FR Folding@Home Project- ATI Stream Computing Drive Bio-Medical Research at Stanford University

ATI Website and Stanford University ^ | Nov 13 2006 | Vijay Pande

[texas booster]

Today ATI's graphics processors help accelerate complex computations in stream computing applications used in scientific research. ATI is supporting bio-medical research to help scientists understand disease at the genetic level. With a strong understanding of how diseases form, it will become possible to develop diagnostic methods, and preventative treatment and medicine for many acute diseases in humans.

Stanford University is using ATI’s GPUs (Graphics Processor Units) to run Folding@Home, a distributed computing project designed by its chemistry department. This application performs computationally intensive simulations of protein folding, using the stream computing capabilities of ATI’s Radeon® 1900 and 1950 Series processors, which provide incremental power over CPU processing. ATI’s Radeon® X1900 and Radeon® X1950 Series process the complex calculations of the simulation and render advanced 3D visualization of the protein folding process in real time.

Folding@Home will help researchers uncover how certain diseases develop, including:

Cancer

Alzheimer's Disease

Parkinson's Disease

Huntington's Disease

Osteogenesis Imperfecta

Stanford University’s research team discovered that ATI’s Radeon X1900 and Radeon X1950 Series of products provide 20 to 40 times faster processing over CPUs in many of the calculations needed to simulate the folding of proteins.

What is Protein Folding Proteins are necklaces of amino acids – long chain molecules that drive all biochemical reactions in the human body, helping to build bones, muscles and blood vessels, and helping the body fight infections. To accomplish these tasks, proteins must take on a particular shape, or, to “fold”. Proteins that fold incorrectly can cause complications and can lead to critical diseases. Folding@Home simulates the folding process to understand why proteins don’t fold correctly. The findings will help researchers prevent and cure these diseases.

You Can Help Find the Cure Folding@home uses distributed computing to simulate protein folding – instead of using super computers, the workload is broken up into small work units and distributed across 100,000’s of PC systems over the internet. When users throughout the world download and run the application they directly contribute to a good cause through the power of their ATI graphics processor. The GPU version of the application will use the processing power of end users’ GPUs to accelerate the simulation and provide data to Stanford’s researchers faster.

Every new PC that runs the application gets us closer to the cure.

You can help by simply downloading and running the Folding@Home application developed by Stanford University. The application is free and secure. It will run in the background, making use of spare GPU capacity in your PC, without impacting the performance of your other applications.

You can increase your contribution by forming and joining teams and competing against others. Contributors are assigned a score indicating the number and difficulty of completed work units. Rankings and other statistics are posted to the Folding@Home website.

Please note that, currently, only the following products in ATI’s Radeon X1900 Series and Radeon X1950 Series can run the application. We will post information about upcoming products that will support this application in the near future.

Radeon X1900 Series: Radeon X1900 GT, Radeon X1900 XT, Radeon X1900 XTX, Radeon X1900 CrossFire Edition

Radeon X1950 Series: Radeon X1950 XTX, Radeon X1950 CrossFire Edition

[papasmurf]

Thanks for the ping, oh wise one. Hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving.

BTW, I still have a Veg-O-Matic, if anyone wants to buy one, it's up in the attic next to my Buttoneer and Magic Lint remover.

:O)


P

[texas booster]

Veg-o-Matic!

I am amazed at the Greatest TV Gifts Ever, that well, I never even used once. Somewhere at my parents place there must be half an attic covered with the Greatest Ronco products ever. My mom was convinced that companies wouldn't pay to advertise on TV (esp with a guarantee!) unless it was truly good.

Maybe we did use a Ginsu ...

[texas booster]

Woo Hoo!

We're Number 60!

At least there is something to celebrate this weekend.

First Texas, now Notre Dame. What a waste of TV time.

[texas booster]

http://folding.extremeoverclocking.com/user_summary.php?s=&u=168262

pbrown is now over 10,000 points!! 5 days, 4 competed work units.

How many systems are running to pop these work units?

[IslandJeff]

I didn't get up until halftime of USC/Irish, and, even then, found other programming more interesting.

Heck, even the Grambling/LA Southern game wasn't that good. And I missed the halftime show.

NFL tomorrow. Life will resume normalcy.

[texas booster]

I watch very, very little TV, mostly sports. I couldn't believe that I chose to drop a couple of hours on these games. At least the few minutes of UGA and GT I saw were pretty good.

My NFL is done for the weekend. Now that Tony Romo is leading the Dallas Cowboys to the Stupor Bowl all is well. I will just show up in January (or Feb) and I am sure that Dallas will once again conquer all. That's what I heard on Talk radio today, and we all know how reliable Sports Talk is ...

< /koolaid>

What a topsy turvy season for the former Cocaineboys. Beat Indy, lose to the Deadskins. Good thing I don't gamble.

[IslandJeff]

Why doesn't Barber start in the backfield?

[processing please hold]

I only have one, it's an XPS. My son keeps telling me I have a powerful computer. I'll take his word for it. I guess it's a good one then, huh?

[texas booster]

You are doing very well for only having one system.

Check your mail!

[texas booster]

I dunno. Maybe its because Jones is better, maybe Big Tuna likes two backs, maybe its the defense, maybe its ego or contract negotiations.

I can't keep up with Romo and Jessica Simpson. How can I expect to outguess Big Bill?

Parcells makes 4 million, surely all of his decisions are sacrosanct!

[texas booster]

Congrats to HangThemHigh for breaking the 100,000 point milestone.

You are now officially a hundred-thousand-aire.

[texas booster]

Thank you for joining the community of folders.

I guess that you have been back from Iraq for a year? Ever have any thoughts of going back?

[HangThemHigh]

"Congrats to HangThemHigh for breaking the 100,000 point milestone."

Thanks, but I don't do much, just sit back and watch my little flock fold.

You deserve real credit, you actually work at this. Thanks for all your hard work and support for the group.

[texas booster]

Thanks for folding for the Gipper.

Please ping us if you have any questions! We want your first folds to be smooth.

[HKMk23]

With all of the talk about where and how much for the new ATI GPUs, here's some current data from http://www.pricewatch.com

As of 11/29/2006:20:00ZULU

$415.90 - radeon x1950 xtx 512mb
$416.12 - radeon x1950 crossfire 512mb
$445.00 - radeon x1900 xt 512mb
$308.90 - radeon x1900 xt 256mb
$201.00 - radeon x1900 gt 256mb
$337.90 - radeon x1900 crossfire 512mb
$261.12 - radeon x1900 crossfire 256mb

Prices listed are the lowest for which the given card is being offered by one of the vendors advertising on PriceWatch.

ALSO, be on the lookout for the LATEST in R/W media: Blue Ray Disc ("BD" for short).
EXAMPLE: http://www.compsource.com/pn/PXB900ASWBL/Plextor/

Looks like it's going to be "the next big thing". Prices are a bit on the "YIKES!" side, at the moment, but maybe by next Christmas...?

[texas booster]

One of the new X1950 cards uses the ATI R570 chipset, which has only 36 (!) pixel shaders.

Hopefully the Pande group will be able to cross-compile their code onto other ATI cards soon.

Maybe Santa will need to check the list and add a few gifts himself.

I mean, what could say "Romance" to the wifey more than a new ATI video card?

[dfwddr]

ROFLMAO !!!!!

I mean, what could say "Romance" to the wifey more than a new ATI video card?

I've been trying to figure out if I have enough guts to say "No, Honey, I didn't get you that diamond pendant, but I did save a ton of money on this ATI 1950pro." I guess I could always bring home the Diamond X1950, and claim that's what I thought she meant !

{posting before she sees what I'm typing !!! :)}

[HKMk23]

I mean, what could say "Romance" to the wifey more than a new ATI video card?

Hmmmm.

Perhaps a new X1950 that enables your PC to become the heart of a modern home theater system. Round out the package with a wall-mounted 50"+ HDTV (connected to your video card and designated as a second monitor), and 5.1-channel surround sound (option of internal sound card or external system, here), then plug in wifey's favorite movie...who knows what could happen next?

[Drango]

Dude...Now I've got a serious need for speed!

[HKMk23]

LOL! I know what you mean. It's just too danged bad my transmission raided my piggy bank first.