I'm trying to build my new machine http://www.gpugrid.net/forum_thread.php?id=1456&nowrap=true#13408

Perhaps this already exits, but my point is that when you try to start buiding a new machine there are some many post, so much information in the forums that it's hard to go throw the most important information. Most information is old. I see many people posting the same things over and over.

I will like to have a tutorial like "wikiboinc" with all the important information, won't need to be very extensive: Best GPU, Best O.S., € /GFlop, advices.

I wouldn't mind to colaborate on this.

I will be glad to know your definitive config !!

To do mine (a simple config), I've check especially which GPU was the most cost effective. (But Nvidia only)
After comparing not the technical data/price, but points/price with the help of my team, I found :
The GTX 275 was the best one (For 180€) but I've bought mine for 155€ (A new one, thanks to ebay. Shipped from germany to my country, France)
The GTX 260 was a bit less cost effective (If you want this one, be sure to take the 216SP version)
After what, the others were far below.

And about CPU. Well the best will be an i7 920.... But as I did'nt want to pay quite much, I took a Q8200.

And for OS...I'm using Gentoo 64b. But any Linux 64b version will be fine.
(Windows 64b can also be good I guess...But I'm not Windows)

I am going to build a new tutorial little by little because I'm quite busy at work right now, but If I start I will have to finish... So here I start... And sorry for my bad english. I will try to do my best, but don't expect to see this article finished in less than a few weeks.

I want it simple.

0. Decide if you can afford to by a new computer or use an old one.
Always money...

1. Choosing your GPA
First step is to plan what GPA you want. Most of the time, more expensive is better, but not optimal. Here you have a great post about €/Gflops
http://www.gpugrid.net/forum_thread.php?id=955, never forget that with some cards you will have problems to finish on time http://www.gpugrid.net/forum_thread.php?id=867

To make it easy I'm going to say you have three optimal decisitions:
1) I what it cheap. Geforce 8800 GT 62€ 8.13 GFLOPS/€
2) I want it high performance. Geforce GTX 260 141€ 7.15 GFLOPS/€
3) I want it extreme performance. C1060 1508€ 1.28 GFLOPS/€
In 3) you can see that is much better to have a motherboard with more than one GTX 260 ( can buy 10 GTX for the price of one C1060)

2. Checking your PCI Express
If you don't have a good bus, the bus will slow the GPU and your card will be useless. Of course if you want to have more than one GPU you need more than one slot at your motherboard.
The bandwidths of you bus depends on your motherboard. Check them!. (Ex. PCIe x 16 4 GB/s, PCIe x 32 8 GB/s) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PCI_Express
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