The current benchmarking calculations for SMP and GPU projects are performed on different machines since originally the SMP cores could not perform the calculations that the GPUs cores could and vice versa (GPUs were only for implicit solvent calculations and SMP only for explicit solvent calculations). With recent advances in both cores and completion of our testing of these capabilities to ensure agreement, we are now confident we can do the same work on both cores. Thus, we feel that it is time to unify GPU and SMP benchmarking, both for simplicity and fairness.
In order to complete the move towards this plan of "equal points for equal work," new GPU projects will be benchmarked using the existing SMP benchmarking scheme. Based on our internal tests, the end effect of this new, unified benchmarking scheme would boost the points for the GPU projects, both in terms of base points but also by bringing Quick Return Bonuses to GPU clients. In order to test the new scheme, we have started a GPU3 project (Project ID: 8057) and released it for beta testing. Once the benchmarking scheme has been tested, all the current GPU projects will be re-benchmarked to reflect the changes in the benchmarking scheme.