Advice re possible Mac purchase

Tigers_Dave
Tigers_Dave
Joined: 25 Mar 09
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Topic 196954

My 2005 PowerMac (PowerMac 7,3; M9748LL/A; 2.3 GHz Dual Processor G5) is dying. This computer controls an instrument in my lab, so I need a replacement Mac. The instrument runs rather infrequently, so the computer will primarily be a BOINC cruncher.

I could purchase a used mid-2010 Mac Mini (MacMini 4,1; MC270LL/A; 2.4 GHz Core 2 Duo; NVIDIA GeForce 320M) for approximately $500. However, this unit won't run E@H GPU tasks - my MacMini and MacBook Pros with this video card will run Collatz@H GPU tasks, but not E@H GPU tasks. Moreover, Collatz@H GPU tasks are huge resource hogs on this machine.

Instead, I could buy a used mid-2010 21.5" iMac (iMac 11,2; MC509LL/A; 3.2 GHz Dual Core i3; ATI Radeon HD 5670) for approximately $900. Will this unit run E@H GPU tasks?

Or, I could buy a new late-2012 21.5" iMac (iMac 13,1; MD093LL/A; 2.7 GHz Quad Core i5; NVIDIA GeForce GT 640M) for approximately $1400. Will this unit run E@H GPU tasks?

TIA

"I was born in a small town, and I live in a small town." - John Mellencamp

MAGIC Quantum Mechanic
MAGIC Quantum M...
Joined: 18 Jan 05
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Advice re possible Mac purchase


Yes the NVIDIA GeForce GT 640M can be used for the BRP cuda's (GPU's)

It has 384 cuda cores (I have used my laptop with the 610M 24/7 for almost a year now)

Can't help you with the Mac subject (my ASUS has the Intel Core i7-2670QM CPU @ 2.20GHz w/8GB ram and only cost me $775 total)and it runs the BRP GPU X2 and GRP X8 24/7 and has not had any problem doing this)

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