole contest has created. If any of the trash talking from my end crossing the line, let me know, and i apologize in advance Sometimes things can be taken the wrong way when just reading text on a screen.

Ditto, on all accounts from my end. No worries here... :mrgreen:

Now now. Is it "cheating" or is it "using available resources"? I have bought multiple computers over time for various purposes. Should I not run them? Should I say "Sorry, laptop, you have to sit idle even if you like running CPDN"? Methinks the Maxwell Spanker has to grow... :twisted:

Oh, and so you can plan ahead: I have more "other people's money" to spend this summer - I have to outfit my lab with several computers for students to use. Now one advantage you have: nothing I have can even remotely be considered a dedicated cruncher, so none of my machines will be able get to what they 'can' do. Oh, and I can't overclock anything at school...

PS @JerWA - Nice graph! I never thought to look at something like that... (though I'll mention my RAC should be above 700k when things level out...) Welcome to the battle!
Author: capthuggy [ Thu Apr 29, 2010 9:22 am ]
Post subject: Re: Maxwell Spanker vs. Silver Hammer
Image
Author: Fire$torm [ Thu Apr 29, 2010 9:22 am ]
Post subject: Re: Maxwell Spanker vs. Silver Hammer
The only thing I wish to add the fray is........


Cry HAVOC, and let slip the Dogs Of War!!!
Author: Fire$torm [ Thu Apr 29, 2010 9:25 am ]
Post subject: Re: Maxwell Spanker vs. Silver Hammer
@Cap: Way Kool pic's. It looks very Viking'ish which warms my Swedish heart. :twisted: :twisted:
Author: John P. Myers [ Thu Apr 29, 2010 9:42 am ]
Post subject: Re: Maxwell Spanker vs. Silver Hammer
1) Resivoir
2) 750W PSU
3) ATI HD5870 (overclocked to 900MHz)
4) MCP-655 1200L/hr 50PSI pump
5) 2x120 radiator
6) 640GB WD Caviar Black Dual processor hard drive
7) KHX fan - memory cooler - dual 3000RPM fans - currently cooling 8GB Kingston HyperX DDR2 PC8500 5-5-5-15
8) open PCI slot
9) open PCIe x1 slot
10) unusable hard drive bay (thanks ATI!)
11) ass-end of CD/DVD player/burner
12) Cage for 2 5 1/4" devices. 2nd bay contains 100CFM crossflow turbine fan
13) Brace for floppy drive - unusable - Thanks ATI! (not that i'd put one in anyway though)
14) Fan adapter module. Turns a 4pin molex into a spot to plug in 6 3pin fans. Mounts to case with included adhesive backing
unseen) 3.0 GHz Q9650 quad core overclocked to 3.77GHz - 1676MHz FSB

Attachments:
File Comment: Clear view of motherboard
motherboard_productimage_ga-eg45m-ud2h_big.jpg
motherboard_productimage_ga-eg45m-ud2h_big.jpg [ 63.41 KiB | Viewed 216 times ]
File Comment: Present time, before it takes it's Flintstone vitamins and grows into the Maxwell Spanker
Photo-0027.jpg
Photo-0027.jpg [ 41.83 KiB | Viewed 219 times ]

[Maxwell]

Author: JerWA [ Thu Apr 29, 2010 9:46 am ]
Post subject: Re: Maxwell Spanker vs. Silver Hammer
John P. Myers wrote:
@JerWA: You could build that AMD X6/GPU X6. I posted the data in that thread showing it was 100% doable on that board. More competition is a good thing

I would like to point out that Maxwell cheats :lol:

First problem is that running that many GPUs in a single box is flakey at best, enough so it's not worth the hassle of trying.
Second problem is that 6 GPUs worth running would cost more money than I have to spend 6 or 7 times over.

As far as cheating goes, if Max running 3 machines is cheating I don't even want to know what I'm doing is. Currently 88 threads, 80 cores, 17 GPUs... ops: of course, all 17 GPUs put together equal about 80% of an HD5870. Bah! hehe

I think if there's one area of this challenge I'm secure in already it's any CPU project you'd like. It's only total points/day I'm going to lose at because I have no budget for GPUs.

<averts eyes> I cannot see that pic John, you will send me into an OCD fit of recabling things. Good lord man.
Now I must post my own pic to soothe my screaming brain.
Image

PS: I'll try to get a new pic of the system soon. PSU, motherboard, extra fan, extra drive... that pic is rapidly becoming irrelevant to my setup lol.
Author: Fire$torm [ Thu Apr 29, 2010 9:48 am ]
Post subject: Re: Maxwell Spanker vs. Silver Hammer
@JP: Dude! You need a way bigger case.
Author: John P. Myers [ Thu Apr 29, 2010 9:54 am ]
Post subject: Re: Maxwell Spanker vs. Silver Hammer
Yes i do need a bigger case! But that would be too easy! lol Must win the impossible challenge!!!!
As for the insane wiring, well, there's no space for neatness! (fluorinert, yes please)
You can kinda tell how small the case actually is by looking at the height of the radiator. Remember it's only a 2x120 And the distance from the end of the ATI card to the front of the case is exactly 4" (Thanks ATI!)

Oh and the picture was taken with the computer leaning at a 45 degree angle (notice the taco bell cup sitting flat on the ground to the left). It helped to get a better picture with my crappy camera phone :/

And the distance from the ass-end of the CD/DVD player/burner to the power supply is only 2 7/16"
Author: capthuggy [ Thu Apr 29, 2010 12:45 pm ]
Post subject: Re: Maxwell Spanker vs. Silver Hammer
Fire$torm wrote:
@Cap: Way Kool pic's. It looks very Viking'ish which warms my Swedish heart. :twisted: :twisted:


I would put something like that in my /lighthouses/ships/captains display case
Author: Fire$torm [ Thu Apr 29, 2010 3:58 pm ]
Post subject: Re: Maxwell Spanker vs. Silver Hammer
John P. Myers wrote:
Yes i do need a bigger case! But that would be too easy! lol Must win the impossible challenge!!!!
As for the insane wiring, well, there's no space for neatness! (fluorinert, yes please)
You can kinda tell how small the case actually is by looking at the height of the radiator. Remember it's only a 2x120 And the distance from the end of the ATI card to the front of the case is exactly 4" (Thanks ATI!)

Oh and the picture was taken with the computer leaning at a 45 degree angle (notice the taco bell cup sitting flat on the ground to the left). It helped to get a better picture with my crappy camera phone :/

And the distance from the ass-end of the CD/DVD player/burner to the power supply is only 2 7/16"

OK JP, understood.

FWI: I have this case just screaming for some guts!!!
Image

Maybe if I can fund the upgrade to my i7 I'll fill it with the old parts and play arm chair quarterback.
Author: Maxwell [ Mon May 10, 2010 7:19 pm ]
Post subject: Re: Maxwell Spanker vs. Silver Hammer
Fair warning to the Maxwell Spanker:

I'm suddenly in the market for three new i7-860s. Each will have a low- to mid-end CUDA card in them..
Author: John P. Myers [ Mon May 10, 2010 7:26 pm ]
Post subject: Re: Maxwell Spanker vs. Silver Hammer
Maxwell wrote:
Fair warning to the Maxwell Spanker:

I'm suddenly in the market for three new i7-860s. Each will have a low- to mid-end CUDA card in them..

Lol you should put those comps under a separate name until i beat you again. Then merge away
Author: Keith [SETI.USA] [ Mon May 10, 2010 7:51 pm ]
Post subject: Re: Maxwell Spanker vs. Silver Hammer
If you don't want to bother with mergeing accounts later and taking the chance of messing up your CPUID let us know. We could start a bidding war on who's account to put them under. You could use the funds you get to upgrade your system. Boy that would get JPM's goat wouldn't it. :lol:
Author: Maxwell [ Mon May 10, 2010 9:57 pm ]
Post subject: Re: Maxwell Spanker vs. Silver Hammer
Keith (65006508) wrote:
If you don't want to bother with mergeing accounts later and taking the chance of messing up your CPUID let us know. We could start a bidding war on who's account to put them under. You could use the funds you get to upgrade your system. Boy that would get JPM's goat wouldn't it. :lol:

Don't give me evil ideas... :twisted: The Silver Hammer would enjoy extra funds....
Author: Maxwell [ Tue May 18, 2010 9:03 pm ]
Post subject: Re: Maxwell Spanker vs. Silver Hammer
A mocking update for JPM:

One of us, who shall remain nameless, shows up on the list of "Top 100 RAC in the World". One of us does not show up on that page. Not sure who is who, but I did want to throw that out there...

:wink:
Author: John P. Myers [ Tue May 18, 2010 9:17 pm ]
Post subject: Re: Maxwell Spanker vs. Silver Hammer
BRB in 20 mins...
Done. Whether i could afford it or not, just ordered Win 7 Pro 64bit. Should have it friday. Then i'll be 1 step closer :twisted:
Author: John P. Myers [ Thu Jun 03, 2010 2:26 pm ]
Post subject: Re: Maxwell Spanker vs. Silver Hammer
Update: just won a QX9770 for $525 on ebaY.
Author: Maxwell [ Thu Jun 03, 2010 2:50 pm ]
Post subject: Re: Maxwell Spanker vs. Silver Hammer
Note to self: Start buying parts...
Author: STMahlberg [ Thu Jun 03, 2010 4:04 pm ]
Post subject: Re: Maxwell Spanker vs. Silver Hammer
Is this a private competition or can I get in on the action???

[Maxwell]

Author: John P. Myers [ Thu Jun 03, 2010 4:11 pm ]
Post subject: Re: Maxwell Spanker vs. Silver Hammer
STMahlberg wrote:
Is this a private competition or can I get in on the action???

lol go for it. All you have to do is build a computer that can produce more than 850k stones/day (about Maxwell's rate).
And you have to come up with a catchy name for it
Author: STMahlberg [ Thu Jun 03, 2010 4:12 pm ]
Post subject: Re: Maxwell Spanker vs. Silver Hammer
John P. Myers wrote:
STMahlberg wrote:
Is this a private competition or can I get in on the action???

lol go for it. All you have to do is build a computer that can produce more than 850k stones/day (about Maxwell's rate).
And you have to come up with a catchy name for it

Already have the name...

The Annihilatrix

I'm a Frisky Dingo fan. :mrgreen:
Author: John P. Myers [ Thu Jun 03, 2010 4:19 pm ]
Post subject: Re: Maxwell Spanker vs. Silver Hammer
STMahlberg wrote:
Already have the name...

The Annihilatrix

I'm a Frisky Dingo fan. :mrgreen:
I like it Now you just need the 850k

EDIT: Just checked and actually it's looking more like 900k. Damn you Maxwell! (but i'm still gonna win!)
Author: JerWA [ Thu Jun 03, 2010 7:51 pm ]
Post subject: Re: Maxwell Spanker vs. Silver Hammer
When I win that SR2 I'll be sure to watch on in amusement all your silly antics.
Author: John P. Myers [ Thu Jun 03, 2010 8:19 pm ]
Post subject: Re: Maxwell Spanker vs. Silver Hammer
JerWA wrote:
When I win that SR2 I'll be sure to watch on in amusement all your silly antics.

When *you* win? I thought they were only giving away one...

Author: JerWA [ Thu Jun 03, 2010 8:28 pm ]
Post subject: Re: Maxwell Spanker vs. Silver Hammer
John P. Myers wrote:
When *you* win? I thought they were only giving away one...


Precisely one. Which is why I plan to steal it when you win. Then it will be as if I had won. And I will still laugh evily at your antics. :twisted:
Author: STMahlberg [ Fri Jun 04, 2010 1:57 am ]
Post subject: Re: Maxwell Spanker vs. Silver Hammer
JerWA wrote:
John P. Myers wrote:
When *you* win? I thought they were only giving away one...


Precisely one. Which is why I plan to steal it when you win. Then it will be as if I had won. And I will still laugh evily at your antics. :twisted:

You guys crack me up... while you were all debating who was going to win, I went a head and ordered one... well... that's not exactly true... I thought about ordering one. :mrgreen:

I'm still doing some research but I think this MOBO is way kewl... although I have been reading in forums elsewhere that there are those who do not share my opinion. I saw one where some guy called EVGA every name in the book... he thought it was lame and people were idiots for even looking at it because it had support for (10) USB ports and they were backwards compatible and that was just ridiculous according to him. He also didn't like the IDE connector on the board... and I thought "I" was crazy.

Anyhow, I see that it only supports the Xeon 5500 and 5600 processors which at first I thought was going to be way too expensive until I found some of the lower end models that were $300 and up; so now I think we are back into the range of doable. I know the board is $600 which is a little pricey but I keep thinking.... wow, it's dual CPU's and what about those (7) PCI-e's. I keep going back to those and thinking crazy thoughts... like... could I really get (7) ATI cards on the thing???

So what do you guys think?

Is it hot in here or am I just crazy?!
Author: John P. Myers [ Fri Jun 04, 2010 2:54 am ]
Post subject: Re: Maxwell Spanker vs. Silver Hammer
It's totally doable. The guy that had something bad to say about the SR2 needs to be shot in the face. So what if it has an IDE connector. With a board that big you might as well pack it full of legacy crap. That stuff can come in handy in an emergency.

If you do wind up building an SR2 system, you had better beat the Maxwell Spanker by at least 2.5x. Keep in mind the Maxwell Spanker only has 1 PCIe x16 slot, as noted in the image of my mobo a few postings above.

Sure the SR2 is $600, but using that board essentially allows you to build 2 complete systems on a single PCB. Efficient!
Also, if you pick Windows as your OS, make sure you get the Pro or Ultimate version. Home version will not support 2 CPUs, even if they do call it "Premium".
Author: Maxwell [ Fri Jun 04, 2010 10:15 am ]
Post subject: Re: Maxwell Spanker vs. Silver Hammer
STMahlberg wrote:
So what do you guys think?

If you haven't already, be sure to read JerWA's write up about the SR-2 in the Newsletter... LOT'S of good info in there.
Author: JerWA [ Fri Jun 04, 2010 10:21 am ]
Post subject: Re: Maxwell Spanker vs. Silver Hammer
Yeah, there are decent (~$370) procs (only quads though, not 6 cores) that overclock like champs, giving you decent bang for your buck. Or you can buy the X5680s on that contest, they're like $2600 each lol.
Author: Maxwell [ Fri Jun 04, 2010 7:11 pm ]
Post subject: Re: Maxwell Spanker vs. Silver Hammer
Trigger close to being pulled, but I want some input before I do something stupid...

Here is my current version:
http://secure.newegg.com/WishList/Pu...umber=12888692

Ignore that is has no OS (I have one), no GPU (those will come later), and no CPU Cooler (I have one). What should be changed, swapped out, edited, etc.? (PS- There's a combo deal not reflected in the wish list that gets $100 off...)

@St. Mahlberg: Are you sure you want in on this with your "Annihilatrix"? You'll be opening yourself up to much more mockery and whatnot from JPM and myself...
Author: STMahlberg [ Fri Jun 04, 2010 8:43 pm ]
Post subject: Re: Maxwell Spanker vs. Silver Hammer
Maxwell wrote:
Trigger close to being pulled, but I want some input before I do something stupid...

Here is my current version:
http://secure.newegg.com/WishList/Pu...umber=12888692

Ignore that is has no OS (I have one), no GPU (those will come later), and no CPU Cooler (I have one). What should be changed, swapped out, edited, etc.? (PS- There's a combo deal not reflected in the wish list that gets $100 off...)

@St. Mahlberg: Are you sure you want in on this with your "Annihilatrix"? You'll be opening yourself up to much more mockery and whatnot from JPM and myself...

Absolutely... this sounds like a lot of fun actually; I think I can handle the "mockery and whatnot"... story of my life. :mrgreen:
Author: STMahlberg [ Fri Jun 04, 2010 8:52 pm ]
Post subject: Re: Maxwell Spanker vs. Silver Hammer
Maxwell wrote:
STMahlberg wrote:
So what do you guys think?

If you haven't already, be sure to read JerWA's write up about the SR-2 in the Newsletter... LOT'S of good info in there.

It was a great read, it answered some major questions like will it run on one CPU and or mismatched CPU's.

Thanks Maxwell for a great Newsletter.

@JerWA, thank you for the great article.

[Maxwell]

Author: Maxwell [ Fri Jun 04, 2010 8:55 pm ]
Post subject: Re: Maxwell Spanker vs. Silver Hammer
STMahlberg wrote:
Absolutely... this sounds like a lot of fun actually; I think I can handle the "mockery and whatnot"... story of my life. :mrgreen:

You're added. Check the first post for the update.
Author: John P. Myers [ Fri Jun 04, 2010 8:56 pm ]
Post subject: Re: Maxwell Spanker vs. Silver Hammer
Maxwell wrote:
Trigger close to being pulled, but I want some input before I do something stupid...

Here is my current version:
http://secure.newegg.com/WishList/Pu...umber=12888692

It's a bad idea all around. A recent report shows that any motherboard put in a HAF 932 will give off unusually high EMI. So high, in fact, that everything electronic in the general vicinity will be fried. I think you should scrap the whole thing

It's actually a decent setup.
Author: Vidi Vici Veni [ Fri Jun 04, 2010 8:57 pm ]
Post subject: Re: Maxwell Spanker vs. Silver Hammer
Maxwell wrote:
A mocking update for JPM:

One of us, who shall remain nameless, shows up on the list of "Top 100 RAC in the World". One of us does not show up on that page. Not sure who is who, but I did want to throw that out there...

:wink:


I had never scrolled that far down the list, but you're right. You are down there. Congrats. :twisted:
Author: Maxwell [ Fri Jun 04, 2010 9:02 pm ]
Post subject: Re: Maxwell Spanker vs. Silver Hammer
John P. Myers wrote:
It's a bad idea all around. A recent report shows that any motherboard put in a HAF 932 will give off unusually high EMI. So high, in fact, that everything electronic in the general vicinity will be fried. I think you should scrap the whole thing

Well, crap. I guess I'll just build it, put it in a shock-protected box in the trunk of my car with lead lining in the interior to protect the electronics of the car, and run around Memphis and surrounding areas with it turned on full-bore until I find someone who can fix it...

:mrgreen:
Author: Vidi Vici Veni [ Fri Jun 04, 2010 9:04 pm ]
Post subject: Re: Maxwell Spanker vs. Silver Hammer
Maxwell wrote:
Trigger close to being pulled, but I want some input before I do something stupid...

Here is my current version:
http://secure.newegg.com/WishList/Pu...umber=12888692

Ignore that is has no OS (I have one), no GPU (those will come later), and no CPU Cooler (I have one). What should be changed, swapped out, edited, etc.? (PS- There's a combo deal not reflected in the wish list that gets $100 off...)

@St. Mahlberg: Are you sure you want in on this with your "Annihilatrix"? You'll be opening yourself up to much more mockery and whatnot from JPM and myself...


The one caution I would give is that there is no PCIe in slot 2. You can't use slot 1 for a GPU since it would hang off the board (over where there is no room in the case for that second slot fan). So to install 3 GPUs (the only reason for having all those PCIe slots in the first place), you'd have to use slots 3, 5 and 7. That means all 3 of your cards would be crammed right up next to one another which produces more heat and would limit your card choices. You really only need 3 PCIe slots (the rest are mostly wasted sitting under GPU coolers anyway), but I would recommend the one be in slot 2 and one in slot 7 and the final one can be either slot 4 or 5. That way, you maximize the airflow and cooling around those GPUs. It's not a deal killer, but in my mind it is slightly sub-optimal.
Author: John P. Myers [ Fri Jun 04, 2010 9:19 pm ]
Post subject: Re: Maxwell Spanker vs. Silver Hammer vs. Annihilatrix
Actually, couldn't put a double width GPU in slot 7 because the exhaust vent would need to be in slot 8 of the case, which doesn't exist.
Author: Vidi Vici Veni [ Fri Jun 04, 2010 9:24 pm ]
Post subject: Re: Maxwell Spanker vs. Silver Hammer vs. Annihilatrix
John P. Myers wrote:
Actually, couldn't put a double width GPU in slot 7 because the exhaust vent would need to be in slot 8 of the case, which doesn't exist.


Doh! So, clearly I counted from the wrong wide. But that's what I was trying to say about slot 1. Forgetting the counting, it is best to have a slot 2 from the edge....

That said, I went and looked at all the AMD boards to find an example of what I was saying... and there isn't one! Doh! So the advice is bad not because I misstated it but because I suggested he buy something that doesn't exist.
Author: John P. Myers [ Fri Jun 04, 2010 9:26 pm ]
Post subject: Re: Maxwell Spanker vs. Silver Hammer vs. Annihilatrix
lol well you're right about putting a GPU in slot 1. it'll hit the hard drive cage, and a short one wouldn't have any air fed to it. So basically slots 1 and 7 are out. I suggest a different case
Author: Maxwell [ Fri Jun 04, 2010 9:37 pm ]
Post subject: Re: Maxwell Spanker vs. Silver Hammer vs. Annihilatrix
John P. Myers wrote:
lol well you're right about putting a GPU in slot 1. it'll hit the hard drive cage, and a short one wouldn't have any air fed to it. So basically slots 1 and 7 are out. I suggest a different case

A) How the heck can you tell that?!?
B) Do you have a suggestion for an alternate case? My method of case-picking was "highly rated on Newegg, fit the form factor of the board, and priced within what I was willing to spend." I don't know enought to pick better...
Author: STMahlberg [ Fri Jun 04, 2010 9:39 pm ]
Post subject: Re: Maxwell Spanker vs. Silver Hammer vs. Annihilatrix
Maxwell wrote:
John P. Myers wrote:
lol well you're right about putting a GPU in slot 1. it'll hit the hard drive cage, and a short one wouldn't have any air fed to it. So basically slots 1 and 7 are out. I suggest a different case

A) How the heck can you tell that?!?
B) Do you have a suggestion for an alternate case? My method of case-picking was "highly rated on Newegg, fit the form factor of the board, and priced within what I was willing to spend." I don't know enought to pick better...

Just use a bunch of those flexy cable extension thingies.
Author: Vidi Vici Veni [ Fri Jun 04, 2010 9:41 pm ]
Post subject: Re: Maxwell Spanker vs. Silver Hammer vs. Annihilatrix
John P. Myers wrote:
lol well you're right about putting a GPU in slot 1. it'll hit the hard drive cage, and a short one wouldn't have any air fed to it. So basically slots 1 and 7 are out. I suggest a different case


If he'd considering a rack mounted farm, then I can start sharing some real lessons learned. I mention the slot positions not because I was smart enough to think of it but rather because I was dumb enough to experience it. And that's just one of the many lessons I learned.

Another thing to consider... multi-GPU boxes are inherently unstable. Be sure to buy a MB that has a BIOS option to boot-up after a power loss. That way you can buy a lights-out PDU that accepts commands to power down and back up again and can use scripts to monitor the machine and reboot it completely unattended. That's another reason why I like my ASUS P7P55D EVO. Personally, I didn't go for CPU HP in GPU box. For a GPU crunching box, the computer is just the chassis in which the GPU blades perform. CPUs haven't evolved as quickly as GPUs have. I still think the best bang for the CPU buck is buying used dual CPU boxes off ebay. Instead of 6 cores, I can buy a complete 8 core machine for the same price you are paying for that CPU and MB. And you still have to buy a case, PSU, HD, Memory, etc. If you're building for the fun of it, go for it. But for pure credit economics, a low end box with high end GPUs is the way to go IMO. Or if your favorite project is CPU based, then buying a pile of machines off ebay yields the best returns.

Again, that's just my unsolicited advice based on a mere weeks of experience. So it is likely worth exactly what you paid for it. But that's the model I've settled into.
Author: STMahlberg [ Fri Jun 04, 2010 9:41 pm ]
Post subject: Re: Maxwell Spanker vs. Silver Hammer vs. Annihilatrix
John P. Myers wrote:
Actually, couldn't put a double width GPU in slot 7 because the exhaust vent would need to be in slot 8 of the case, which doesn't exist.

Sawzall... Do I have to think of everything?! lol
Author: JerWA [ Fri Jun 04, 2010 10:06 pm ]
Post subject: Re: Maxwell Spanker vs. Silver Hammer vs. Annihilatrix
Plenty of cases include a vent for that slot. It's not that uncommon any more. The next wave is 10 slots, and there are a few of those cases out or coming soon as well.

Corsair 800D
Image

Cooler Master HAF X
Image

Antec 902
Image

There are others if you'd like more hehe. None are cheap, sorry.
Author: Maxwell [ Fri Jun 04, 2010 10:09 pm ]
Post subject: Re: Maxwell Spanker vs. Silver Hammer vs. Annihilatrix
JerWA wrote:
There are others if you'd like more hehe. None are cheap, sorry.

Do you have one you'd recommend, or is it four to one, two-squared to the second, third-dozen to the third? :mrgreen:

[Maxwell]

Author: Vidi Vici Veni [ Fri Jun 04, 2010 10:10 pm ]
Post subject: Re: Maxwell Spanker vs. Silver Hammer vs. Annihilatrix
JerWA wrote:
None are cheap, sorry.


Innovation almost never is.
Author: Maxwell [ Fri Jun 04, 2010 10:17 pm ]
Post subject: Re: Maxwell Spanker vs. Silver Hammer vs. Annihilatrix
John Chastain wrote:
JerWA wrote:
None are cheap, sorry.


Innovation almost never is.

Unlike your mom!

*sorry* I couldn't resist that... ops:
Author: John P. Myers [ Fri Jun 04, 2010 11:36 pm ]
Post subject: Re: Maxwell Spanker vs. Silver Hammer vs. Annihilatrix
8 expansion slot cases
a dozen to pick from, some even cheaper than the HAF 932 (that doesn't mean they're better though). I think you should pick the $800 Thermaltake Level 10 case. That way you can't afford parts to put in it and it gives me a bit longer to catch up to you
Author: JerWA [ Sat Jun 05, 2010 1:05 am ]
Post subject: Re: Maxwell Spanker vs. Silver Hammer vs. Annihilatrix
Keep in mind that almost all mid-towers will be too small for big GPUs.

And that that list isn't complete for some reason.

Antec 902 - $119
Corsair 800D - $279
Lian Li LanCool PC-K58 - $70
Thermaltake Spedo Advanced - $200 (but if you get this one you can't talk about it here, it's a family forum, we don't want to hear about your speedos and advanced packages :S)
XClio 1000 - $180

Edit: Adding more as I find 'em missing from that list.
Author: STMahlberg [ Sat Jun 05, 2010 1:15 am ]
Post subject: Re: Maxwell Spanker vs. Silver Hammer vs. Annihilatrix
While you are all debating what case to put everything in, I'm just going to mount my SR2 to a sheet of plywood... besides why waste all of that money on a case when I can put that towards the 7 ATI 5970's that I'm going to run on The Annihilatrix. :nuts:

Image
Author: John P. Myers [ Sat Jun 05, 2010 1:47 am ]
Post subject: Re: Maxwell Spanker vs. Silver Hammer vs. Annihilatrix
For that list of cases i linked, i went to newegg and told it to show me all cases with 8 expansion slots lol. *at least 8* would've been a nicer option but oh, well. If any cases are missing from that list, it's because Newegg fails at cataloging sometimes.
Author: Beerdrinker [ Sat Jun 05, 2010 4:33 am ]
Post subject: Re: Maxwell Spanker vs. Silver Hammer vs. Annihilatrix
I just wanted to put a alternative out to you guys...I just noticed this one yesterday:

http://www.coolermaster.com/product.php?product_id=6654

One of my kids got a Coolermaster tower (elite 333) and for the price I paid it where a bargain!!

The Elite 430 in black is probably less than $100 since most of their cases is...
Author: JerWA [ Sat Jun 05, 2010 5:05 am ]
Post subject: Re: Maxwell Spanker vs. Silver Hammer vs. Annihilatrix
That's a 7 slot case, it won't work for the MB that was being discussed. Well, it might work, but it will make one PCIe slot unusable for a dual slot card.
Author: Beerdrinker [ Sat Jun 05, 2010 6:29 am ]
Post subject: Re: Maxwell Spanker vs. Silver Hammer vs. Annihilatrix
JerWA wrote:
That's a 7 slot case, it won't work for the MB that was being discussed. Well, it might work, but it will make one PCIe slot unusable for a dual slot card.



True. I haven´t noticed that.... ops:
Author: JerWA [ Sat Jun 05, 2010 6:36 am ]
Post subject: Re: Maxwell Spanker vs. Silver Hammer vs. Annihilatrix
Beerdrinker wrote:
True. I haven´t noticed that.... ops:

It's interesting how slowly these things change and then how sudden it goes once the resistance is overcome lol. 7 slots has been the standard for ages, then a few companies started doing 8 slot cases, and almost immediately now they're talking about 10 slot cases (and some are available, with more coming) AND there's already 2 "desktop" motherboards out that need such a case. Insanity. :beer:
Author: Slicker [ Sat Jun 05, 2010 8:39 am ]
Post subject: Re: Maxwell Spanker vs. Silver Hammer vs. Annihilatrix
Beerdrinker wrote:
JerWA wrote:
That's a 7 slot case, it won't work for the MB that was being discussed. Well, it might work, but it will make one PCIe slot unusable for a dual slot card.



True. I haven´t noticed that.... ops:

Just add $10 to the price for a pair of tin snips and you are back in business.
Author: Keith [SETI.USA] [ Sat Jun 05, 2010 8:59 am ]
Post subject: Re: Maxwell Spanker vs. Silver Hammer vs. Annihilatrix
Also if you submerge the system you can use a Lian-Li Mother board tray. No Hard Drive interferance and no need to worry about the 8th slot. :lol:
Author: kevint [ Sat Jun 05, 2010 11:54 am ]
Post subject: Re: Maxwell Spanker vs. Silver Hammer vs. Annihilatrix
John P. Myers wrote:
lol well you're right about putting a GPU in slot 1. it'll hit the hard drive cage, and a short one wouldn't have any air fed to it. So basically slots 1 and 7 are out. I suggest a different case



Ok I have read enough.

Trash the case.. who needs em. then you don't have to worry if it fits or not. Let em hang over 42 feet -

I got rather lucky the other day, my neighbors at work, those that rent above me are digital ranch, they go through hardware every once in a while..
They tossed a couple real old Xeon boxes .. processors, PSU's everything.
I am not sure what kind of cases these are but they are massive rack mounted thingy's

22 inches front to back.. 8 inches tall.. lots and lots of room to move about in the case and do what I just did.. There is still lots of room behind the GPU's for new better longer deeper GPU's when I can steal enough cash to make it happen.

I pulled 5870's from their mount's and stuck them in - still have room for 2 more on the mobo. The mobo is an older intel board that has 4 PCIe slots perfectly placed for 4 GPU's..
I have been only able to put in 3 on other boxes because of space requirements..


Lots of room for air to move about - I have one more 5870 that I can install into the box. but waiting to see how 2 of them work together for a few days first.

http://dnetc.net/show_host_detail.php?hostid=269

This box should give me about 400-450K a day as it is.. with 3 59xx cards in there it should do much better I would think. :nuts:
Author: Swordfish [ Sat Jun 05, 2010 12:36 pm ]
Post subject: Re: Maxwell Spanker vs. Silver Hammer vs. Annihilatrix
NICE!!!
Author: Fire$torm [ Sat Jun 05, 2010 12:36 pm ]
Post subject: Re: Maxwell Spanker vs. Silver Hammer vs. Annihilatrix
kevint wrote:
John P. Myers wrote:
lol well you're right about putting a GPU in slot 1. it'll hit the hard drive cage, and a short one wouldn't have any air fed to it. So basically slots 1 and 7 are out. I suggest a different case
I got rather lucky the other day, my neighbors at work, those that rent above me are digital ranch, they go through hardware every once in a while..
They tossed a couple real old Xeon boxes .. processors, PSU's everything.
You lucky, lucky dog :wink:
Author: Vidi Vici Veni [ Sat Jun 05, 2010 12:42 pm ]
Post subject: Re: Maxwell Spanker vs. Silver Hammer vs. Annihilatrix
kevint wrote:
I pulled 5870's from their mount's and stuck them in - still have room for 2 more on the mobo. The mobo is an older intel board that has 4 PCIe slots perfectly placed for 4 GPU's..
I have been only able to put in 3 on other boxes because of space requirements..


I have actually read in some places that the BIOS in many machines will hiccup with 4 GPUs. I have no idea how widespread the problem is or even if what I read is valid. I'm just mentioning it to give you something to consider if you run into trouble once you insert that 4th card. But I for one would be very interested in your experiences attempting to stand-up a quad-GPU box.
Author: STMahlberg [ Sat Jun 05, 2010 1:48 pm ]
Post subject: Re: Maxwell Spanker vs. Silver Hammer vs. Annihilatrix
Opinions Wanted...

I found a post about video cards which I read up on; unfortunately, I can't find the post now (I really need to bookmark stuff *sigh*) but regardless from what I have read, I am looking at this video card. It appears to be about the best thing out there in the ATI realm and as always I appreciate your guys expertise and thoughts.

Radeon HD 5970 Black Edition

Image

Model
Brand XFX
Model HD-597A-CNB9

Interface
Interface PCI Express 2.1 x16

Chipset
Chipset Manufacturer ATI
GPU Radeon HD 5970
Core Clock 725 MHz (up to +30% with OverVolt Tool)
Stream Processors 3200 (1600 x 2) Stream Processing Units

Memory
Effective Memory Clock 4GHz (up to +20% with OverVolt Tool)
Memory Size 2GB
Memory Interface 512 (256 x 2)-bit
Memory Type GDDR5

3D API
DirectX DirectX 11

Ports
HDMI 1 x HDMI (via Adapter)
DisplayPort 1 x Mini DisplayPort
DVI 2 x DVI

General
RAMDAC 400 MHz
Max Resolution 2560 x 1600
CrossFireX Support Yes
Cooler With Fan
System Requirements Minimum 650 Watt Power Supply Requirement
Power Connector 6 pin / 8 pin
Dual-Link DVI Supported Yes
HDCP Ready Yes
Card Dimensions 12" x 4.376" x 1.5"

Author: Maxwell [ Sat Jun 05, 2010 2:13 pm ]
Post subject: Re: Maxwell Spanker vs. Silver Hammer vs. Annihilatrix
STMahlberg wrote:
Opinions Wanted...

Bryan has a couple 5970s I know...

A couple things I remember from what he has said: you're going to need some bitchin' cooling solution, since those suckers run HOT. And make sure it will actually fit in your case... And if you're getting them to run on DNETC, you're probably going to have to do some babysitting, at least at first.

[Maxwell]

Author: Bryan [ Sat Jun 05, 2010 2:26 pm ]
Post subject: Re: Maxwell Spanker vs. Silver Hammer vs. Annihilatrix
STMahlberg wrote:
Opinions Wanted...

I found a post about video cards which I read up on; unfortunately, I can't find the post now (I really need to bookmark stuff *sigh*) but regardless from what I have read, I am looking at this video card. It appears to be about the best thing out there in the ATI realm and as always I appreciate your guys expertise and thoughts.

Radeon HD 5970 Black Edition

I have 2 of those and 2 of its little brother 5870s. All 4 are XFX Black Editiions (for what that is worth ). On the 5970 if you have the Black Edition they give you an Overvoltage SW tool so you can bounce the Clock and Memory speeds up (1 GHz). The reason the 5970s base clock is 725M is that if taken to 5870 levels it exceeds the power spec of PCIe which is 300W per slot. That doesn't mean that MB will have any trouble handling it but it does exceed the "spec". I'm running mine OC to 850M on a MB with PCIe 1.0 capability with no problems.

I have actually run a MW wu to completion at 1 GHz and it validated. That being said, the biggest problem with the card is heat! They run VERY hot. If you are going to get one of these it is essential you have a case that can move major air through it! It might be if you run the clocks at 725M that it wouldn't be a problem but I've never tried that. This thing is essentially 2 5870s and I expect to get tht kind of performance. Right now I can't clock above 850M on DNETC and stay below 80 degrees so it is running slightly less than double one of my 5870s clocked at 900 MHz which does stay well below 80.

So with 50MHz lower clocks (only because of heat) I get about 550k per day on DNETC versus 625k for 2 5870s. On MW I can clock it the same as the 5870s and on Collatz I can actually clock it at 935MHz (above 5870). In all cases mentioned the temp stays at 80 or below.

To solve the heat problem I have decided to go with water cooling and then I can drop the fan speed down from 100%. That will also allow me to utilize the full clock capability

Don't misunderstand, I am absolutley thrilled with the 5970s. But you really MUST have a case that breathes freely. If you are limited in the number of PCIe slots then by all means grab that sucker! If you are not limited by slots then you are better off with 2 5870s. That was my buy decision because the 2 old dual Xeon servers I have only have 1 PCIe slot. So I moved the 5870s out, put in the 5970, and moved the 2 5870s to a machine with 2 PCIe slots.

EDIT: With regards to babysitting on DNETC, CAT 10.5 drivers pretty much eliminated that problem :beer:
Author: STMahlberg [ Sat Jun 05, 2010 3:09 pm ]
Post subject: Re: Maxwell Spanker vs. Silver Hammer vs. Annihilatrix
Bryan wrote:
Don't misunderstand, I am absolutley thrilled with the 5970s. But you really MUST have a case that breathes freely. If you are limited in the number of PCIe slots then by all means grab that sucker! If you are not limited by slots then you are better off with 2 5870s. That was my buy decision because the 2 old dual Xeon servers I have only have 1 PCIe slot. So I moved the 5870s out, put in the 5970, and moved the 2 5870s to a machine with 2 PCIe slots.

Thank you Bryan and Maxwell for the information. For now I was thinking about ordering one of these to try out in one of my systems that it will fit in... Ultimately, I will be getting the EVGA SR2 which won't limit me to PCI-e slots and I am hoping to get 4 of the 5970's operational on that board but I have come to the conclusion that I will have to put it all in one of the cases from Mountains Mods since at the moment case options are rather limited for that board; also with one of those cases I figure that will give me the most choices for cooling options.

EDIT:
I know Bryan that you recommended the 5870's if I was not limited to slots but I keep thinking 550K vs 312.5K for the same amount of space. And if the Maxwell Spanker and Silver Hammer are to be pwned by The Annihilatrix, then it's all about the credits. :mrgreen:
Author: Vidi Vici Veni [ Sat Jun 05, 2010 4:19 pm ]
Post subject: Re: Maxwell Spanker vs. Silver Hammer vs. Annihilatrix
STMahlberg wrote:
Thank you Bryan and Maxwell for the information. For now I was thinking about ordering one of these to try out in one of my systems that it will fit in... Ultimately, I will be getting the EVGA SR2 which won't limit me to PCI-e slots and I am hoping to get 4 of the 5970's operational on that board but I have come to the conclusion that I will have to put it all in one of the cases from Mountains Mods since at the moment case options are rather limited for that board; also with one of those cases I figure that will give me the most choices for cooling options.

EDIT:
I know Bryan that you recommended the 5870's if I was not limited to slots but I keep thinking 550K vs 312.5K for the same amount of space. And if the Maxwell Spanker and Silver Hammer are to be pwned by The Annihilatrix, then it's all about the credits. :mrgreen:

5970's punch the most performance into the tightest space. But you have to be somewhat careful about concentration. When I built my box, I initially tried using 3 5970's (two right next to each another with another seperated by 1 empty slot), but I found that with the adjacent cards end up sitting pretty closely together and since the air intake is from the side (not the end where it should be IMO), the card has difficulty drawing in sufficient fresh cool air which causes severe temperature issues. I finally had to replace one of the 5970's with a 5850 simply because it was on a much shorter board and left enough (about half) of the airtake on the neighbor board unobstructed to solve my heat issues.

As for DNETC, Bryan is right that the 10.5 driver solved the problem for machines with a single 5970. But I'm still have severe stability issues with DNETC on my 5 core machine (2x5970+5850). The only project than runs flawlessly on that box is MW.
Author: STMahlberg [ Sat Jun 05, 2010 4:49 pm ]
Post subject: Re: Maxwell Spanker vs. Silver Hammer vs. Annihilatrix
John Chastain wrote:
STMahlberg wrote:
Thank you Bryan and Maxwell for the information. For now I was thinking about ordering one of these to try out in one of my systems that it will fit in... Ultimately, I will be getting the EVGA SR2 which won't limit me to PCI-e slots and I am hoping to get 4 of the 5970's operational on that board but I have come to the conclusion that I will have to put it all in one of the cases from Mountains Mods since at the moment case options are rather limited for that board; also with one of those cases I figure that will give me the most choices for cooling options.

EDIT:
I know that you recommended the 5870's if I was not limited to slots but I keep thinking 550K vs 312.5K for the same amount of space. And if the Maxwell Spanker and Silver Hammer are to be pwned by The Annihilatrix, then it's all about the credits. :mrgreen:

5970's punch the most performance into the tightest space. But you have to be somewhat careful about concentration. When I built my box, I initially tried using 3 5970's (two right next to each another with another seperated by 1 empty slot), but I found that with the adjacent cards end up sitting pretty closely together and since the air intake is from the side (not the end where it should be IMO), the card has difficulty drawing in sufficient fresh cool air which causes severe temperature issues. I finally had to replace one of the 5970's with a 5850 simply because it was on a much shorter board and left enough (about half) of the airtake on the neighbor board unobstructed to solve my heat issues.

As for DNETC, Bryan is right that the 10.5 driver solved the problem for machines with a single 5970. But I'm still have severe stability issues with DNETC on my 5 core machine (2x5970+5850). The only project than runs flawlessly on that box is MW.

I wondering if one could simply take the plastic case off of the board allowing ambient air to circulate around the card... no doubt you would have to make sure you have enough air movement through the case.

Better yet take what you said that the intake should be on the end... remove the case and modify it so that the intake is on the end. With the right tools and materials this shouldn't be a problem as long as you don't mind a little imagination, fabrication and trial and error.
Author: Maxwell [ Sat Jun 05, 2010 4:52 pm ]
Post subject: Re: Maxwell Spanker vs. Silver Hammer vs. Annihilatrix
John Chastain wrote:
But I'm still have severe stability issues with DNETC on my 5 core machine (2x5970+5850). The only project than runs flawlessly on that box is MW.

Some of that might be that their app is trying to distribute work across cards with very different speeds. It might actually run better if you pulled the 5850 out and gave it to me put it in another box. Just a thought...
Author: vaio [ Sat Jun 05, 2010 5:21 pm ]
Post subject: Re: Maxwell Spanker vs. Silver Hammer vs. Annihilatrix
Quick question.

For challenges do all participants have to be members of SETI USA team?
If not I have one to issue myself :mrgreen:
Author: Maxwell [ Sat Jun 05, 2010 5:28 pm ]
Post subject: Re: Maxwell Spanker vs. Silver Hammer vs. Annihilatrix
vaio wrote:
Quick question.

For challenges do all participants have to be members of SETI USA team?
If not I have one to issue myself :mrgreen:

Go for it. This thread is less of a "challenge" and more of an excuse to mock each other as we upgrade. But feel free...
Author: vaio [ Sat Jun 05, 2010 5:30 pm ]
Post subject: Re: Maxwell Spanker vs. Silver Hammer vs. Annihilatrix
Okie doke, will do....but will leave it til after the Primegrid solstice thing so your guys have a chance :mrgreen:

[Maxwell]

Author: Vidi Vici Veni [ Sat Jun 05, 2010 5:39 pm ]
Interesting thought. If only I could find a 5970 card with an air intake on the end, I could replace the one card that can't draw-in air. It seems like a fairly obvious design approach, but so far I haven't been able to find anyone making that card. It's hard to believe that every designer missed considering that as an option. Since the power connectors are on the end at the top, I wonder if the voltage regulators are right there and would block such an intake? Not sure.

Maybe I'll try underclocking the 5970's for a few days to match the 5850 and see if consistent timing makes a difference. Thanks for the idea.
Author: Mr. Hankey [ Sat Jun 05, 2010 7:42 pm ]
Post subject: Re: Maxwell Spanker vs. Silver Hammer vs. Annihilatrix
John Chastain wrote:
Maxwell wrote:
John Chastain wrote:
But I'm still have severe stability issues with DNETC on my 5 core machine (2x5970+5850). The only project than runs flawlessly on that box is MW.

Some of that might be that their app is trying to distribute work across cards with very different speeds. It might actually run better if you pulled the 5850 out and gave it to me put it in another box. Just a thought...


Interesting thought. If only I could find a 5970 card with an air intake on the end, I could replace the one card that can't draw-in air. It seems like a fairly obvious design approach, but so far I haven't been able to find anyone making that card. It's hard to believe that every designer missed considering that as an option. Since the power connectors are on the end at the top, I wonder if the voltage regulators are right there and would block such an intake? Not sure.

Maybe I'll try underclocking the 5970's for a few days to match the 5850 and see if consistent timing makes a difference. Thanks for the idea.

I don't think different speeds should be a problem. I am running dnetc on a box with one 5850 and one 4870. On both of my systems the dual 5850 and the 5850/4870 I see WUs that error out or crash, but I don't have to babysit the boxes work still gets completed just fine. It helped quite a bit once they put in the WU kill check in the app.
Author: John P. Myers [ Sat Jun 05, 2010 7:48 pm ]
Post subject: Re: Maxwell Spanker vs. Silver Hammer vs. Annihilatrix
I know the model number is misleading, but do NOT be fooled. a 5970 is NOT 2 5870's in 1 card. It's 2 5850s.

If you want a real 5970 that actually is 2 5870's slapped together you have to go with an ASUS Ares.

I don't recommend getting one though since the price will be around $1200

And then for the #1 spot, we have the Sapphire HD 5970 Toxic edition. 50MHz faster than the Ares and $1250. Minimum 850W PSU with 2 8pin plugs. Also, it takes up 3 slots.
Author: John P. Myers [ Sat Jun 05, 2010 11:41 pm ]
Post subject: Re: Maxwell Spanker vs. Silver Hammer vs. Annihilatrix

I believe the word you're looking for is "nadir"?

I'll use it in a sentence:
Metallica - Shortest Straw lyrics - wrote:
You're reaching your nadir
Your will has disappeared
The lie is crystal clear
Defending
Author: Fire$torm [ Sun Jun 06, 2010 7:56 pm ]
Post subject: Re: Maxwell Spanker vs. Silver Hammer vs. Annihilatrix
John P. Myers wrote:
Maxwell wrote:
EDIT: St. Mahlberg wanted in on the action. Although my grasp of the English language does not allow me to properly describe the levels of down-ness....

METALLICA RULES! :twisted: :twisted: :twisted:
Author: Bryan [ Sun Jun 06, 2010 11:40 pm ]
Post subject: Re: Maxwell Spanker vs. Silver Hammer vs. Annihilatrix
John P. Myers wrote:
I know the model number is misleading, but do NOT be fooled. a 5970 is NOT 2 5870's in 1 card. It's 2 5850s.



Actually John I believe that to be incorrect. The 5850 has 1440 shaders the 5870 has 1600. The 5970 has 3200 shaders.

According to Tom's Hardware Review

1) Take two top-end GPUs. In Nvidia’s case, it was the GT200 with 240 stream processors. In ATI’s, it’s the 1,600-shader Cypress found in its Radeon HD 5870.
2) Drop clock rates a bit in order to keep power and thermals under control.
3) ???
4) Profit

That is on the 1st page of the article and on the 2nd page there is a table showing the three cards specs

http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/...5970,2474.html

The reason the clock rates were dropped to 5850 levels is if the 5970 is clocked to 900MHz like the 5870 then the card draws 375-400W which far exceeds the PCI Standard of 300W per slot.
Author: John P. Myers [ Sun Jun 06, 2010 11:49 pm ]
Post subject: Re: Maxwell Spanker vs. Silver Hammer vs. Annihilatrix
Err..let me be more specific

The 5970 has it's clocks set at the speed of a 5850, not of a 5870. No, the GPU chip itself isn't the same one, just the clocks have been lowered to match the 5850 to reduce heat. Also, since these companies that make regular 5970s know the clocks are 125MHz lower than a regular 5870 chip (725MHz vs. 850MHz), they use low binned GPU chips for these boards.

And power draw on a 5970 running at 850 MHz is 296W. Still under the 300W threshold
Author: Bryan [ Sun Jun 06, 2010 11:59 pm ]
Post subject: Re: Maxwell Spanker vs. Silver Hammer vs. Annihilatrix
John P. Myers wrote:
Err..let me be more specific

The 5970 has it's clocks set at the speed of a 5850, not of a 5870. No, the GPU chip itself isn't the same one, just the clocks have been lowered to match the 5850 to reduce heat. Also, since these companies that make regular 5970s know the clocks are 125MHz lower than a regular 5870 chip (725MHz vs. 850MHz), they use low binned GPU chips for these boards.


But XFX gives an overvoltage tool to bring the chips up to (and beyond 5870) levels and CCC allows clocking to 1 GHz. If these are 2nd rate chips I'm impressed that I can run MW at 900 MHz and Collatz at 935M. The issue isn't the chip it is the heat. Those speeds I've mentioned (and DNETC at 850) allow me to stay below 80 degrees. I ran a single MW wu clocked at 1 GHz (it validated) but the temp spiked almost instantly to 95 degrees. If the wu had taken any longer to have finished I would have had to shut it down. With a full cover water block these cards would perform just like 2 5870s. Actually better if you stick with CCC as your overclocking tool because it gives another 100 MHz range. With something like MSI you can get a 5870 to reliably run at 985Mhz but then heat becomes an issue there also.
Author: John P. Myers [ Mon Jun 07, 2010 12:26 am ]
Post subject: Re: Maxwell Spanker vs. Silver Hammer vs. Annihilatrix
If you got a validated MW @ 1GHz then you bought a good card My 5870 returns invalid MW WU's at that speed...but i bought the cheapest one too. It is valid at 982MHz though, without changing the voltage and ran through the whole Pentathlon at that speed. Altering your voltage will of course let you overcome some of the limitations of a low-binned chip. I see you got the XFX card and i'm willing to bet it wasn't the cheapest one you could've gotten, meaning the chips you got probably weren't the lowest quality they had, but still not the same quality you'd find on the Sapphire Toxic i mentioned earlier

Could they release a 5970 reference card with low-binned chips that ran at reference 5870 speeds? Of course they could, but it limits the amount of room left for overclockers to play with, without having to jack up the voltage in order to pull it off. And yes, as i mentioned in my last post, heat has alot to do with that as well.

Low-binned chips aren't really as bad of a thing as it sounds. You've got 2.14B transistors on the die. You can't really expect every single one of them to be perfect on every single chip. To overcome screwed up transistors, all you have to do is increase the voltage a tad and the problem is solved, unless they're just absolutely defective and you end up having to disable 160 of the SPs because of it. When that happens, you have a 5850 :mrgreen: The deal with the voltage is the deal Nvidia's 400 series is suffering from. They have globs of failed transistors on basically every chip, so they jacked up the voltage to make them work as best they could, which is why the chips run so damn hot, but you can still overclock the crap out of them. Just raise the voltage a bit more

Would also like to point out that memory speed on a standard 5970 is also set to the speed of a 5850, not a 5870.
Author: Bryan [ Mon Jun 07, 2010 12:40 am ]
Post subject: Re: Maxwell Spanker vs. Silver Hammer vs. Annihilatrix
I haven't looked at pictures of the dies, but it is also possible that the 5850 uses the identical chip as the 5870. As you say the culls become 5850s. I worked for HP for 32 years and we had products of different capabilities ... clock speed, bandwidth etc etc. Quite frequently the bottom end product would be the culls from the top end devices. As the IC process yield improved (new products were typically pushing the envelope at the beginning of their life) we quite often wound up with the lowest bin being far above the specs of the lowest product in the line. To handle this we usually had ways of "dumbing" down devices. For example making a 1600 shader chip into a 1440 shader chip. Some things could be found at the wafer level and there we could make surgical modifications (like the example) with laser etching. Some things couldn't actually be tested until full packing and either the cull would be sorted and different p/n stamp on it -or- there was a fusible link on one of the pins that could be popped. When the chip powered up it would look to see what capability it was supposed to have. Some of the lower end products actually had the absolute high end part in them (w/ different p/n) but the had been dumbed down.

[Maxwell]

Author: John P. Myers [ Mon Jun 07, 2010 12:50 am ]
Post subject: Re: Maxwell Spanker vs. Silver Hammer vs. Annihilatrix
Yes, a screwed up 5870 is a 5850 with 160 disabled SPs (and 8 disabled TMUs). A really screwed up 5870 is a 5830, with a total of 480 disabled SPs (and 24 disabled TMUs and 16 disabled ROPs). The die size on all 3 chips is 334mm^2, and they all have the same number of transistors. It's just different levels of failing.

EDIT: One more point: The memory bandwidth of a 5850 is 128 GB/s. The memory bandwidth of a 5970 is 2x128 GB/s instead of 2x153.6 GB/s as it is on a 5870. Also the pixel fillrate on the 5970 (46.4 GP/s) is exactly 2x the fillrate of the 5850 (23.2 GP/s). The fillrate of a 5870 is 27.2 GP/s. I'll shutup now.
Author: Bryan [ Mon Jun 07, 2010 1:08 am ]
Post subject: Re: Maxwell Spanker vs. Silver Hammer vs. Annihilatrix
For anyone considering 5970s and using the Overvoltage tool I will give you a real heads up!

DO NOT SET BOINC TO RUN AT STARTUP!!!!
CCC stores your settings and the Overvoltage tool does NOT. When 1st booted since the card isn't being stressed the clock drops down to something like 157 MHz as an idle frequency regardless of what CCC says the clock rate is. THIS is GOOD. You then need to launch the Overvoltage tool and move the voltage for Shader and/or Memory up and THEN you can start BOINC.

If you have BOINC set to run at start up it will load and begin cranking (slams the clock to whatever CCC is set to) before you can up the voltage. You get a VPN that does not recover. The only solution is to boot into safe mode, remove CCC, then reboot, and finally you get to reinstall CCC.

I won't go into how I know this :lol:

Using something like MSI Afterburner to change voltages might eliminate this gotcha because I think it will store settings.
Author: Fire$torm [ Mon Jun 07, 2010 1:34 pm ]
Post subject: Re: Maxwell Spanker vs. Silver Hammer vs. Annihilatrix
Bryan wrote:
For anyone considering 5970s and using the Overvoltage tool I will give you a real heads up!

DO NOT SET BOINC TO RUN AT STARTUP!!!!


Bryan, have you considered using a batch file to start the overvoltage tool and then BOINC? Before Vista you could use the Choice command to set delay times. I know there is a 3rd party alternative for Vista/Win7 but I cannot recall its name.

Also, choice.com is from DOS 6.22. I just carried it over from my archives.

For anyone interested here is an example of one of my batch files.
Code:
TITLE AZUREUS STARTUP MANAGER

@ECHO OFF
CLS

:START

ECHO.
ECHO.
ECHO.
ECHO Waiting To Start Azureus
ECHO.

CALL C:\WINNT\DOS\CHOICE /N /T:Y,45

START D:\APPS\AZUREUS\AZUREUS.EXE

GOTO END

:END

Here are the command line options for choice.com

C:\WINNT\Dos>choice /?
Waits for the user to choose one of a set of choices.

CHOICE [/C[:]choices] [/N] [/S] [/T[:]c,nn] [text]

/C[:]choices Specifies allowable keys. Default is YN
/N Do not display choices and ? at end of prompt string.
/S Treat choice keys as case sensitive.
/T[:]c,nn Default choice to c after nn seconds
text Prompt string to display

ERRORLEVEL is set to offset of key user presses in choices.
Author: Vidi Vici Veni [ Mon Jun 07, 2010 2:09 pm ]
Post subject: Re: Maxwell Spanker vs. Silver Hammer vs. Annihilatrix
I'm with you Fire$torm - I believe in automating everything that can be automated. The last thing I want is for a crunching machine to just sit there doing nothing waiting for human intervention if it were ever to reboot itself. Heck, I want the opposite - I even want to automated the monitoring and rebooting. I want a watcher process to determine when the machine stops working or a tasks get infinitely hung, for it to force a reboot when that happens, and then for the entire machine to load up and get back to work.
Author: Bryan [ Mon Jun 07, 2010 2:56 pm ]
Post subject: Re: Maxwell Spanker vs. Silver Hammer vs. Annihilatrix
Fire$torm wrote:
Bryan wrote:
For anyone considering 5970s and using the Overvoltage tool I will give you a real heads up!

DO NOT SET BOINC TO RUN AT STARTUP!!!!


Bryan, have you considered using a batch file to start the overvoltage tool and then BOINC? Before Vista you could use the Choice command to set delay times. I know there is a 3rd party alternative for Vista/Win7 but I cannot recall its name.

.


The problem is with the Overvoltage tool. You have to move a slider to select the voltages you want and then hit apply. If it had command line options to allow this from a batch file it would be simple enough. I've actually tried to find some information on the program but nothing is available. I have a dead 5850 (fan is shot) so when I call them I was going to ask if there was a workaround.

That is why I was saying that something like ATItools, RivaTuner, or MSI Afterburner may be a better solution. I haven't had the time to try them yet but definitely will before heading south for the winter.
Author: STMahlberg [ Mon Jun 07, 2010 3:14 pm ]
Post subject: Re: Maxwell Spanker vs. Silver Hammer vs. Annihilatrix
Bryan wrote:
Fire$torm wrote:
Bryan wrote:
For anyone considering 5970s and using the Overvoltage tool I will give you a real heads up!
DO NOT SET BOINC TO RUN AT STARTUP!!!!

Bryan, have you considered using a batch file to start the overvoltage tool and then BOINC? Before Vista you could use the Choice command to set delay times. I know there is a 3rd party alternative for Vista/Win7 but I cannot recall its name.
.

The problem is with the Overvoltage tool. You have to move a slider to select the voltages you want and then hit apply. If it had command line options to allow this from a batch file it would be simple enough. I've actually tried to find some information on the program but nothing is available. I have a dead 5850 (fan is shot) so when I call them I was going to ask if there was a workaround.
That is why I was saying that something like ATItools, RivaTuner, or MSI Afterburner may be a better solution. I haven't had the time to try them yet but definitely will before heading south for the winter.

I know that there is usually one or more solutions to a problem, so if a batch file won't work how about a scripting solution?

At work we use something called AutoIt3, it's not the most advanced scripting language out there but it does the job, it's simple to use (BASIC like command structure) and it's free. I have yet to find something that it can't do.
Author: Vidi Vici Veni [ Mon Jun 07, 2010 3:37 pm ]
Post subject: Re: Maxwell Spanker vs. Silver Hammer vs. Annihilatrix
STMahlberg wrote:
Bryan wrote:
I know that there is usually one or more solutions to a problem, so if a batch file won't work how about a scripting solution?

At work we use something called AutoIt3, it's not the most advanced scripting language out there but it does the job, it's simple to use (BASIC like command structure) and it's free. I have yet to find something that it can't do.

A batch file is just a simple script. Whar Brian was trying to say is that the problem isn't an inability to call the program from a script but rather that the program can't be instructed as to what you want it to do other than by physically moving a slider on a screen. So the script cannot tell the program to change the voltage because the program wasn't made that way. Therefore he is considering looking into other voltage management tools that might be able to be called that way. That's what I think he meant by his comments.

[Maxwell]

Author: Bryan [ Mon Jun 07, 2010 3:39 pm ]
Post subject: Re: Maxwell Spanker vs. Silver Hammer vs. Annihilatrix
I just got off the phone with XFX. When I asked my question about getting Ovrevolt to store and recall settings at bootup the guy started laughing and said; "I've heard this one before!" The answer is no, there is no way to do it.

However, when I asked if he knew anything about MSI Afterburner, RivaTool, or ATITool he said he had both MSI and Riva installed on his system. He recommended MSI and said that it WILL store settings and apply them at startup. So the only issue then becomes making sure MSI does its thing before BOINC is launched! The sequence is critical :lol:
Author: Fire$torm [ Mon Jun 07, 2010 3:51 pm ]
Post subject: Re: Maxwell Spanker vs. Silver Hammer vs. Annihilatrix

Gotcha. The MSI route is the easier solution. If there not an alternative I would then have suggested a Windows GUI macro or whatever they are called. You know, the kind of program that emulates keyboard and mouse inputs. Just more junk that you don't have to contend with. So praise the techno gods..... j/k.
Author: Bryan [ Mon Jun 07, 2010 4:06 pm ]
Post subject: Re: Maxwell Spanker vs. Silver Hammer vs. Annihilatrix
Fire$torm wrote:
I would then have suggested a Windows GUI macro or whatever they are called. You know, the kind of program that emulates keyboard and mouse inputs. Just more junk that you don't have to contend with. So praise the techno gods..... j/k.


I haven't used one of those in many years. At HP they used to drop those onto people's PCs that hadn't locked them before going home. It would lock out your keyboard and mouse and then you would see the mouse start moving around the screen. Eventually it clicked on and launched a text message basically saying; " Hey idiot, this machine is on a secured internal HP network ... lock your computer."
Author: Maxwell [ Mon Jun 07, 2010 9:56 pm ]
Post subject: Re: Maxwell Spanker vs. Silver Hammer vs. Annihilatrix
Dear JPM & STM:

The conglomeration that is the Silver Hammer has ordered four i7 860s each with a GTS240. Please plan accordingly.

Sincerely,

Maxwell's Silver Hammer of Thor!!! :battle:

PS: Yay for other people's money...
Author: John P. Myers [ Mon Jun 07, 2010 11:00 pm ]
Post subject: Re: Maxwell Spanker vs. Silver Hammer vs. Annihilatrix
See..now we have an issue....
First, i should have been evil and selfish and recommended the GT240 instead. But, no. I just had to go and be all "honesty" and "helpful" and "upstanding" and all those other adjectives that have put me into the jam i currently find myself in. So now, somewhere out there, students will have better computers with which to further their education on because of me. My reward? I get crapped on and ass-raped in the world standings. Something doesn't seem to add up here...let's see...hmmm...first, helpful...then ass-raped. Yeah. No. Something is definitely wrong here. Somewhere, something has gone terribly wrong.

I mention making a small upgrade for myself, which i haven't even done yet, that would only increase my daily output by maybe 2% assuming AQUA is never down. Just a small increase in CPU power. After stating this tidbit of info, i'm greeted with a formal letter stating, in order for a certain someone to remain competitive, they have decided on adding 4 CPUs AND 4 GPUs to their arsenal. I do not see how this is an appropriate response to my miniscule upgrade. From my point of view, i feel that a sincere apology for overreacting, and a complete retraction of all statements and their truths by the "party in question" be made, and henceforth, no additional exaggerated attempts such as those demonstrated here today will be attempted in the future. Upon the "party's in question" refusal to adhere to these guidelines, certain steps will be taken to insure an absolute catastrophic collapse of the pedestal said party has place himself so highly upon. Thank you.

I have 2 words for you: Southern Islands
Author: Fire$torm [ Mon Jun 07, 2010 11:31 pm ]
Post subject: Re: Maxwell Spanker vs. Silver Hammer vs. Annihilatrix
John P. Myers wrote:
See..now we have an issue....
First, i should have been evil and selfish and recommended the GT240 instead. But, no. I just had to go and be all "honesty" and "helpful" and "upstanding" and all those other adjectives that have put me into the jam i currently find myself in. So now, somewhere out there, students will have better computers with which to further their education on because of me. My reward? I get crapped on and ass-raped in the world standings. Something doesn't seem to add up here...let's see...hmmm...first, helpful...then ass-raped. Yeah. No. Something is definitely wrong here. Somewhere, something has gone terribly wrong.

I mention making a small upgrade for myself, which i haven't even done yet, that would only increase my daily output by maybe 2% assuming AQUA is never down. Just a small increase in CPU power. After stating this tidbit of info, i'm greeted with a formal letter stating, in order for a certain someone to remain competitive, they have decided on adding 4 CPUs AND 4 GPUs to their arsenal. I do not see how this is an appropriate response to my miniscule upgrade. From my point of view, i feel that a sincere apology for overreacting, and a complete retraction of all statements and their truths by the "party in question" be made, and henceforth, no additional exaggerated attempts such as those demonstrated here today will be attempted in the future. Upon the "party's in question" refusal to adhere to these guidelines, certain steps will be taken to insure an absolute catastrophic collapse of the pedestal said party has place himself so highly upon. Thank you.

OH Gawd!!! You've got me laughing so hard my eyes are tearing up........
Your comments above are probably the single best read I have had on this board. Defiantly in the top 10.

@Max: LOL, You Have Been Served. Maybe more like verbally pwned. No, I have it now, Served Pwnage.
Author: Maxwell [ Mon Jun 07, 2010 11:44 pm ]
Post subject: Re: Maxwell Spanker vs. Silver Hammer vs. Annihilatrix
Dear JPM,

I am truly sorry that the purchases for my lab have evoked such a lawyerly response. Furthermore, I offer my sincere apologies that you have decided to place your upgrading resources into a CPU that would increase your product by MAYBE 2%, rather than a better/additional GPU which would have had substantially better credit return on investment. That said, I do have to correct a few misconceptions you may have.

1. I do not believe this was a formal letter of warning. More accurately, this was a courtesy letter of information that provided you (and the party known as St. Mahlberg) with the details of a pending upgrade. The Silver Hammer Information Thread (henceforth known as S.H.I.T.) was under no legal or ethical obligations to inform you of this upgrade. In fact, S.H.I.T. demands a thank you for not rubbing your face in it.
2. It must be pointed out that the author does not believe himself to be worth of a pedestal; rather, he acknowledges and is grateful for the help that you and others have provided. The S.H.I.T. is intended to provide fertile ground for upgrades for all team members.
3. The upgrades described previously and your upgrade occurred coincidentally; your upgrade and the one in S.H.I.T. should not be put on the same level. Both should be congratulated for the good of the team.
4. Please do interpret the information in S.H.I.T. as evidence of being "crapped on" or "ass-raped". I fail to see the connection.

I hope this provides some clarification to earlier postings. S.H.I.T. is intended to be informative, and not malicious. I would truly enjoy it if you remained just behind me in overall standings.

Sincerely,
Maxwell/Silver Hammer
Author: Maxwell [ Mon Jun 07, 2010 11:52 pm ]
Post subject: Re: Maxwell Spanker vs. Silver Hammer vs. Annihilatrix
Fire$torm wrote:
@Max: LOL, You Have Been Served.

Serve returned. You tell me if it made it in or not... :wink:
Author: Fire$torm [ Tue Jun 08, 2010 12:26 am ]
Post subject: Re: Maxwell Spanker vs. Silver Hammer vs. Annihilatrix
Maxwell wrote:
Fire$torm wrote:
@Max: LOL, You Have Been Served.

Serve returned. You tell me if it made it in or not... :wink:


Hello Mr. Maxwell, owner of the "Silver Hammer & creator of the thread entitled "Maxwell Spanker vs. Silver Hammer vs. Annihilatrix"

My name is unimportant. Please be advised that a filing of civil litigation will be levied against you in court at the beginning of business hours tomorrow. Your most recent postings in the above stated thread caused Mr. Fire$torm severe hysterical trauma, inducing a fit of coughing almost leading to cardiac distress. Words crafted in such a fashion, to produce a reaction like the aforementioned, cannot be tolerated. We, those who support Mr. Fire$torm in his time of need, will also seek criminal charges at the local, state and federal levels. We hope our goal is clear Mr. Maxwell. We intend to make a national example of your unhealthy disregard of human dignity. On a personal level, I hope they throw away the key. Enjoy your S.H.I.T. Mr. Maxwell, while you can.

Sincerely,
Friends and family of Mr. Fire$torm.

[Maxwell]

Fire$torm wrote:
@Max: LOL, You Have Been Served.

Serve returned. You tell me if it made it in or not... :wink:
Author: Fire$torm [ Tue Jun 08, 2010 12:26 am ]
Post subject: Re: Maxwell Spanker vs. Silver Hammer vs. Annihilatrix
Maxwell wrote:
Fire$torm wrote:
@Max: LOL, You Have Been Served.

Serve returned. You tell me if it made it in or not... :wink:


Hello Mr. Maxwell, owner of the "Silver Hammer & creator of the thread entitled "Maxwell Spanker vs. Silver Hammer vs. Annihilatrix"

My name is unimportant. Please be advised that a filing of civil litigation will be levied against you in court at the beginning of business hours tomorrow. Your most recent postings in the above stated thread caused Mr. Fire$torm severe hysterical trauma, inducing a fit of coughing almost leading to cardiac distress. Words crafted in such a fashion, to produce a reaction like the aforementioned, cannot be tolerated. We, those who support Mr. Fire$torm in his time of need, will also seek criminal charges at the local, state and federal levels. We hope our goal is clear Mr. Maxwell. We intend to make a national example of your unhealthy disregard of human dignity. On a personal level, I hope they throw away the key. Enjoy your S.H.I.T. Mr. Maxwell, while you can.

Sincerely,
Friends and family of Mr. Fire$torm.
Author: Slicker [ Tue Jun 08, 2010 12:40 am ]
Post subject: Re: Maxwell Spanker vs. Silver Hammer vs. Annihilatrix
Fire$torm wrote:
Maxwell wrote:
Fire$torm wrote:
@Max: LOL, You Have Been Served.

Serve returned. You tell me if it made it in or not... :wink:


Hello Mr. Maxwell, owner of the "Silver Hammer & creator of the thread entitled "Maxwell Spanker vs. Silver Hammer vs. Annihilatrix"

My name is unimportant. Please be advised that a filing of civil litigation will be levied against you in court at the beginning of business hours tomorrow. Your most recent postings in the above stated thread caused Mr. Fire$torm severe hysterical trauma, inducing a fit of coughing almost leading to cardiac distress. Words crafted in such a fashion, to produce a reaction like the aforementioned, cannot be tolerated. We, those who support Mr. Fire$torm in his time of need, will also seek criminal charges at the local, state and federal levels. We hope our goal is clear Mr. Maxwell. We intend to make a national example of your unhealthy disregard of human dignity. On a personal level, I hope they throw away the key. Enjoy your S.H.I.T. Mr. Maxwell, while you can.

Sincerely,
Friends and family of Mr. Fire$torm.


Might as well make it a class action suit and get everyone else who reads the topic to join in.
Author: STMahlberg [ Tue Jun 08, 2010 2:22 am ]
Post subject: Re: Maxwell Spanker vs. Silver Hammer vs. Annihilatrix
*STMahlberg looks around for his boots.*

It's getting deep in here. LOL
Author: Fire$torm [ Tue Jun 08, 2010 12:16 pm ]
Post subject: Re: Maxwell Spanker vs. Silver Hammer vs. Annihilatrix
Bryan wrote:
Fire$torm wrote:
I would then have suggested a Windows GUI macro or whatever they are called. You know, the kind of program that emulates keyboard and mouse inputs. Just more junk that you don't have to contend with. So praise the techno gods..... j/k.


I haven't used one of those in many years. At HP they used to drop those onto people's PCs that hadn't locked them before going home. It would lock out your keyboard and mouse and then you would see the mouse start moving around the screen. Eventually it clicked on and launched a text message basically saying; " Hey idiot, this machine is on a secured internal HP network ... lock your computer."


Hey, I found the the replacement for the choice utility. Its called nircmd and its a neat utility and was created by NirSoft. Most of their stuff is freeware.
Here are the links:
NirCmd main page
NirCmd help page
NirCmd Download

NirSoft has a macro recorder but they want $129.00 for the standard edition. So I checked cnets download.com and found some freeware. Here is the Link.
Author: John P. Myers [ Tue Jun 08, 2010 12:46 pm ]
Post subject: Re: Maxwell Spanker vs. Silver Hammer vs. Annihilatrix
As i wade through this S.H.I.T., i realize i couldn't give a F.U.C.K. (Free Unsolicited Computer Knowledge)
Sure, the new CPU only increases my total output by 2%, but my CPU output increases by over 25% which helps in competitions. You fail for not realizing that

Your addition of 4 computers with 4 GPUs doesn't worry me. My GPU will outproduce that entire lot.

You better go ahead and get yourself some more computers. You will be beaten by my single box. You don't know what i know. It may take until November, but you're going down.
I've already beaten you once. Like a tampon, once i got a taste of blood, i wanted more!


PS: I repeat that i have just 2 words for you: Southern Islands
Author: STMahlberg [ Tue Jun 08, 2010 5:08 pm ]
Post subject: Re: Maxwell Spanker vs. Silver Hammer vs. Annihilatrix
Maxwell wrote:
Dear JPM & STM:
The conglomeration that is the Silver Hammer has ordered four i7 860s each with a GTS240. Please plan accordingly.
Sincerely,
Maxwell's Silver Hammer of Thor!!! :battle:
PS: Yay for other people's money...

Maxwell & JPM,

When I asked if I could partake of these challenging events I thought this would be a fun venture, at first I did not think that I would be worthy to be in the presence of such greatness. I felt that your computer knowledge was unsurpassed. However, as I read your post Maxwell at what parts you were procuring I realized that you are building (4) systems and a great injustice have been served upon me…

I was told by JPM that I needed to build a computer system that was able to outperform in credits per day against what either of you two were building.

“A computer system” … meaning singularity as in one. I feel that I was egregiously misled by this statement. This has caused a delay in my planning and has set me behind minutely; however, as far as being mislead by JPM I must say, well played Mr. Meyers and touché. Now I know that the only challenge here is to out produce you whether it is by a single machine or by the 100,000 I have access too.

Now to continue with Maxwell, I looked over the specs and benchmarks of the i7 860 and the GTS 240; I have to admit that I would have responded to this post sooner; however, I was laughing too hard. The i7 860… serious??? And the GTS 240, I don’t think that can even run Pong let alone crunch. This is the best you can do with other people’s money?!

As far as your statement, “Please plan accordingly.” Well I have, I have greatly tuned down what I was going to do; after all I just want to beat you not horribly humiliate you. (But that may change. :wink: )

And now to both of you… I THOUGHT that I was walking among Gods when it came to building computers; imagine my chagrin when I find that I am only in a field of fairies. I will admit that your grammatical ejaculations have been amusing but they will not save you.

Having to re-plan, I finally started ordering parts for The Annihilatrix, I won’t show you what they are since I don’t believe that you can gaze upon its awesomeness and comprehend; I do not wish to smite thee in such a way.

As far as preparing I say, Prepare for Your Doom! And one final thought: GAME ON BABY!!!
Author: Fire$torm [ Tue Jun 08, 2010 5:38 pm ]
Post subject: Re: Maxwell Spanker vs. Silver Hammer vs. Annihilatrix