The hash table is filled after 7 minutes of running, having completed depth 28:
So, this morning, I left the machine running when I went out. I returned to see this:
Depth 35 completed in only 123 minutes:
Notice in post 3 (just above) that the speed has increased to 19,826 kN/sec.
I consider the upgrade was money well spent and will pay for itself sooner or later (less time running processor = lower electricity bill).
Here's the moment that I changed the Hash table size from 8GB to 16GB:
(Notice that Arena 3.0 does not know how to display more than 4096Mb of Hash, in the information bar)
Unbelievable. I have 8 cores and 12 MB memory and only achieve 3000-4000 kn/sec which is about what Deep Blue could do. Usually my machine just stalls out at ply depths in the mid-upper 20s though that is amazing from a historical perspective (I have played chess against computers since the mid-late 1970s.)
In the past people wondered what it would be like to play against God and, as far as planet Earth is concerned, there can't be too many machines that run faster than Prawn's.
One question I have always wanted an answer to. If you turn off the opening book, what is White's best move after 5...a6 in the Najdorf at 35 ply?
One question I have always wanted an answer to. If you turn off the opening book, what is White's best move after 5...a6 in the Najdorf at 35 ply?
I'm pretty sure that the engine move will be 6. Bg5 .... the mainline is good for White.
I'll run the position in a couple of days, when I've got less on my plate.
Thanks, Prawn.
By the way, I checked up on Deep Blue and two sources say that it calculated 200,000 kn/sec (not the 200 million in 3 minutes that I thought I remembered) but it could only reach an average of 14 ply (with extensions up to 40 ply in non-quiescent or forced mate positions).
Your question is a difficult one to answer.
Get a desktop with a proper processor (i7 series).
Laptop processors have low clocks (to keep the heat down) and are not really suitable for centaur chess.
Build the system yourself to save money and familiarise yourself with the hardware.
Beast gets another upgrade. This time I've upgraded the peripherals by pairing this WQHD monitor (2560x1440):
http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=MO-041-DE&groupid=17&catid=1120&subcat=
With these 2.1 speakers:
Monitor arrives tomorrow (Friday), speakers arrive Monday.
I've had the following component on bookmark for about three months. I've watched the price tumble from £179.99 to £99.98 and could resist no more:
http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=MY-111-KS&groupid=701&catid=8&subcat=1389
Here's what they looked like on arrival:
(6 x 4GB = 24GB of 1600MHz RAM)
A simple matter to change the six DIMMs and I was away. After a few Blue Screens Of Death, I arrived at the following stable overclock:
CPU: 4.25 GHz
Memory: 1704 MHz
I wasn't sure what gains I'd get but my expectations have been exceeded.
A 16GB Hash table means that the engine hits high depth considerably quicker:
Depth 27 completed at 84% of hash