The last 6 TCEC finals were between SF and Leela, SF won them all.
Who had the better hardware ?
This page give clues.
Snippets
Number of Cores / Threads for Stockfish and all others
Each engine can use up to 512 threads of the processors
TCEC GPU server starting from S28
CPU: 2x AMD EPYC 9175F (32 cores/64 threads)
GPU: 8x NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 32607MiB
CPU 512 threads versus 8 x GPU
Is that fair ??????????
Are there any hardware rants in favor for Leela ?
Let's discuss.
So this was one of my reasons to include the neglected second best engine after Stockfish = Leela in my testing.
Stockfish 18 for STC Rating List
Moderator: Ras
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Rebel
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- Full name: Ed Schröder
Re: Stockfish 18 for STC Rating List
90% of coding is debugging, the other 10% is writing bugs.
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Vinvin
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Re: Stockfish 18 for STC Rating List
8 GPU RTX 5090 means 8x21760 cores = 174080 cores for Leela.
It's not fair ! There's way more cores for Leela !
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Rebel
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Re: Stockfish 18 for STC Rating List
Type "gpu cores vs cpu cores" into Google.
90% of coding is debugging, the other 10% is writing bugs.
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Vinvin
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Re: Stockfish 18 for STC Rating List
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Rebel
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Re: Stockfish 18 for STC Rating List
Well, cpu cores are not comparable with gpu cores, do some reading as I suggested.Vinvin wrote: ↑Mon Feb 09, 2026 2:07 pmWhy ? I simply use your own argumentation to prove you are wrong.
Type "gpu cores vs cpu cores" into Google, gives :
CPU cores
are designed for sequential, complex, and varied tasks with low latency (high speed, few cores), acting as the system's brain for OS operations.
In contrast, GPU cores are numerous (thousands) but specialized, designed for high-throughput, parallel, and repetitive data tasks like graphics rendering and AI.
This video explains the key differences between CPUs and GPUs, including their core architecture:
Thumbnail van gerelateerde video
1m
TechPrep
YouTube • 4 mei 2024
Key Differences Summary
Core Count & Power: CPUs have a few (4-64+) powerful cores; GPUs have thousands of smaller, less powerful cores.
Processing Type: CPUs handle serial (one by one) processing; GPUs excel at parallel (many at once) processing.
Best Use Case: CPUs are ideal for general computing, gaming logic, and operating system tasks. GPUs excel at video rendering, machine learning, and simulations.
Architecture: CPU cores have large caches and complex control logic, whereas GPU cores prioritize SIMD (Single Instruction, Multiple Data) throughput.
When to Use Which
CPU: Necessary for responsiveness, complex decision-making, and tasks that cannot be easily broken into smaller, parallel, independent tasks.
GPU: Superior for tasks that can be broken into thousands of smaller tasks, such as matrix calculations in AI, video rendering, or high-end graphics.
Modern systems use them together, with the CPU managing operations and sending parallel data tasks to the GPU for accelerated processing.
90% of coding is debugging, the other 10% is writing bugs.
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jorose
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Re: Stockfish 18 for STC Rating List
Are you trying to argue TCEC hardware is CPU favored? Because SF won the last few Super Finals against Leela? Or what is the argument?
In Chess.com Rapid that recently ended, Leela convincingly lost the fight for fourth place to Plentychess. I think if you ask the developers of both SF and Leela they will have a consensus that SF is currently stronger than Leela, and would be expected to win a match under reasonable hardware conditions. I don't think there is currently a lot of evidence pointing to Leela being close to SF.
The TCEC system CPUs are over 2.5 years old, I can't even find them to purchase new. The refurbished ones go for around 5k USD. The CPUs have a combined TDP of 720 watts. Meanwhile, 5090 is a current gen GPU with market rate around 2.5k per GPU. The GPUs have a combined TDP of 4600 watts. None of this is even considering Leela also has access to 2x AMD EPYC 9175F.
I think it is an apples to oranges comparison, but by any metric I can think of, TCEC is not CPU favored.
In Chess.com Rapid that recently ended, Leela convincingly lost the fight for fourth place to Plentychess. I think if you ask the developers of both SF and Leela they will have a consensus that SF is currently stronger than Leela, and would be expected to win a match under reasonable hardware conditions. I don't think there is currently a lot of evidence pointing to Leela being close to SF.
The TCEC system CPUs are over 2.5 years old, I can't even find them to purchase new. The refurbished ones go for around 5k USD. The CPUs have a combined TDP of 720 watts. Meanwhile, 5090 is a current gen GPU with market rate around 2.5k per GPU. The GPUs have a combined TDP of 4600 watts. None of this is even considering Leela also has access to 2x AMD EPYC 9175F.
I think it is an apples to oranges comparison, but by any metric I can think of, TCEC is not CPU favored.
-Jonathan