From owner-chemistry@ccl.net Thu May 21 12:43:00 2015 From: "Derek Cashman derek.cashman_+_gmail.com" To: CCL Subject: CCL: Workshop on Computational Biophysics (Berkeley, Aug 3-7, 2015) Message-Id: <-51392-150521123434-19898-ywNsWi38gWhfYzfdBAXTvA+*+server.ccl.net> X-Original-From: Derek Cashman Content-Type: multipart/alternative; boundary="Apple-Mail=_15DD2938-5AF6-45E1-9FB9-08F94D82E560" Date: Thu, 21 May 2015 11:34:20 -0500 Mime-Version: 1.0 (Mac OS X Mail 8.2 \(2070.6\)) Sent to CCL by: Derek Cashman [derek.cashman(~)gmail.com] --Apple-Mail=_15DD2938-5AF6-45E1-9FB9-08F94D82E560 Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Content-Type: text/plain; charset=utf-8 > On May 20, 2015, at 9:38 PM, Billy McCann thebillywayne:+:gmail.com = wrote: >=20 > Sent to CCL by: Billy McCann [thebillywayne]~[gmail.com = ] >> Are you sure a discrete graphics card is required? >=20 > That they specify a "graphics card" and not a "graphical processing > unit" indicates, to me, that this workshop requires a laptop with a > *discrete* graphics card and not an integrated graphics solution. > Also the specific brand mentioned, nVidia, supplies *solely* discrete > graphics solutions in consumer grade laptops. >=20 > Also, consider the advice given regarding the Mac platform: > "Macintosh computers often come with sufficient graphics processing > power, so no additional card is necessary." >=20 > By inference, non-Macintosh computers *will* need an additional card. >=20 > Overall, reading the laptop requirements page leaves me somewhat > confused. (".... up-to-date hardware, operating systems, and software > versions > .... Windows 2000, Max OS X 10.3 ... G4 ... Pentium 4 ..." ???) http://www.ks.uiuc.edu/Training/Workshop/Berkeley2015/Requirements.html = The system specs listed are very low =E2=80=94 in the Windows realm, = they don=E2=80=99t even mention Windows 7 or 8 (although I am sure that = those would probably be fine since they are successors to XP & Vista). = They also mention a Pentium 4 processor with 512 MB RAM =E2=80=94 a = processor that was common from 2000 to 2008. Most systems now are Core = i5 or Core i7, and even low-end systems have at least 1 or 2 GB of RAM, = so 512 MB RAM is a very low requirement. In the Mac realm, the G4 processor (minimum requirement) is 10-15 years = old, and predates the intel Macs. OS X 10.3 is also very low =E2=80=94 = their up to 10.10 (Yosemite) now (having left the era of the =E2=80=9Cbig = cats=E2=80=9D behind several versions ago). And even my iPhone has more = RAM than the 512 MB minimum requirement they specify. =46rom my own experience with molecular dynamics simulations, I do think = that a discrete graphics card will be an advantage, however. And as a = Mac user, I may disagree with the statement that, =E2=80=9CMacintosh = computers often come with sufficient graphics processing power, so no = additional card is necessary.=E2=80=9D In fact, the higher end MacBook = Pros do come with quite powerful nVidia or AMD graphics boards (the new = ones have intel graphics as well, which they use for light tasks such as = word processing, and switching into the higher discrete graphics for = gaming or graphics visualization as needed). I have had students working = with the FoldIt protein folding game using low-end Macs without discrete = graphics cards that have not been able to complete the introductory = levels of the game, as their computer crashed for not enough power (but = these students also had low amounts of RAM as well). Intel-based graphics has also come a long way, too. And an intel-based = graphics with sufficient system RAM (say at least 8-16 GB) should be = able to perform at least comparatively to some of the earlier discrete = graphics boards from several years ago (such as the nVidia Geforce = Ti4600 mentioned). But if you have 4 or less GB of system RAM, you could = have problems. I think if you=E2=80=99re uncertain whether your system meets the = minimum requirements, the best approach would be to contact the workshop = organizers and send them your system specs and ask them directly what = their recommendation is. After all, they should be familiar with = everything that they are planning to conduct, and would be most = knowledgeable in finding out where your system falls short. Derek J. Cashman, Ph.D. derek.cashman-.-gmail.com "A drug is any substance which, when injected into a rat, produces a = publishable, scientific paper." --Apple-Mail=_15DD2938-5AF6-45E1-9FB9-08F94D82E560 Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Content-Type: text/html; charset=utf-8
On May 20, 2015, at 9:38 PM, Billy McCann thebillywayne:+:gmail.com <owner-chemistry-.-ccl.net> wrote:

Sent to CCL by: Billy = McCann [thebillywayne]~[gmail.com]
Are you sure a discrete graphics card is required?

That they specify a "graphics card" = and not a "graphical processing
unit" indicates, to = me, that this workshop requires a laptop with a
*discrete* graphics card and not an integrated graphics = solution.
Also the specific brand mentioned, nVidia, = supplies *solely* discrete
graphics solutions in = consumer grade laptops.

Also, = consider the advice given regarding the Mac platform:
"Macintosh computers often come with sufficient graphics = processing
power, so no additional card is = necessary."

By inference, = non-Macintosh computers  *will* need an additional card.

Overall, reading the laptop requirements = page leaves me somewhat
confused. (".... = up-to-date hardware, operating systems, and software
versions
.... Windows 2000, = Max OS X 10.3 ... G4 ... Pentium 4 ..." = ???)


The= system specs listed are very low =E2=80=94 in the Windows realm, they = don=E2=80=99t even mention Windows 7 or 8 (although I am sure that those = would probably be fine since they are successors to XP & Vista). = They also mention a Pentium 4 processor with 512 MB RAM =E2=80=94 a = processor that was common from 2000 to 2008. Most systems now are Core = i5 or Core i7, and even low-end systems have at least 1 or 2 GB of RAM, = so 512 MB RAM is a very low requirement.

In the Mac realm, the G4 processor = (minimum requirement) is 10-15 years old, and predates the intel Macs. = OS X 10.3 is also very low =E2=80=94 their up to 10.10 (Yosemite) now = (having left the era of the =E2=80=9Cbig cats=E2=80=9D behind several = versions ago). And even my iPhone has more RAM than the 512 MB minimum = requirement they specify.

=46rom my own experience with molecular dynamics simulations, = I do think that a discrete graphics card will be an advantage, however. = And as a Mac user, I may disagree with the statement that, =E2=80=9CMacint= osh computers often come with sufficient graphics processing power, so = no additional card is necessary.=E2=80=9D In fact, the higher end = MacBook Pros do come with quite powerful nVidia or AMD graphics boards = (the new ones have intel graphics as well, which they use for light = tasks such as word processing, and switching into the higher discrete = graphics for gaming or graphics visualization as needed). I have had = students working with the FoldIt protein folding game using low-end Macs = without discrete graphics cards that have not been able to complete the = introductory levels of the game, as their computer crashed for not = enough power (but these students also had low amounts of RAM as = well).

Intel-based graphics has also come a long way, too. And an = intel-based graphics with sufficient system RAM (say at least 8-16 GB) = should be able to perform at least comparatively to some of the earlier = discrete graphics boards from several years ago (such as the nVidia = Geforce Ti4600 mentioned). But if you have 4 or less GB of system RAM, = you could have problems.

I think if you=E2=80=99re uncertain whether your system meets = the minimum requirements, the best approach would be to contact the = workshop organizers and send them your system specs and ask them = directly what their recommendation is. After all, they should be = familiar with everything that they are planning to conduct, and would be = most knowledgeable in finding out where your system falls = short.


Derek J. Cashman, Ph.D.
derek.cashman-.-gmail.com

"A = drug is any substance which, when injected into a rat, produces a = publishable, scientific paper."

= --Apple-Mail=_15DD2938-5AF6-45E1-9FB9-08F94D82E560--