Mythbusters’ GPU vs. CPU demo: 1100 paintballs make the Mona Lisa in 275ms
- August 28th, 2008
- 21 Comments
Well, this really is awfully misleading, but it sure is awesome. The idea is that a normal CPU processes things one at a time, like the single-paintball robot, and a GPU has parallel processors that can do (in this case) 1100 times the work in a single stroke. Well, considering CPUs are moving to serious multi-core architecture and GPUs are being used to do CPU work, the whole demonstration is a little dubious. Still, how filthy was that? [via TGDaily]
ron (Who am I?)
3 months ago
Surely this wouldn’t be coincidental with NVIDIA sponsoring the event?
Devin Coldewey (Who am I?)
3 months ago
Why, you cynic! How could you think so!
Aaron Gilliland (Who am I?)
3 months ago
Mythbusters and a dubious demonstration?
I.
Am.
Shocked.
KC (Who am I?)
3 months ago
I call Photoshop
jds (Who am I?)
3 months ago
Yeah, not very impressive when you consider how many milliseconds it took to make this overgrown air gun. It’s a poor metaphor for real technology.
Don (Who am I?)
3 months ago
Not really, the more advanced a technology is, the harder it is to produce. The more you want to do in a shorter period of time, the more energy it takes to do it. You cannot bypass the second law of thermodynamics. ;p
spriggig (Who am I?)
3 months ago
Nvidia, huh? The gun will prolly overheat and die after one frame.
Darth Meatloaf (Who am I?)
3 months ago
I’ve had 3 monitors killed by ATI cards. I’d MUCH rather replace a video card than a monitor…
If you want to call me an NVidia fanboy for this statement, ATI is to blame for me hating them.
Oh, and the video is awesome, especially the high speed replay at the end!
Arogath (Who am I?)
3 months ago
Hey Darth Meatloaf,
How about going fuck yourself?
Nvidia makes shit that is useless after 3 month cause they stop doing drivers for. Ati is a lot better, I can even run a great game with a 9800 pro, with Nvidia I can’t run a damn flash game with a FX card. So next time shut the fuck up you little fucker, maybe it’s your PSU that broke everything, or maybe it’s your cheap electricity
BTW, Go fuck yourself Nvidia Fanboy
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Jack (Who am I?)
3 months ago
You’re actually going to compare a budget card with a ATI Pro card? Are you serious? Sure those FX Cards suck, but from what I can tell all budget video cards suck.
And since my card is a 7 Series which is years out of date, and They have a driver that was released “Release Date: July 9, 2008″ I would say they don’t stop making drivers either. Maybe you should check your information first before you come across as a douche bag. Too late on this one.
DAMIen (Who am I?)
3 months ago
Shut the fuck up little freak, your videocard suck
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Darth Meatloaf (Who am I?)
3 months ago
First:
@Don - Amen to that - production becomes more complex at a higher rate that the increasing complexity of the item being produced.
Second, @Arogath: Wow. Just… wow.
How 12 are you?
Calm down. It’s a damn video card. Have fun with your ATI, and have even more fun hating NVidia.
Way to compare one of ATI’s high end cards to one of NVidia’s budget cards, btw. Real classy and it really helped you get your point across.
(FYI - not the PSU, that’s still running - with the same NVidia card I plugged into the machine years ago right after the ATI killed the monitor. Not the electricity ((wouldn’t cheap electricity be a good thing?)) because everything was plugged in through an APC UPS. Nice try, though)
kris (Who am I?)
3 months ago
Whoever made this post fails….multiple times in the video they say “1100″ paintballs” and written in the article someone decided that what they really meant was “2100 paintballs”
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John (Who am I?)
3 months ago
Damn watched this vid 30min to late. I was gonna comment on the 1100 and 2100 thing lol
Devin Coldewey (Who am I?)
3 months ago
Ah. 1100. I was watching it muted the first time through.
me (Who am I?)
3 months ago
The whole thing is stupid. A CPU is way faster than GPU in certain items.
you (Who am I?)
3 months ago
@me, this is more or less talking about parallel computing (not truly parallel computing, but using multiple sequential CPUs). And, while a CPU is faster, it has to do more than a GPU so in terms of graphics making the CPU handle that as well will cause lag.
Good video, I can’t wait to see more true parallel computing in the near future as well as what it can do for things other than graphics computing.
jawbreaker (Who am I?)
3 months ago
What a waste of time !
Darth Meatloaf (Who am I?)
3 months ago
Adam and Jamie are professional time-wasters.
They do amusing experiments on television for the amusement (and annoyance) of the masses - just look at the traffic on their web site…
The point is this: They are getting PAID to waste their time on these contraptions, and they are getting PAID to waste your time by showing you.
Every nerd’s dream.
Anonymous (Who am I?)
2 months ago
One problem, the paintballs were all loaded in sequence what was the gpu doing, sending a fire code? The first one actually processed and made the image, moving the arm as it went the second just launched all the balls in the reverse order they were loaded, nothing special.
Tanriel
2 months ago
WTF??? what am I earing?? Nvidia budget card and ATI high end? I’m so sorry dude but you are a nut sucker. ATI is making budget card and mid-ranged carde since HD3870… Nvidia just makes the price of the defect card higher and laught after all. Before saying something stupid, try to understand the reel thing cause you are worst than a 12 y/o that play pokemon… so GTFO ball sucker
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