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Subject: Re: Intel Hyperthreading and Ponder (Permanent Brain)

Author: Luis Smith

Date: 07:46:25 01/02/04

Go up one level in this thread


On January 02, 2004 at 10:42:37, Jasmine Baer wrote:

>On January 02, 2004 at 10:35:40, Luis Smith wrote:
>
>>On January 02, 2004 at 10:31:23, Jasmine Baer wrote:
>>
>>>On January 02, 2004 at 10:21:48, Luis Smith wrote:
>>>
>>>>On January 02, 2004 at 09:57:38, Jasmine Baer wrote:
>>>>
>>>>>I've seen it written that under the following conditions:
>>>>>
>>>>>1.  Engine vs. Engine match or tournament
>>>>>2.  Held on a single computer with a single processor
>>>>>
>>>>>having ponder=ON(or Permanent Brain in the Fritz GUI) will impact the play of
>>>>>the engines since the each individual engine would not have full access to the
>>>>>processor during its own turn.
>>>>>
>>>>>First, is this true?
>>>>>
>>>>>Second, is this issue, if it actually is an issue, something that is eliminated
>>>>>by running a two-processor system?
>>>>>
>>>>>And, finally, does anyone have any solid insight on how ponder=off/on or
>>>>>Permanent Brain works on a Pentium 4 with Hyperthreading?
>>>>>
>>>>>Thanks.
>>>>
>>>>No need, someone has already run this test.  Click on "Winboard" and then
>>>>"Ponder Experiment" on the side
>>>>
>>>>http://www.pittlik.de/winboard.html
>>>
>>>Am I reading the time control corrctly?  60+2 meaning 60 minutes plus 2 seconds
>>>per move?  The reason I ask is because above the tables, there are links to some
>>>downloads - 1320 Lightning Games etc., etc.  60 minutes + 2 sec/move is not a
>>>lightning time control.  Could I be misinterpreting the 60+2?  Should I be
>>>thinking that 60+2 means 60 seconds plus 2 seconds per move?
>>
>>60 seconds with 2 second increments.
>
>Then it makes sense that ponder on/off doesn't make any statistical difference.
>The computer hardly has time to think under that time control.  I'm guessing
>that the longer the time control, the more influence ponder on/off has.

How can you say that it does not make any statistical difference?  60/2 is a
very unstable time control, so if he gets results like I think it says
something.

Although you might be correct that longer time controls could effect the outcome
more, I am getting a little bit more interested in your experiment, however I
don't have a dual or 2 machines to test this one.



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