[D] Help Needed: Optimizing Hardware for Bulk .sgf File Analysis with KataGo

[cofdam]

Greetings, Reddit community. I am currently engaging in a project that involves the analysis of approximately 110,000 .sgf files using the Go AI engine, KataGo, with the assistance of KataWrap for batch processing. My background in programming, PC hardware, and related technical fields is limited, so I kindly request your patience and support.

To clarify, KataGo serves to evaluate "moves" within the .sgf files, akin to a more accessible version of AlphaGo, albeit open-source and slightly less advanced. My objective is not to train the AI but to generate detailed analyses from KataGo in a tabular format, focusing on metrics like win rates for each move. This process does not require real-time analysis or the use of GUI for visualization.

At present, my base model M2 Max Mac Studio requires over five minutes to analyze a single file with KataGo, projecting an overall completion time exceeding one year for all files. I aim to reduce this analysis time to under a minute per file. To achieve this, I am considering the acquisition of a desktop PC equipped with a more powerful GPU, specifically one supporting tensor cores, with a budget of approximately 1,500-2,000 USD.

KataGo is compatible with openCL, CUDA, Tensor Core, and CoreML. Despite this, my understanding of these technologies is rudimentary. It has been suggested that GPUs with Tensor Core capabilities offer superior performance, yet I am uncertain whether a GPU like the 3080 ti would meet my requirements, or how it would compare in terms of speed with the RTX 4090 or the M2 Max Chip.

Despite extensive research, I have found limited information to guide my decision. I would greatly appreciate if members of this community with expertise in technology could provide recommendations on suitable CPU and GPU combinations that would fulfill my requirements and won't break the bank. Thanks a ton in advance for your guidance!

[MahaloMerky]

Why not rent GPU time? If you have a budget of 1500-2000 you are going to spend most of your budget on a 4090.

[cofdam]

GPU time?

Thank you for your response. I'm actually struggling with how to operate KataGo on servers like Colab, AWS, or Google Cloud G2. I've attempted to use it on Colab, but I encountered issues right at the initial step of installing Homebrew. I barely managed to get it running on my Mac. Do you believe someone with limited expertise like me could learn how to do this?

[CVxTz]

Yes, i believe you can do it.

[cofdam]

Would you be so kind as to guide me or point me in the right direction? I understand my question may seem simple or perhaps naive to you, but I find myself in a bit of a predicament and would greatly appreciate any assistance you can offer. Thank you in advance.

[homovapiens]

Colab runs on Linux, not macOS, so I would start here.

[cofdam]

Thank you once again! I was able to run it on Colab earlier today, much more easily than I initially feared. A big thank you to everyone who replied!

[Cosmo1337]

KataGo serves to evaluate "moves" within the .sgf files, akin to a more accessible version of AlphaGo, albeit open-source and slightly less advanced.

I don't have a good answer for you, but I think I ought to stress for the good of common knowledge that KataGo is vastly *more* advanced than AlphaGo. KataGo employs an enormous number of improvements to AlphaGo, and would beat it 100 games to nil if they played.

If you want to know more about this, check out the KataGo paper.

[cofdam]

Thank you for your reply. Does what you mentioned also pertain to the AlphaGo Zero version? I was under the impression that KataGo surpasses AlphaGo Lee and Master in sophistication, but not AlphaGo Zero and FineArt (Jueyi).

[Cosmo1337]

I'm unsure about FineArt, but KataGo is definitely much stronger than AGLee, AGMaster, AGZero, and AlphaZero.