Quote from: Departure on July 04, 2011, 10:52:08 AM

Quote from: minerX on July 04, 2011, 06:48:21 AM

I've got 14 cards on linux and 4 cards on windows. I'll run it down for you from what I noticed.

--------- Positive--------------

1) Linux has superior power management.
a1) Running 6970, 6970, 6950 in windows draws 1100 watts in windows.
a1) Running 6970, 6970, 6970, 6870, in linux draws 1100 watts.

2) Linux has drastically less CPU usage. I need at least a 3x core at 3 GHz to run 4x 5850s in windows. On linux i disable all cores but 1. I now run a 2.7 single core with 4x 5850s.

3) Remote management is vastly easier in linux. Multiple SSH etc.

4) Hash per second is virtually the same.

5) Incredibly stable. I think I've had a 4 machines up for 2-3 weeks now.

6) Can run ATI Stream 2.1 & 2.4 at the same time. Allowing 6xxx and 5xxx on same system.

----- THE DOWNSIDE ------------

Voltage tweaking and overclocking are terrible.

1) 6950, 6970, 6990 cannot be overclocked in linux using AMDCtrl. Any overclocking cause the mhash to lower.

2) Non-reference 5xxxx are very difficult to overvolt. Easy to overclock under stock voltage. Lowering memory is difficult.

3) Basically if you cannot flash your bios then you will NOT be able to overvolt your card in linux. (You can still overclock at stock voltage.)

4) Fairly difficult to get wifi cards working if you don't get the right one.

There seems to be alot more positives for linux than negitives... let me just clear that up a little...

Windows
-------- Positives -------------
Can run upto 8 GPU's(maybe more) using 11.6 drivers or greater
Windows CPU usage can be directed to one core using affinity thus freeing up all other CPU cores
Remote management is super easy using vnc or many other similar services for headless miner boxes.
Normally the latest drivers will arrive on Windows first(not all the time but most of the time)
Over clocking is a breeze with windows without any bios flashing
Just about all hardware will work for windows.
alot of easy to use GUI application for mining
Power management can be used but can some times be tricky to setup
Just all round easier and faster to setup

----- Negatives --------
Power management probably not as easy as Linux
inherit normal Windows faults
Need dummy plugs for overclocking(not needed for mining multiple GPU's tho')
You wont be counted as Uber when using Windows instead of linux

Security and stability is only limited to the users knowledge and his configuration, this also applys for any linux box too. Windows can be super stable and secure if set up correctly

Just to be clear, these positives are all well and good but few are actually "advantages" over Linux:

- Linux can handle process/core affinity too but there is little need for this here. CPU mining is very inefficient and GPU mining requires practically no work from the CPU.

- Linux has easy remote management with ssh (many thanks to the BSD guys).

- I'll give you that Windows has a big advantage over Linux when it comes to drivers. The ability to overclock comes under this heading too. That said I'm able to overclock and overvolt my non-reference 5850's in Linux without any BIOS flashing so things aren't so bad, but certainly Windows has the advantage.

- You can't list power management as a positive and a negative.

- Being easier and faster to setup is a matter of opinion. Indeed, I find Windows much harder to use and more confusing.

Also, I doubt there is any "uberness" associated with using Linux these days. Both Mac OS X and Ubuntu Linux are seen as viable alternatives to MS Windows. I think mining bitcoins says more about computer nerdiness than using Linux.