On: Accelerating Deep Neuroevolution: Train Atari in Hours on a Single Computer

[taeric]

Define "regular computer user." What are you doing with these machines that comes close to using all of the cores?

[nl → taeric]

I don't know what the OP is doing, but something like XGBoost scales really well across multiple cores.

I've used my 2014 MBP with a 4 core i7 (plus hyperthreading) plus 3 desktop i5 boxes for over 24 hours straight on the same XGB task before. The 8 CPU threads on the MBP lets it outperform more recent machines on this kind of task.

[taeric → nl]

Oh, I get that there are things you can do with a setup like this. I challenge that this is a "regular computer user" level of thing to do, though. Mining bitcoin is not a regular user task. Nor is being a render farm for an animated movie. :)

[nl → taeric]

It's on a post called "Accelerating Deep Neuroevolution". I'm pretty sure it's a regular computer for anyone doing that....

I think the point of "regular" was that it's not exactly some extreme budget needed to do this.

[taeric → nl]

That makes some sense. However, even in an article about Olympic athletes, I would expect a "regular person" to not be one of them.

[nl → taeric]

I think there’s an awful lot of emphasis on the word regular and not much on the “32 cores for $1000” which - given the context of this story - is much more relevant and interesting.

[taeric → nl]

I specifically quoted "regular computer user." This thread was specifically about that being a personal computer.

I mean, yes, I can see how an individual can get one. And it is definitely neat to see them pushed to their limits. But calling yourself a regular computer user with a machine that strong is a stretch.