Struggle with deciding which GPU for custom desktop Kali Linux

[D3ADSHOT]

Greetings,

I would an advice from kali linux experts on which GPU to choose for a custom build Kali Linux desktop. I mean which one is preferable to have on, an AMD gpu based card or NVIDIA? To be specific I am not building a computer for gaming but rather for exploiting, I want to get the full potential of Kali as much as possible. I am opting for top high end GPU like GTX970 above or an equivalent of AMD (I am mostly an nvidia user but I would like a change).

So what u say guys? Please throw here ur opinions on the matter so that I could have solid arguments to choose the best GPU for my Kali system.

Cheers

[tbdev]

Hey D3ADSHOT,

I would personally use 2 x Nvidia GTX 970's myself as I reckon that would be the best balance between price and performance now the 10 series is out and established. That being said, I have a few friends that swear down AMD is better at this and would probably opt for somthing like 2 x R9's) but I don't think it's a simple as that!

Ultimately, in terms of performance, stick with an SLI / XFire setup with the best cards you can afford and you'll be set. That being said, only my opinion and certainly not based on expirience

Tommo

[D3ADSHOT]

Hi tbdev,

Can you tell me the difference with AMD and NVIDIA in term of using it in Kali environment? I mean why people would choose Nvidia gpu and why some would choose AMD? I can't find any clue on google about this like its all in general written, no specifications like why is it relevant to use Nvid or amd.

[tbdev]

Hey,

I tend not to like these questions too much as the answer is never clear (correct?) . A large part of it comes down to personal preference with a little bit of loyalty; I'll happily admit that I'm fond of the Nvidia chipset so tend to recommend them for that reason alone.

In terms of using 'either / or' in a Kali environment, it's important to look at the specifications and how the card works. CPU's tend to have 1 - 8 cores while GPU's have a lot more smaller cores typically called stream processors which is why they are so attractive for cryptography / number crunching. In an odd analogy, stream processors would be like Linux applications (they have a very limited function but do it very well) while CPU cores would be equivalent to Windows applications (performs many functions but not always so well) - if anybody can provide a better analogy here, feel free

This is where the differences in the cards start to make a difference with regards to Kali. Each of these manufacturers' design their chipsets (including stream processors) in different ways which is what influences the best choice when picking the right brand. I believe Nvidia make fewer but more capable stream processors which do allow for more complex calculations (we're talking small differences here though). AMD on the other hand use smaller, less complex stream processors which increases the number of basic calculations per second.

Choosing the right card comes down to understanding exactly what you are wanting to do with them. Because of the differences in design, Nvidia cards can be great for complex financial calculations for example while AMD cards tend to do better with things like crypto-currency mining as the calculations are much simpler - this would also include many forms of password cracking where you need to run as many basic calculations in as short time as possible.

Based on my understanding (I had to pester an old colleague to get a better understanding of stream processors myself) if your looking to use the cards for password cracking, concentrate on the AMD range - that being said, I'm an Nvidia fan boy so I would recommend Nvidia .

I haven't addressed yet the issues with drivers - have a little look around and familiarize yourself with the process of installing the proprietary drivers on a Debian base which can help influence if you're on the fence. I'm using Kali on a few systems but not yet installed on anything running a dedicated card (aiming to get main PC dual booting this weekend coming which has a GTX 970) and didn't enjoy the process of installing the AMD drivers on my laptop so I can only confirm parts of this with my own experiences.

If you're interested, have a look at http://blog.logicalincrements.com/20...he-difference/ which gives more substance to my description above (it helped in my phrasing so a worth while read). The article at http://smallbusiness.chron.com/impor...pus-70990.html gives a really good intro into stream processors and does look at how these are being used in other areas of computing.

I hope this has helped make things clearer; I've learnt a little something too. Let me know if you have any other questions and I'll do my best to help and I'm interested to know what you end up going for.

Tommo