View Full Version : Can I use a PCIe 2.0 card in an old PCIe slot?
Ok so I was working on the innards of Boinc Server 2 (one of my back up servers) to keep it up to speed during the prime grid challenge and I noticed something. Last time I looked in there I had no idea how to tell the different slots apart. So I looked in there and despite being an old Dell Dimension 4700 I saw everyone's favorite little blue slot. I looked up the Manuel online to find out that it was indeed a PCIe x16! YAY! Now my Nvidia 210 card which I will be replacing soon is a PCIe 2.0 card. So here's my question. Now I know that regular PCIe cards will work in PCIe 2.0 slots but will a PCIe 2.0 card work in a regular PCIe slot? I sure hope so cause I'd love server 2 to get promoted from backup status to a primary system. (I say back up because I don't see the point in paying the electric bill for such a low producing system 24/7.) Oh! just one last question, which linux disto will be the most efficient credit wise for CUDA. It's a Ubuntu box but the last time I tried CUDA on Ubuntu (Thats no typo, despite what every ones been saying I really did manage to put CUDA on a Ubuntu box) the credit output us not living up to the card potential.
OK - answer to first question - yes, you can put the card in there. It doesn't matter the version, the physical slot is the same. The only thing that is different is speed throughput of data to and from the card, and I believe a higher voltage is allowed on the new specs.
That card won't draw near maximum power (it's like 300W per slot!) and when crunching, the "speed" of data throughput has little effect on credits. You could crunch off a single lane - pci-e 1x if you could get the card to work with the slot.
Hope that helps.
It's been a long time since I messed with Linux, but if you are a Linux master, then... Gentoo used to be the fastest and most customizable - but you'd have to compile from scratch, of course. Ubuntu isn't too bad of an O/S overall. I'd check with Trigggl or Slicker, maybe even Mr. Hankey or Mumps if they have time on this one.
Well the new 460s on the truck so I went and transplanted the 210 tonight. After a lot of hitting my head on the wall working with the drivers and getting rid of an older version of boinc that just wouldn't leave, it's up and running!
Looks like it's just not going to work out for the 210 so I pulled it from the box and repacked it for another day. Problem was the whole system was running extremely sluggish (like 15+ hours for one PG WU) and it's just not worth paying the power bill for such a slow system. So well, thats that i guess...
trigggl
02-11-11, 06:39 AM
It's been a long time since I messed with Linux, but if you are a Linux master, then... Gentoo used to be the fastest and most customizable - but you'd have to compile from scratch, of course. Ubuntu isn't too bad of an O/S overall. I'd check with Trigggl or Slicker, maybe even Mr. Hankey or Mumps if they have time on this one.
I don't know if Gentoo is the fastest, but I doubt you'll find anything faster. It's a learning process, though because you configure/compile your own kernel and in many cases choose your own dependencies. (see 'USE' flags) You have to do a lot of reading and be careful to follow directions when they're given. Since you're compiling you own system, your system will be optimized for your processor and not bogged down by a generic setup created for compatibility.
Looks like it's just not going to work out for the 210 so I pulled it from the box and repacked it for another day. Problem was the whole system was running extremely sluggish (like 15+ hours for one PG WU) and it's just not worth paying the power bill for such a slow system. So well, thats that i guess...
Alright, I'll bite. What processor and how much RAM in that rig?
Also, and this is a big one for the PG App that everyone loves...were you trying to crunch with the CPU too?
I'd try it again, but make darn sure no other programs are running, and uncheck the CPU box, so PG only sends you GPU WUs to crunch.
That might make it much more desirable...if it's an older/slower CPU with not much RAM, it may be all it can do to feed the GPU - and you will get WAY more credits out of the GPU than trying to work the CPU in circles on that PG app. ;)
PG was sending GPU units only if it was CPU it would take 330+ hours. Its an old ('05ish or something) single core 2.8 GHz P4 HT with one gig of RAM. The only other programs that were running was a anti-virus program in the background.
Ah, ok. Well, it's just too slow of a card for crunching much, then. I mean, in a pinch it will get you a few extra points and might help win a very tight challenge over several days...but you are correct, not really worth running 24/7 for electricity.
The main issue is that the Nvidia GeForce 210 only has 16 CUDA cores. Good for a HTPC or surfing the web and all, but not too powerful.
You might find some love for that 210 on Collatz. He's got "big" and "little" WUs there and you could bust through some small WUs pretty easily.
You got the new beast, though, so enjoy that one! :D
You got the new beast, though, so enjoy that one! :D
Oh don't worry I am. lol
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