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graphics cards for serious (science) usage?

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Do any graphics processing unit (GPU) or display/video/graphics card 
companies admit/market GPUs or cards to be used for serious reasons:  
science operating systems (OS, UNIX/GNU/Linux) CUDA & OpenCL (I know they 
do for ones more expensive than Nvidia GeForce RTX 5090 OC, AMD Radeon RX 
7900 XTX & forthcoming 9000s, but asking about these & low-to-mid-range)?

We have AMD, ASUS, GigaByte, Nvidia hardware.  One or more companies won't 
answer about CUDA & OpenCL nor safe temperature ranges nor configuration 
software (either ASUS or GigaByte makes their own... the other doesn't nor 
knows defaults) saying 'graphics cards are for gaming' (or that GPU 
companies' software shows safe temperatures despite cards differ) which is 
ridiculous: 'hardcore gamers' probably only use small percentage of 
(powerful) graphics cards... first of all, they're for graphics 
(computational geometry/graphics computer programming/science to make 
games, (photo)graphics/art/computer-aided-design, video, etc. software) 
but they won't say this first.  Now most (powerful) graphics cards (other 
than fair number of average/office/non-gaming or casual/rare gaming usage) 
may be in (UNIX/GNU/Linux) science (super)computers, whether modelling/
research (like/using BOINC.Berkeley.edu), artificial intelligence (AI) or 
small-to-medium science (AI) workstation P(S)C usage... and many still 
cryptocurrency mining.  I'll call all this 'number-crunching'.

Seems some these companies outsourced customer support to third-world 
countries unaware scientific/non-desktop/-gaming usage exists.  Some put 
'gaming' in card names, despite maybe many/most are for users or number-
crunching.  I asked one about OpenCL and they referred me to '"our" forum' 
on gitlab.freedesktop.org , which isn't their site (it's for graphical 
user interfaces (GUI) such as the X Window System (X), etc. for science 
OS) let alone a forum, and CUDA & OpenCL don't need desktop: typically 
start on command-line/console/shell/terminal (by 'terminal' I mean not 
graphical user interface (GUI)) to compute in background (screen/tmux).  
The customer support agent apparently thought OpenCL misspelled OpenGL.

Lately I asked AMD if GNU/Linux AMDGPU-Pro OpenCL still works on Radeon RX 
Vega... I tried unofficial close variants (Debian/Devuan, Ubuntu/Neon GNU/
Linuxes) which used to work but now some don't: too altered, so should I 
try something listed in amdgpu-install (Debian, Mint, *Ubuntu) rather than 
variants, or was Vega dropped?  I don't think AMDGPU-Pro depends on 
systemd (oriented to desktops, not traditional servers) so since Devuan 
doesn't alter anything else, OpenCL should work, and KDE Neon claims they 
just add newer X/KDE desktop environment (DE) without altering underlying 
Kubuntu (an official Ubuntu) though I've found sometimes false (upgrades 
to experimental/development/testing KDE graphics libraries too new for 
AMDGPU-Pro with older cards requiring dkms, despite OpenCL doesn't use 
dkms, can completely break display many ways, which we need).

Is it best to ask AMD, ASUS, GigaByte, Nvidia, try other companies (Intel 
GPUs, who else for cards)?  I still like ASUS for having most display-
ports, but lately prefer GigaByte for best price with longer warranty 
(than ASUS Tuf).

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Thread

graphics cards for serious (science) usage? David Chmelik <dchmelik@gmail.com> - 2025-02-05 09:01 +0000
  Re: graphics cards for serious (science) usage? Paul <nospam@needed.invalid> - 2025-02-05 06:30 -0500
    Re: graphics cards for serious (science) usage? Paul <nospam@needed.invalid> - 2025-02-06 00:13 -0500
    Re: graphics cards for serious (science) usage? Lawrence D'Oliveiro <ldo@nz.invalid> - 2025-02-06 21:05 +0000
      Re: graphics cards for serious (science) usage? Paul <nospam@needed.invalid> - 2025-02-07 00:21 -0500
      Re: graphics cards for serious (science) usage? "Mr. Man-wai Chang" <toylet.toylet@gmail.com> - 2025-02-07 19:28 +0800
        Re: graphics cards for serious (science) usage? Paul <nospam@needed.invalid> - 2025-02-07 08:42 -0500
          Re: graphics cards for serious (science) usage? "Mr. Man-wai Chang" <toylet.toylet@gmail.com> - 2025-02-08 22:32 +0800
  Re: graphics cards for serious (science) usage? "Mr. Man-wai Chang" <toylet.toylet@gmail.com> - 2025-02-06 00:02 +0800

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